Blue Ribbon Seattle
FACT SHEET
Overview:
Blue Ribbon is an all-inclusive events company based in Seattle, offering
gourmet cooking classes, corporate team building activities, top-to-bottom
wedding design and execution, world-class catering, kids programs, event
planning and more. With multiple unique venues in Seattle and Tacoma, Blue
Ribbon prides itself on offering exceptional and diverse event services for
celebrations, weddings and corporate needs. With a history rooted in gourmet
cooking, Blue Ribbon’s culinary team produces classic and contemporary dishes
using international flavors and quality ingredients.
Services:
Corporate Team Building
Blue Ribbon Cooking & Culinary Center is Seattle's premier provider of corporate
team building events. Each event is custom designed to accommodate each
company’s team building goals. Blue Ribbon welcomes groups from 10 people to
180 or more, any time of the day, seven days per week. Their team building
concepts are innovative and offer variety like no one else. From Food Truck
Wars, to Iron Chef style competitions, to cause-based classes that benefit the
local community, there is something appealing for every business to help bring
employees together and foster camaraderie outside the office.
Weddings + Events
In a competitive local wedding landscape, Blue Ribbon differentiates itself by
providing a unique blend of services from access to multiple distinct and unique
area venues, to offering food and beverage catering, custom cakes and personal
design touches. Full-service wedding packages, executed by their expert team of
organized event planners, leave no detail unturned and affordably take the
weight of planning off the bride and groom.
Blue Ribbon provides catering services to meet the most demanding needs and
the highest standards of excellence. They provide catering for private events at
their beautiful facility overlooking Lake Union, or at a location of the guests
choosing. They specialize in catering services for wedding receptions, birthdays,
anniversaries and corporate events and work with guests to select the perfect
menu, taking into consideration any dietary issues or special requests.
Cooking Classes
Blue Ribbon prides itself on not only offering a quality, educational cooking
lesson but also offering an unforgettable experience with a lively atmosphere.
Blue Ribbon offers a broad variety of cooking class options with unique menus,
presented in various formats and sizes to appeal to a large audience. Classes
range from a preset calendar of select events to custom food and beverage
focused classes for private parties. Blue Ribbon classes take the challenge out of
cooking and give guests the tools to entertain with ease and style.
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Kids Camps
Over the last almost 20 years, Blue Ribbon has provided successful kids camps
and various children’s educational cooking classes and after school activities.
From beginner level classic training to advanced lessons and mother/child
courses, Blue Ribbon offers something for all kids to enjoy learning how to cook
for themselves and their family and become resourceful in the kitchen.
Where:
Blue Ribbon is nestled over the water on Seattle’s Lake Union in the Eastlake
neighborhood. The 5,200 square foot venue offers beautiful views of the lake,
city skyline and Gasworks Park through their panoramic windows and outdoor
deck. The facility boasts a variety of spaces to accommodate any type of event
or cooking class including an exhibition kitchen, large dance floor, ceremony
area, sound system, bridal room, cozy lounge, catering kitchen and free parking.
2501 Fairview Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98102
206.328.2442
Website:
www.blueribboncooking.com
Social Media: Facebook
Ownership:
Vanessa Volkman, Director
Contact:
Lauren Fior McCaffrey
Evado PR
Lauren@evadopr.com | 425.802.3082
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VANESSA VOLKMAN
DIRECTOR
Vanessa Volkman was raised in the kitchen and began her love affair with cooking as a child.
With a chef and cooking instructor mother, Vanessa grew up in a cooking-oriented environment
and spent her youth in the kitchen, learning and practicing cooking and baking techniques. Her
knowledge grew quickly and at the young age of 13 she was featured in an “All About Pies” series
with Julia Child on television.
As a self-taught chef, Vanessa went on to become a private chef and culinary consultant. She
began working at her parents’ cooking school, Blue Ribbon Cooking & Culinary Center, in 2000
as a chef instructor and quickly took on new roles, including revamping Blue Ribbon’s catering
department and creating Blue Ribbon’s all-Inclusive wedding packages.
