In 2025, the ĢƵ stands as one of the top culinary schools in America* with a legacy of culinary excellence built over a half-century.
As ICE celebrates 50 years, we look back on the school's storied history to celebrate and honor the people who shaped ICE into what it is today.
One of those people, educator and chef Peter Kump, believed so deeply in the power of food that he started teaching small groups of eager students basic techniques out of his own New York City apartment. The year was 1975 and the idea of regimented culinary education was still new to the city, though Kump's classes caught the attention of "The New York Times" within just a few years.
In a 1978 NYT list of "Cooking Schools in Manhattan," journalist Mimi Sheraton as "careful, detailed course on equipment, along with fundamentals and theories of French cooking." In 1979, James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Patricia Wells as "a superb course for those who want to master cooking techniques."
The praise and attention brought more hungry students to Kump's home kitchen. As Kump's class offerings grew, so did his need for a standardized school and curriculum. Thus, Peter Kump's New York Cooking School — the school that eventually became ICE — was officially created. Each class focused on hands-on training, with a curriculum rooted in classic techniques.
Within five years, Peter Kump's New York Cooking School outgrew Kump's humble apartment kitchen. In 1979, Kump decided to move the school into its own separate space on East 92nd street — a true training ground for aspiring culinary professionals. The new space significantly upgraded the school's teaching facilities with three commercial kitchens, including a demonstration kitchen. A fourth kitchen and roof garden were added later on, as was a separate dedicated pastry kitchen two doors down the street.
Kump's love of flavor and technique shown through in every lesson he taught. According to a 1979 interview with "Bon Appétit" magazine, his ultimate goal was to equip each of his students with skills enough to find freedom in their cooking.
"I want them to become free to improvise, to work without recipes," he said. "They should learn principles, the reasons for mixing and blending this with that. And techniques."
As the years went on, so too did Peter Kump's Cooking School's commitment to excellence. In the 1980s, the school began offering a professional culinary career training programs in culinary arts — meant not for the home cook hobbyist, but for aspiring chefs. An impressive roster of Chef-Instructors and guest instructors taught during the school's lifespan. They included some of Kump's own former teachers, who were notable chefs in their own right, such as:
- James Beard
- Simone Beck
- Marcella Hazan
- Diana Kennedy
Guest Chef-Instructors included huge names in the food world like Julia Child, James Peterson and David Bouley. In 1986, James Beard Award-winning author and pastry chef Nick Malgieri helped create and launch the school's professional baking program.
Kump's role in shaping the American culinary landscape also extends outside of ICE.
After James Beard's death, Kump established the James Beard Foundation in 1985 to honor his friend. According to , Kump "heeded a call" from Julia Child to preserve James Beard's iconic house, so he organized a fundraiser and bought it. The James Beard House officially re-opened in 1986 and with it came a slew of guest chefs intent on cooking in the new space, which was intended to serve as a hub for the American food community. The JBF website shares a letter from 1987, in which Kump thanks an eager young chef from California for leading a dinner at the house. That chef was Wolfgang Puck.
The James Beard Foundation has grown tremendously since its inception and now presents some of the most prestigious awards in the food world with the annual James Beard Awards. JBF still has strong ties to ICE to this day, presenting volunteer opportunities for ICE students to work alongside some of the nation's top chefs.
Though Peter Kump died in 1995, his legacy lives on. His described him as "one of the most influential figures on the American food scene" and quoted acclaimed Chef Jacques Pépin, who said Kump "was a force for bringing together all kinds of people at his schools and at the Beard House."
After Kump's death, the school's future was uncertain. Seeing an opportunity to create a culinary training ground like no other, Rick Smilow, at the time an entrepreneur passionate about food and education, acquired Peter Kump's New York Cooking School.
The Smilow family was already a notable participant in the New York City restaurant scene via its partnership with Chef Daniel Boulud and his restaurants, so moving into the education space felt like a "natural fit," according to Smilow. He remains the CEO and Chairman of the school to this day.
Smilow's acquisition kicked off a period of extensive growth and change for Peter Kump's New York Cooking School. In late 1995, the school opened a new Manhattan location at 50 W. 23rd Street in order to meet growing demand, especially with an ever-growing slate of . By 1997, the school's recreational cooking program had grown to be the largest in the nation.
Throughout the late 90's, Peter Kump's Cooking School continued to win recognition in the New York City culinary scene. A timeline of the school's accolades during this time period include:
- 1996: Pastry & Baking Arts Program Director Nick Malgieri is inducted into the James Beard Foundation's "Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America."
- 1997: New York magazine names the school the “best cooking school in New York.”
- 1998: W Magazine includes the school in its “Black Book … the World's Best Addresses.”
- 1998 and 1999: Chef Malgieri was named as one of America's Ten Best Pastry Chefs by "Chocolatier" and "Pastry Art & Design" magazine.
With the new millennium came new authority for the school. In 2000, the school was accredited by the American Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). In their institutional evaluation, the ACCSC honored the school for achieving four items of excellence, a rare accomplishment. Those areas were:
- 100% student satisfaction
- Outstanding faculty and faculty commitment to students
- The school’s facilities and equipment
- The school’s involvement in community service
By the early 2000s, the school had grown drastically, offering accredited culinary training to more students than ever before. With expansion comes change, and on September 17, 2001, Peter Kump's New York Cooking School became the ĢƵ.
In a 2001 press release, Smilow said the name change reflected ICE's growth, new educational accreditation and commitment to training aspiring culinary professionals.
"We feel strongly that the new name better describes what we have become," Smilow said. "We also believe that the new name provides a better match with the school's current focus, and will be as enduring as the old name."
