NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute (NOCHI) will bring together alumni chefs and supporters of the city’s hospitality industry Sept. 23 for its annual Cooking for a Cause fundraiser, with proceeds supporting culinary education and workforce training.
The event, presented by Hancock Whitney, will feature food prepared by NOCHI alumni chefs, cocktails, live music and tours of the institute’s teaching facility at 725 Howard Ave. An online auction will offer culinary, travel and hospitality experiences.
NOCHI will also honor chef Emeril Lagasse and board member Kathy Hebert, CPA, for their support of culinary education and the future of New Orleans’ hospitality industry.
Auction offerings include cocktails with New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno followed by dinner at Commander’s Palace; a private dinner with chef Mason Hereford; a Presidential Suite stay and private chef’s dinner at Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans; an eight-day Viking European river cruise; and a Hancock Whitney Junior Captain experience at a 2026 New Orleans Saints home game.
The online auction opens Sept. 9 and closes at 5:00 p.m. Sept. 24.
Proceeds will benefit NOCHI’s Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts certificate programs. The institute offers six-month certificate programs designed to prepare students for careers in the culinary and hospitality industries.
Founded in 2019, NOCHI provides culinary and hospitality education aimed at expanding career pathways and supporting the New Orleans hospitality workforce.
Cooking for a Cause will be held Wednesday, Sept. 23, at NOCHI. The patron party runs from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., followed by the main event from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. Patron and general admission tickets and information about auction experiences are available here.
