San Francisco Cooking Camps 2025

Experience San Francisco’s as a part of the best world’s best culinary arts, cooking camp and baking camp! Our expert chefs guide students of all levels in professional kitchens, creating delicious dishes from scratch. Choose either day/commuter option or residential / sleep-away options in the Golden City.

Summer Culinary is more than just cooking. We are out to foster confidence, self-expression, independence, leadership, and self-care while teaching culinary skills. Students arrive and get right to work in our professional instructional commercial kitchens, creating an environment which helps inspire and empower the next generation of young chefs.

We want each and ever student to come home happy, and able to whip up all sorts of fantastic meals as they go. And like every chef, they clean as they go so your kitchen will look immaculate! Underneath the skill building is personality development and freedom. Our kids come and for one week they can try on new futures, and new ways of being. Confident. Inspiring. Well-spoken. And darn good chefs: that’s a Summer Culinary graduate!

PROFESSIONAL KITCHENS

PROFFESSIONAL CHEFS

Learn from professional chefs in fully-equipped commercial teaching kitchens – Pro kitchens, pro chefs!

At Summer Culinary, it’s all about the kitchen. Our programs are pro-level summer cooking camps led by professional chefs in state-of-the-art kitchens.

From 10am to 6pm, our days are filled with hands-on cooking in a state-of-the-art kitchen. Equipped with top-of-the-line tools, the possibilities are endless. What culinary masterpieces will you create this summer? It is called culinary arts, because cooking is an art form, and we love expanding the view of what is possible in the kitchen, from the perspective of artists: candied waves on a cake devoted to surfing in one example from last year.

In our state-of-the-art San Francisco kitchens, we create over 100 recipes entirely from scratch. Guided by our team of expert chefs and supported by top-quality facilities, every session is designed to provide a hands-on, engaging, and unforgettable culinary experience. Chefs instruct, they do not do the cooking. The students cook, and the instructors provide guidance and instruction, We want the students working like real chefs do, which includes cleaning as you go. Hygiene and sanitary precautions are taught and repeated all session.

We carefully choose our culinary camp locations, ensuring they meet our high standards. Our camps offer access to professional kitchens, expert instructors, and the opportunity for your teen to fully embrace their culinary passions. This immersive experience, paired with a structured curriculum and guidance from seasoned chefs, empowers students to unlock their true culinary potential.

DAILY SCHEDULE

A typical day at campusSF looks like this:

8am – 9am: Residential students wake up, get dressed, and have breakfast in the residence halls.

9:30: Get ready and take a short stroll to the trolley for a charming trolley ride straight to the kitchen.

10am – 6pm: Students start working from the moment they arrive, They participate in skill-building exercises, knife skills, and kitchen safety. The students prepare their own lunch and dinner. As part of the comprehensive culinary training, students cook meals from scratch, ensuring that everyone is hands-on in the kitchen!

5pm – 6pm: The food is plated and ready for the demo, and everyone has the opportunity to take photos of their creations. The chefs inspect, taste, discuss, and offer constructive feedback to inspire the students. Afterward, everyone enjoys the meal they’ve prepared before packing up.

6pm: Day students head home, while residential students return to the dorms or head out for an excursion around the city by the bay.

6:00pm – 9:00pm: Evening activities are packed with curated events, games, and exciting excursions. From Rogue Squads to karaoke, it’s all about having as much fun as we can imagine!

9pm – 11pm: Kick back and enjoy the dorms and time with new friends. This is the time when we screen movies, play music, enjoy games, and have fun!

San Francisco Cooking Camp

Residential Program: Explore San Francisco

Evening excursions

Evenings: explore the local area after cooking camps classwork ends

Our residential hall is located at Minerva University, in a quiet and safe area of the city and a straight shot on the trolley line to the kitchen. Before we head home, San Francisco cooking camps residential students explore san Francisco.