Since 2000 she has planned over 1000 all-inclusive weddings and had her own wedding featured
on the Style channel and in several local bridal magazines. Vanessa has been featured on a
series of radio programs educating locals about how to improve the food choices of today’s youth,
an important initiative for her and Blue Ribbon. And in 2012 her pie making knowledge came full
circle and she was featured on a national television program, “For the Love of Pies”.
In 2008 Vanessa shifted gears and began running the day-to-day operations for Blue Ribbon with
her husband. With her parents recently stepping down as full time owners, Vanessa now handles
all aspects of the family business as Director of Blue Ribbon, and oversees a large staff of
planners and chefs, four venues, and the company’s weddings, corporate events, kids camps and
more.
Vanessa uses her experiences in the culinary industry, in conjunction with her passion for
planning and designing events, to personally ensure the success of each event that Blue Ribbon
has the pleasure to execute.
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CORPORATE TEAM BUILDING
In 1995 Blue Ribbon was one of the first companies to offer cooking-based team building
activities after noting that cooking and food was an exciting and creative way for companies to
bond and build morale. Their offerings have since grown to include multiple formats and options
for groups large and small. The hands-on team building activities may be competitive in the
manner of an Iron Chef style cook-off, or an orchestrated collaboration that strengthens the
cohesiveness of the entire team.
Using the kitchen as a learning environment, groups or corporate executives, management and
sales teams work together to create a gourmet meal, then sit down to enjoy together. Challenges
to the group’s creativity, communication, cooperation and time/resource management are
inherent in the team building process, weather a competitive or collaborate format is used.
Team Building Overview:
• Themes from any of Blue Ribbon’s classes can be transformed into corporate team
activities for groups of up to 150.
• Blue Ribbon provides an instructor for every 12 guests.
• Participants receive hands-on cooking instruction and then feast together on the delicious
meal they've created at Blue Ribbon’s lake view dining tables.
• Standard classes are three hours, offered in several different formats, and can be
arranged to cover any topic or ethnic cuisine. The first half hour guests will enjoy an array
of appetizers and a beverage bar, cook for the next hour and a half, then enjoy their meal
for the final hour.
• Each class is custom-designed with the company's needs and goals in mind.
• Classes are fun, educational and designed to allow everyone from the novice cook to a
master chef to participate comfortably.
• Team building activities are held at the 5,200 waterfront culinary center on Lake Union.
Team Building Formats Include:
Food Truck Wars
The popularity of food trucks has spurred an exciting new team building competition at Blue
Ribbon where companies can flex their “business development” muscles to create a food truck
business. The three-hour competition consists of:
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Company breaks into equal groups and each is assigned a professional chef.
Chosen leader from each group draws a random food truck theme, provided by Blue
Ribbon, for their group to create a business around.
Blue Ribbon provides an overview including the dynamics of cooking and serving in a
food truck and tips for working within those parameters.
Groups have 90 minutes to create two savory main dishes and one sweet treat that
embody the theme they have drawn, as well as naming their truck and designing a menu.
Winners will be selected by the judging panel based on flavor, ability to adhere to the
theme, a well-rounded menu, and how well the dynamics of food preparation and service
in a food truck were considered in the execution of their food and overall menu.
Option to have appetizers served from a local food truck of their choice.*
*Blue Ribbon will provide a rotating selection of local food truck partners.
Cooking For A Cause
A unique and powerful way to bring corporate teams together for an interactive team building
workshop, while giving back to the community. Cooking For A Cause involves teams working
together to create delicious meals; one to be enjoyed by the company during the event, and one
to be donated to Orion Youth Center for Homeless Youth or Hope Place run by Seattle’s Union
Gospel Mission, that provides emergency food and shelter to 1500 men, women and children
each day. The format includes:
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Prepare one, two, or three approachable one-dish meals to be donated to one of the
charities above, or a charity of the company’s choice.
Blue Ribbon will package, coordinate and deliver donations with or without the company’s
name attached.
After cooking, guests will enjoy a meal that Blue Ribbon’s chefs have catered – and in
some cases that the guests have partially prepared themselves.
Learn new culinary techniques and enjoy an effective team building event while helping
fill a genuine need and making a meaningful donation to those less fortunate.
