Bishopp will run Cornwall food service program
Amy Bishopp has always had a passion for food. As a young girl she enjoyed cooking for her family and helping her mom bake and shop for groceries. She was hired this summer to serve as the Cornwall Central School District’s new director of food services.
While attending Monroe-Woodbury High School, Bishopp began taking culinary arts classes at Orange-Ulster BOCES. From there, she attended the Culinary Institute of America.
When she graduated from the institute, Bishopp obtained a job in a family-owned restaurant.
“Because it was a family-owned restaurant I was able to learn a lot of different aspects of the restaurant industry,” she said. “In front of the house, back of house, cooking, baking, catering, running large parties, as well as cooking for customers who came into the dining room. It was a nice place to work and round out my resume.”
Bishopp then went on to work in a dining facility at West Point for 10 years before switching to the administrative side of the food industry. For the last 13 years she’s worked in food services for the Briarcliff and Wallkill School Districts.
“I felt it was the next step for me. I didn’t work long in restaurants, but enough to understand all the parts in order to be a good manager.”
The other reason for getting into education was she had started a family and needed more balance between work and life. Working in a restaurant required long hours and on holidays.
Bishopp has a 13-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son.
As the director of food services, Bishopp is responsible for planning the menu, purchasing food products, managing staff, and accounting.
Her goal is to build on and enhance the program which currently exists in Cornwall. One way to do that will be by speaking with students and getting their thoughts if they aren’t currently participating in the food services program.
Bishopp said she would like to provide more opportunities for the students by giving them more food choices on a daily basis all while following the guidelines set forth by the school lunch program.
“We are limited sometimes in what we can do, but just try to be as creative as possible within those guidelines and maybe bring some fresh ideas,” said Bishopp.
When not working, Bishopp enjoys hiking with her dogs and going to football and basketball games with her kids.