San Francisco Cooking Camps

campusSF Special Night Outings:

Our San Francisco Cooking Camps residential students go on adventures at night, accompanied by staff of course. We often find ourselves at some of the most amazing destinations in San Francisco! In the evenings, the students, as always, are accompanied by the staff. We break into small groups, each with a counselor, and go do as much as they possibly can, staying in the safe, clean, beautiful areas of this great city.

The kitchen and dorm are located in the heart of San Francisco! Our nightly activities will take you to all the iconic sights the city has to offer, including exploring vibrant neighborhoods and enjoying scenic waterfront spots!

san francisco cooking camps

SLEEPAWAY STUDENTS:

Our home is Minerva University

Our students live at a college, with a roommate, with 24-hour supervision of course. Residential life in a real college! Our students have a wonderful opportunity to live like college students do, in real dorm rooms. It’s so fun. They also have to be responsible and accountable for themselves, and this is where we have opportunities to develop their leadership, and boost their confidence, and get them to try new things.

In the dorm are also the camp directer, counselors and a health director. They are there to provide guidance, and we really want the activities to be student-driven. After all they will be going to college soon, so we need to get them ready, a toe in the water! Start with our Our San Francisco cooking camps!

Summer Culinary Cooking Camp Testimonials

“My favorite thing about summer culinary was trying all different cuisines of food to eat and to make. It was also the most positive and fun experience and it felt like anyone could join and feel accepted.”

I had so much fun at Summer Culinary! It was amazing to connect with other students over our shared love for cooking, and the amazing chefs and counselors!! The cooking was so much fun and I learned so much! Truly a unique and incredible experience! Best camp ever!!

– 2022 Student

“We felt that Summer Culinary was the right combination of trying new things and building confidence in our young chef. The amount of knowledge gained in one week was absolutely fantastic! This experience boosted our daughter’s already strong passion for pastry arts!”

2022 Parent

“I loved having dance parties in the halls and cooking with my friends. Plus, the staff really cared about all of us having a great time.”

– 2022 Student

Discover more about our Culinary Summer Camp in San Francisco

Ignite your culinary passion at our exclusive teen cooking camp in San Francisco! Immerse yourself in a vibrant culinary experience where you’ll hone your skills in real professional kitchens under the guidance of renowned chef instructors. Explore the diverse flavors of the city through hands-on cooking classes and exciting supervised field trips, creating unforgettable memories and discovering your culinary potential.

We are more than just a cooking camp. Our goal is to create self-confidence, empowerment, leadership, communication and teamwork. Our San Francisco cooking camps are where this can all be found!

This parent says it better than anything we could say:

My son got to cook in a professional kitchen from trained chefs alongside other kids who share the same interest in cooking. We loved that it was a team effort the entire experience, which was great for building his interpersonal, social, and communication skills. The program was well organized and maintained a safe environment. The entire staff was welcoming and seemed to clearly enjoy what they were doing, which allowed me as a parent to feel comfort in trusting my son in the all-day/week-long experience. The registration process was structured and clear. We really appreciated having the payment plan option. The camp value was totally realized. It ultimately has felt like an investment in his future. His confidence in the kitchen, and in seeing himself as a future chef, has grown exponentially because of this camp experience. My son is looking forward to this being a part of his summers moving forward. – 2024 parent

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Check out our Other Cooking Camp Locations

New York Culinary Camp – Experience the hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps. Learn how you can become a Michelin star level chef this summer in New York.

Seattle Culinary Camp – Soak up everything Seattle has to offer this summer, while you learn how to take your cooking skills to the next level.

Washington DC Culinary Camp – Learn more about America’s capital and advance your culinary skills this summer

Austin Culinary Camp – Get first hand experience in one of the best up and coming cities in the United States, Austin Texas. Learn to cook like a prand coming cities in the United States, Austin Texas. Learn to cook like a pro!

Summer Culinary 2025:  America’s Top Cooking Camp

Meet A Graduate
This program is open to all students between the ages 12 – 17. While experience is suggested, it is not required. Our biggest requirement is a love of food, and a desire to learn culinary arts!

Pro chefs. Pro kitchens. That’s us!

Enroll Today!