The Cravings Group of Companies established the Center for Culinary Arts, Manila in 1995. The people behind the company saw an overwhelming potential in the resourcefulness and creativity of many Filipino chefs and bakers. The group believed that given a
curriculum that will provide the basic foundation of knowledge, skills and attitude, supported by a talented pool of faculty and modern facilities, the hopeful chefs and bakers will be able to make breakthroughs in the global culinary arts scene.
Thus, the conceptualization began and the dream that was the Center for Culinary Arts, Manila (CCA-Manila) was slowly actualized with much careful thought and preparation. Laying the groundwork was no easy task for the team of experts headed by Dr. John
Knapp, project coordinator of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and Dr. Corazon F. Gatchalian, a faculty member of the College of Home Economics of the University of the Philippines, Diliman. It took three years to assess and address the needs of
the industry, develop an effective curriculum, gather a powerful team of chef instructors and to construct the building that will eventually become the home to future culinary professionals.
The CCA, Manila was finally inaugurated in November of 1996 and officially became the Philippines’ first culinary institution. It was June 1997 when CCA, Manila opened its doors to the first batch of students under the programs Diploma in Pastry Arts and
Technology Management and Diploma in Pastry Arts and Technology Management. The stage was set for the education of potential chefs. Aside from culinary and baking techniques, the diploma programs aimed to develop entrepreneurial and management skills that
are vital in the operation of an institutional kitchen.
In 2006, CCA, Manila was granted a three year accreditation by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF). The American Culinary Foundation is the premier organization of professional chefs based in North America and is the only recognized
organization to accredit culinary arts, baking and pastry arts programs in the U.S. Today, CCA-Manila, is the only country in the Asia-Pacific region and the second outside the U.S. to have programs accredited by the prestigious American Culinary Federation
Foundation.