Iron Chef
A classic competitive format, Iron Chef is an effective vehicle to bring together employees that are
not familiar with each other to integrate and/or work as a team. Program includes:
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Guests divide into teams of approximately 12 and a professional chef instructor is
assigned to assist each team as much or as little as they would like.
During the hands-on cooking portion of the event, each team must design and execute a
complete meal consisting of a protein, side dishes and a dessert.
Different main ingredients for each group’s protein component and dessert are assigned
and sample recipes utilizing those ingredients are provided.
When the cooking is complete, each team’s creations are placed on a buffet and
everybody enjoys the meal while the judging takes place behind the scenes.
Teams are awarded certificates for different accomplishments. As many teams can be
awarded as the coordinator would like to recognize – one team or all teams.
Collaborative
With the collaborative format, companies determine the menu from Blue Ribbon’s seasonal list of
menu courses. The group works with the chefs during the hands-on cooking portion to cook the
predetermined recipes in order to create a spectacular meal. When the cooking is complete the
group enjoys lake view dining while Blue Ribbon chefs plate and serve the meal.
Additional Formats
In addition to Blue Ribbon’s collaborative and competitive activities, they offer other formats and
add-on options, including:
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Pike Place Market shopping excursion with your chef.
Wine tastings, cheese tastings, cocktail classes or cocktail competitions, an amuse
bouche competition.
Restaurant Wars where each team “creates” a restaurant by choosing a name, designing
table settings and creating full menus for their establishments, in addition to a three
course meal.
Satisfied Team Building Clients Include:
AT&T Wireless
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Boeing
Costco Wholesale
Eddie Bauer
Expedia
Google
Microsoft
Starbucks
New York Times
PEMCO
Premera Blue Cross
T-Mobile
Travelocity
University of Washington
Verizon
Rates
Base price for a three-hour event per guest is $105.00. Blue Ribbon requires a minimum of 10
guests or $1050.00. Groups of 18 guests or larger will have a minimum charge calculated on the
guest count at the time of booking.
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WEDDINGS + EVENTS
Each wedding planned by Blue Ribbon’s expert team is a unique and distinctive event tailored to
emphasize the personality, taste and style of the bride and groom. Blue Ribbon assists the couple
by using their skills, knowledge, and experience to take some complexity out of wedding and
event planning. Blue Ribbon strives to provide couples with an experience that is stress free and
seamless so they can enjoy the day.
Blue Ribbon’s wedding offerings run the gamut from all-inclusive packages, to off-site catering,
rentals and wedding planning services, as well as rehearsal dinners, showers and more.
All-Inclusive Wedding Package Includes:
• Gourmet Catering
• Custom Wedding Cakes or Dessert Display
• Fresh Floral Designs & Arrangements (centerpieces, bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages)
• Table Linens & Décor (candles, vintage furniture, cake stands, lighting and draping)
• Tables, Chairs, China & Glassware
• Ceremony Set-Up & Breakdown
• Service Staff
• Dance Floor
• Non-Alcoholic Beverages
• Onsite Day-of Coordination
• 40 hours planning assistance by Blue Ribbon’s wedding planning specialists (awardwinning chefs and pastry chefs, event designers, interfaith ceremony specialist and
signature floral stylist)
Catering Rates Include:
• Tables, Chairs, French-country Linens, Glassware, Silverware, & China
• Non-alcoholic Beverages
• Dance Floor, Microphone & Projection Screen Use
• Use of Blue Ribbon’s waterfront facility for two hours for breakfast and lunch events
(additional hours can be purchased)
• Use of Blue Ribbon’s waterfront facility for three hours for dinner events (additional hours
can be purchased)
Hosts may provide wine and beer for their catered event as long as Blue Ribbon is notified at
least two weeks in advance and a banquet permit supplied by the host. There is a $5 corkage fee
per bottle of wine. The corkage fee is calculated based on the number of bottles brought into the
facility, not the number of bottles consumed. The corkage fee includes the use of Blue Ribbon's
wine glasses and corkscrews. There is no additional fee for bringing in beer.
Event Venues
Blue Ribbon offers four distinct and unique Puget Sound area venues to accommodate varying
tastes, locations and seasonal weddings and events.
