4 Peaks Parents Podcast Interview with Youth Franchise Brands CEO Leigh Feldman on Young Chefs Academy Cooking Classes for Kids

In this energizing episode of the 4 Peaks Parents Podcast, host Thomas Miller sits down with Leigh Feldman, CEO of Youth Franchise Brands (parent company of Young Chefs Academy and Flower Power Studios), to explore a simple but transformative idea: put kids in the kitchen and confidence follows. Across the conversation, they unpack how structured culinary lessons, playful experimentation, and real responsibility help children build self-esteem that shows up in school, friendships, and home life.

From recipes to real resilience

Feldman frames the kitchen as a “confidence engine.” At Young Chefs Academy, children begin with foundational skills—measuring, mixing, knife safety—and progress to techniques like the muffin method and sauces. The program’s jacket-and-badge pathway (think martial-arts belts) makes growth visible and motivating. Kids don’t just execute a recipe; they learn to iterate when something flops, treat “failure as data,” and try again—habits that transfer beyond cooking. Parents often report the moment a child volunteers to plan or cook dinner, a tangible leap in poise and independence.

A home for every kind of learner

Miller and Feldman highlight how the classroom design supports a wide range of kids, including neurodivergent learners who thrive with tactile, stepwise tasks and predictable cues. Group cooking turns social interaction into a shared mission—less cafeteria chaos, more cooperative momentum. Instructors calibrate pace, prompts, and roles so each child experiences quick wins and rising autonomy. The result is joyful cooking for children with measurable skill-building and gentle social stretch.

Structure + play = durable skills

Weekly classes layer technique with curiosity. Instructors encourage substitutions and “discovery moments” (“What happens if we try this instead?”), inviting creativity without sacrificing safety or fundamentals. Feldman notes that students regularly bring their learning home—reading recipes aloud, delegating steps, plating with pride. The message is consistent: capability is teachable, and confidence is earned.

Beyond the weekly class

Families can engage through cooking camps for kids, hands-on birthday parties, and school field trips that turn classmates into teammates. Many parents linger during classes, forming a “third place” community—coffee in hand, conversation flowing—while kids collaborate a few steps away. It’s skill-building and belonging, under one roof.

Why this matters now

The episode zooms out to the bigger picture. As screens encroach and AI reshapes knowledge work, hands-on life skills become even more valuable. Cooking develops planning, time management, sanitation, and communication—durable competencies kids will use forever. Alumni successes (including national youth culinary honors) show the ceiling is high, but the real victory is everyday agency: the child who can confidently feed themselves and others.

For parents and would-be owners

Listeners curious about enrolling can search a Young Chefs Academy location near me to join weekly classes, camps, or parties. Those with an entrepreneurial itch will appreciate Feldman’s note that the brand grows through local franchise owners who love working with kids and families. (Youth Franchise Brands also supports operations, training, and curriculum so owners can focus on community and experience.)

The Core Insight:

Miller and Feldman make a compelling case that when children are trusted with real tools, real tasks, and real responsibility—guided by a clear curriculum and warm mentors—they don’t just learn to cook. They learn to lead.