COBS Bread is supporting baking education and scholarships with a monetary pledge of $100,000 benefiting Centennial College’s School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts.
The corporate donation was recognized with a room dedication plaque and signage that designates the college’s baking lab on the ground level of the college’s Residence and Culinary Arts Centre as the COBS Bread Baking Lab on October 17.
“The COBS Bread Baking Lab is the flagship of our awesome partnership, which also includes a scholarship and a work placement program,” says Karen Frost-Spokes, Regional Director of COBS Bread. “We are so proud to work with Centennial College in supporting and developing students who are passionate bakers that want to be the best in their field.”
Vancouver-based COBS Bread Bakery first opened in 2003, and arrived in Toronto in 2006. Today it operates 120 bakeries across Canada. COBS Bread gained a reputation for corporate social responsibility when it began giving leftover baked goods at the end of each day to local charities. COBS has donated more than $250 million worth of fresh baked bread and treats to charitable organizations across Canada and the U.S. since 2003.
Centennial’s School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts boasts a striking 350,000-square-foot teaching facility incorporating eight classrooms, three culinary arts labs, two baking and pastry arts labs and a beverage-tasting room at Progress Campus. The school operates an experiential learning ecosystem comprised of four unique components: a 90-seat restaurant, a quick-service cafe, an event centre and hotel-style guest rooms.
UPDATE: The Centennial College and COBS Bread partnership ended in 2024