Blue Ribbon
Blue Ribbon is nestled over the water on Seattle’s Lake Union in the Eastlake neighborhood. The
5,200 square foot venue offers beautiful views of the lake, city skyline and Gasworks Park
through their panoramic windows and outdoor deck. The facility boasts a variety of spaces to
accommodate any type of event including an exhibition kitchen, large dance floor, ceremony
area, sound system, bridal room, cozy lounge, catering kitchen and free parking.
2501 Fairview Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98102
206.328.2442
www.blueribboncooking.com
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Velocity
Located on Capital Hill, Velocity is a one-of-a-kind urban loft-inspired space that blends industrial
chic with warm traditional accents. Blanketed with beautiful maple flooring and crowned with
skylights, it features handsome exposed-brick walls that can magically transform with white or
black floor-to-ceiling curtains. The west side of the space features a lounge area with a mirrorbacked bar and soft seating; the perfect place for a cocktail hour.
1621 12th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122
206.328.2442
www.velocitybyblueribbon.com
Weyerhaeuser Estate
The Weyerhaeuser Estate offers a fairytale-like setting for wedding ceremonies and receptions.
The lush mansion grounds, the historic brick buildings laced with ivy and the commanding views
of Puget Sound create an enchanting experience. The French doors of the mansion open to a
grand veranda that serves as a picturesque setting for a cocktail hour or a formal dinner. The
grounds boast a garden courtyard bordered with vintage garden roses and orchard trees.
Perched on the edge of the courtyard bluff, sits a gazebo ideal for exchanging vows.
4301 N Stevens Street
Tacoma, WA 98407
206.328.2442
www.fairytalesbyblueribbon.com
Lake Union Crew
Lake Union Crew's exceptional waterfront location and panoramic views make the perfect setting
and a beautiful backdrop for any special occasion. Spacious rooms with spectacular, sweeping
views of the city, and a stone fireplace add warmth and intimacy with elegant French doors that
open onto a balcony overlooking the waters of Lake Union. The venue is easily transformed into
room for formal dining, an intimate space for cocktails and quiet conversation, or a place to kick
off your shoes and dance.
11 East Allison Street
Seattle, WA 98102
206.860.4199
www.lakeunioncrew.com
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COOKING CLASSES
Blue Ribbon’s cooking classes continue to embody why they founded the school in 1995, to take
the challenge out of cooking and give guests the tools to entertain with ease and style. All Blue
Ribbon classes provide hands-on participation; appetizers upon arrival; a selection of local
microbrews, Northwest wines and their signature non-alcoholic beverages; a feast including all
dishes prepared in class; and printed copies of all recipes.
Guests can register for pre-set classes with seasonal themes and menus or create their own
private cooking class event or dinner party with custom themes and menus.
Blue Ribbon’s cooking classes are taught by their team of professional chefs, in two distinct
formats including:
Instructional Intensive
Each student executes every recipe, learning all of the components and techniques of the dish.
The instructor demos each recipe in front of the class, as participants follow along in groups of
three or four with their own mise en place and prep station. The class ends with a dinner party of
all dishes prepared in class.
Cooking Party
A more casual format than the Instructional Intensive but with the same hands-on cooking time
and education. Class begins with an overview of all recipes and techniques and then recipes are
prepared in small groups as the instructor guides the class as a whole throughout. Students are
encouraged to get involved as much or as little as they would like. The event ends with a dinner
party of all dishes prepared in class.
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KIDS CAMPS
Virginia Duppenthaler, Blue Ribbon’s founder, created their kids cooking camps in 1995 and was
the first cooking school in the area to teach international cooking with a sit down dinner party for
children. Now, summers at Blue Ribbon’s waterfront cooking school remain devoted to teaching
skills and confidence to children to find success in the kitchen and cure the notion of “there is
nothing to eat.” Classes help kids safely and tastefully prepare food with confidence, efficiency
and finesse for themselves and their families.
Learning Objectives
• Teach kids how to take care of themselves and others in the kitchen.
• Promote taking ownership of the home kitchen as skills are developed.
