Why SPICE?

Holy Cross Anglican School, established in 2006 as the first tuition-free primary school in San Pedro, has significantly impacted Ambergris Caye by providing essential education to children who previously had no access to primary schooling. Supported by the Anglican Archdiocese of Belize, the school serves 425 students and is the second largest primary school on the island. However, only 30% of children in San Pedro complete high school, highlighting the need for further educational support and vocational training. Most students prefer to stay on the island, but lack the skills for meaningful employment, mainly available in tourism-related vocations. To address this, Holy Cross is launching a vocational training initiative, starting with culinary skills training in partnership with Dan and Gaynor Grant, experienced culinary professionals from Pittsburgh. This pilot project will begin at Holy Cross's kitchen/cafeteria in September 2024, with plans to expand vocational training in the future, aiming to have a transformative impact similar to the primary school.

Gaynors School of Cooking Overview

The SPICE 15-week course was developed by Gaynor Grant, who owns and operates Gaynors School of Cooking in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Originally our cooking school was an offshoot of the famed "Peter Kumps" in New York City. Peter Kump was well known as the prodigy of James Beard and his school was generally regarded as one of the most prestigious cooking schools in the USA. Having run Peters school for a number of years we first opened the satellite "Peter Kumps" school in Northern New Jersey, which was fully owned and operated by us. In 1994, we moved to Pittsburgh and named the school Gaynor’s School of Cooking, after our founder Gaynor Grant. We believe that James Beard’s philosophy of  cooking education to professional standards is alive and well at our school. See www.gaynorsschoolofcooking.com for more information.