2001 also brought the school's first Restaurant & Culinary Management classes, expanding ICE beyond just hands-on instruction and into the business side of the culinary industry.
With the name change and new class offering, ICE also changed its appearance — in the form of a new logo. According to the 2001 press release, the logo was full of symbolism.
"The four blocks that are at the top of the logo are symbolic on three levels," the release read. "First, the blocks create the beginning of the check pattern that is traditionally used in chef's pants. Second, the shapes suggest "building blocks" as in the building blocks of culinary knowledge. And third, the block pattern is suggestive of a staircase leading upwards toward higher knowledge, goals and professionalism."
Over 20 years later, the ĢƵ's name and legacy are still going strong, with a new, modernized logo to match.
Academics and Accolades Throughout the Aughts
Innovation, recognition and excellence continued to follow as ICE blazed a trail through the 2000s. In 2005, the 23rd Street facility expanded, renovated its existing kitchens and classrooms, and built a new resource library. At this point, ICE occupied over 42,000 square feet in the Flatiron district of New York City, including 11 teaching kitchens.
Also in 2005, ICE was designated an ACCSC 2006 School of Distinction, an award given to recognize member schools that have demonstrated a commitment to the expectations and rigors of ACCSC accreditation, as well as a commitment to delivering quality education programs to students, graduates and employers. Then, in 2010, ICE’s Career Services department was given a commendation for excellence regarding their outstanding record of externship and job placements. ICE also won numerous International Association of Culinary Professional "Awards of Excellence" in 2003, 2008 and 2011.
During this time period, ICE alumni also began to make waves in the culinary industry. Alumni won numerous James Beard Awards, opened award-winning restaurants and gained fame in the food media world. Throughout 2025, ICE is celebrating our 50 Distinguished Alumni from a variety of programs at ICE and areas across the American culinary landscape. Learn more about our esteemed alumni here.
Local and Cross-Country Growth
As the years passed, ICE and its graduates continued to flourish. In 2015, the school moved to a new location at 225 Liberty Street in New York's Battery Park neighborhood. The new space added nearly 20,000 square feet to and a variety of new features and amenities to ICE's footprint.
Those new features are still at ICE New York today. They are the:
The move, which coincided with ICE’s 40th anniversary, was an exciting chapter in ICE's story.
"We think the learning environment we have built stands out among all of the worlds' urban-based culinary schools," Smilow said of the new campus in a press release at the time.
Then, in early 2018, ICE took its commitment to culinary excellence to the west coast by opening its second campus in Pasadena, California. The city is adjacent to Los Angeles, one of the most diverse food destinations in the United States. This campus, known now as ICE's LA campus, is in the former site of Le Cordon Bleu's Pasadena location. The kitchens were already full of commercial equipment, which meant the build-out for ICE to move in was relatively simple, though the kitchens were updated to reflect the standards of ICE's flagship NYC campus.
Since opening, the Los Angeles campus is thriving. It's now the home of ICE's associate degree programs and ICE's online education programs, both of which launched in 2021. Many classes of alumni have passed through the Los Angeles campus' sunshine-drenched halls and onto bright futures in the restaurant, hospitality and food media industries.
ICE has also expanded its programatic offerings, too. In 2019, ICE introduced Plant-Based Culinary Arts (formerly known as Health-Supportive Culinary Arts) at both campuses. The program is based on the Health-Supportive Culinary Arts program originated by the Natural Gourmet Institute, a former New York culinary school created natural health pioneer Annemarie Colbin. ICE’s Plant-Based Culinary Arts curriculum is based on seven principles of food selection: whole, fresh, seasonal, traditional, balanced, local and delicious.
“We have always thought it important and smart to offer a plant- and nutrition-oriented culinary training program, and the opportunity to have that based on NGI’s highly respected curriculum is fantastic,” Smilow said in a 2019 press release. “ICE’s mission is to help everyone who comes through our doors to find their culinary voice. We’re thrilled to now offer a program that expands upon the meaning of that mission.”
Then, in 2020, ICE and the International Culinary Center entered into an agreement that brought the best aspects of ICC’s expertise, unique offerings and heritage to ICE's campuses in New York and Los Angeles. ICC was founded as The French Culinary Institute by Dorothy Cann Hamilton in 1984. At the time of the school’s closing in 2020, ICC was widely recognized as a leader in culinary education. ICE is proud to carry on the legacy of ICC through our unique program offerings and the expertise of our instructors, some of whom came to ICE from teaching at FCI.
“Through ICE, ICC’s mission will continue, and we cannot imagine a better institution to entrust with our legacy,” Bruce McCann, ICC’s CEO said in a 2020 press release.
Thought ICE has grown from a small NYC apartment kitchen to campuses to a trusted bi-coastal and online educational institution, the school has stayed true to Peter Kump's core teaching philosophy: learn through technique and hands-on instruction rather than relying solely on a recipe. ICE is also proud to offer a variety of scholarships to potential students, including five new student scholarships worth up to $25,000 each, each honoring a decade of the school’s history.
As ICE's leaders, alumni and current students reflect on the past, we also turn our faces toward the bright (and delicious) future ahead.
"We are incredibly proud of our past and the incredible success of our alumni, but we are equally focused on the future," Matt Petersen, President of ICE, says. “The next generation of chefs, restaurateurs, and innovators will continue to push boundaries, and ICE is committed to providing them the tools and knowledge they need to thrive in an ever-changing culinary landscape.”
With expertly-crafted curriculums and over 50 years of making history in the field, there has never been a better time for students to find their culinary voice at The ĢƵ.
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