• Guide kids into feeling more adventurous and independent in the kitchen, for those who
lack experience and confidence.
• Classic cooking skills taught by knowledgeable professional chefs allow students to
prepare healthy, tasty and interesting dishes.
• Students take instrumental roles in the planning and preparation of distinctive meals.
Instructors & Education
Blue Ribbon’s instructors empower students to master exciting recipes as they experience new
foods and utilize mathematics, geography and science in real-world applications. An international
cast of exciting food professionals from the local culinary community, all of our instructors have a
passion for teaching youth to enjoy the multi-faceted celebration of food.
A seven-to-one student-teacher ratio ensures students work in small groups and get individual
attention. The highlight of this comprehensive week is the Thursday graduation dinner when
students present their accomplishments to their own guests by preparing and serving a fourcourse dinner.
Kids Camps Courses
Classic Culinary Camp
Encompasses cooking favorites that are typically inexpensive, uncomplicated, and easy to
prepare. In addition to a brief sojourn into ethnic foods, this camp will focus on practical meals
and homemade favorites. These dishes are particularly good for young people when they need to
keep costs down. Young chefs will rub elbows with Blue Ribbon’s professional team all week,
becoming competent and proficient in the kitchen by practicing hands-on culinary skills five hours
each day.
Class Options:
• Junior: Age 7-13
• Senior: Age 14-18
• All Ages: 7-18
Hours:
9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Monday – Thursday
Rates & Inclusions:
• $400 Camp Fee, $250 Supply Fee
• Personalized chef's jacket
• Professional-quality chef's knife
• Blue Ribbon electronic cookbook
• Diploma
• Daily lunch
• Student's ticket for Thursday night graduation dinner
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Baking and Pastry Camp
Students will learn sifting, whisking, kneading, mixing and measuring as they bake savory and
sweet creations from scratch. They’ll learn skills from the basics of proper measuring and correct
utensil use to cake creations, flaky pie crusts, working with yeasted dough and much more.
Class Options:
• All Ages: 7-18
Hours:
9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Monday – Thursday
Rates & Inclusions:
• $400 Camp Fee, $250 Supply Fee
• Personalized chef's jacket
• Baking utensil collection
• Blue Ribbon electronic cookbook
• Diploma
• Daily lunch
• Daily culinary ingredients
• Student's ticket for Thursday night graduation dinner
Mom & Me Camp
Young chefs are invited to bring their parent, grandparent, or caregiver and learn together how to
make fun and healthy meals the whole family will love. Adults can bring their child to gain selfsufficiency and independence in the kitchen. Each session ends with a delicious lunchtime feast
of all the dishes created in class.
Class Options:
• All Ages: 7-18
Hours:
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday
Rates & Inclusions:
• $275 per each pair of adult and child, $125 for each additional family member, $50
supply fee per person (child and adult)
• Daily lunch
• Recipe packets
Advanced French Culinary Workshop
Students who have attended a Blue Ribbon summer camp, or the equivalent, can join this
advanced course on classic French cooking. Traditional French techniques are considered to be
one of the world's most refined and elegant culinary styles, renowned for both its classical "haute
cuisine" and provincial styles. French cooking techniques have been a major influence on virtually
all Western cuisines, and almost every culinary school uses French cuisine as the basis for other
forms of Western cooking.
Student Objectives:
• Execute most traditional French culinary techniques, learn exceptional knife skills and be
able to make the five classic (mother) sauces.
• Learn proper menu design and create a cohesive menu from unlimited recipe resources.
• Make shopping lists from recipes, coordinate the execution and timing of the recipes, and
plate and garnish their creations.
As a graduation project students will work in small groups to completely design, cook and serve a
seven-course meal (starter, salad, pasta, homemade sorbet, entrée, dessert, and cheese course)
to their family and friends at the graduation dinner party.
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Class Options:
• All Ages: 7-18
Hours:
9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Monday – Wednesday 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Thursday
Rates & Inclusions:
• $500 Camp Fee, $300 Supply Fee
• Advanced cookbook
• Knife case
• Knife sharpener
• Diploma
• Daily gourmet lunch
• Daily culinary ingredients
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