Do You Really Need a Culinary Degree?
There are a number of paths to becoming a chef, a baker or any other culinary arts professional. While it is possible to secure a successful career using networking connections or years of experience, a much better option is to train formally in your desired field and earn a culinary degree.
Available online, through cooking schools and on college campuses, a culinary degree can be tailored to your area of interest and can be incredibly beneficial. Explore some of the top reasons to earn a culinary degree below.
Learn How to Cook More Efficiently
You may feel that you have a handle on how to cook amazing, delicious cuisine, but cooking at home is a far cry from working in a fast-paced commercial kitchen. Professionals chefs and bakers need to do more than cook well: they need to cook quickly.
In culinary school, you will learn techniques for everything from dicing vegetables to preparing roasted meats ahead of time to reduce stress when orders start to roll in.
Expand Your Culinary Awareness
Even if you love food, have traveled the world or live in a major city, it is impossible for you to have tasted all kinds of cuisine or be familiar with all kinds of ingredients. In culinary school, expect plenty of introductions to new ingredients and preparation styles. This can help you expand your culinary horizons or even meld two unique food types together into a style all your own.
Work Under Top Chefs
If you were to go straight into the culinary field without any formal education or training, you might end up with an entry-level position in a mediocre establishment.
While there is certainly nothing wrong with starting in that capacity, you may find yourself in a place where there are no expert chefs to learn from. In culinary school, you can spend time in the kitchen and the classroom with world-class chefs, culinary experts and lecturers who have a lot to share when it comes to all types of cuisine.
Increase Future Earning Potential
High school graduates earn more, over their lifetimes, than counterparts without a high school diploma. Similarly, those with a culinary degree at the college level will earn more, over their lifetimes, than those who opt to do without. Whether applying for your first job at a restaurant or aiming for a promotion after 15 years in the industry, a culinary degree translates to greater potential for higher salaries, making it a smart choice for anyone seeking financial stability today or in the future.
Increase Your Legitimacy in the Industry
Because of high turnover rates in the culinary industry as a whole, finding some type of employment is not usually a struggle. However, propelling your career from entry-level to anything higher can be challenging.
The number one tool at your disposal is a culinary degree, which can add a ton of legitimacy to your career and your skills. Leading with your education can often be a way to get your foot in the door with new and exciting opportunities in the culinary arts.
While a culinary degree is not a necessity, it can be an immensely valuable tool for anyone who wants to break into the culinary arts and find career success. Learn more about culinary arts degrees.
How Culinary School Prepares You For the Catering Industry
Attending culinary school can prepare you for a number of different careers within the culinary industry. You could attend a baking program and become a pastry chef, taking a wine and cuisine program and become a sommelier or focus on the culinary arts and become an executive chef in a large upscale restaurant.
However, it can also prepare you to become an entrepreneur, combining your love of cooking with the job of managing a small business. If you dream of one day opening your own catering business, find out how attending culinary school can be a tremendous help.
You’ll Learn Commercial Cooking
Caterers without a formal education in the culinary arts often miss out on learning about the fast pace of commercial cooking. Unlike when you are preparing food in your home kitchen, working in a fast-paced, commercial kitchen can be a challenge.
Conditions aren’t always ideal, you might be working in small quarters with several other people and the timeline can be rushed in order to get food out to guests as quickly as possible. All of these factors happen at catering events as well as in busy restaurant kitchens, so the best culinary arts programs will prepare students for the challenge.
You’ll Learn Hygiene and Safety Standards
Caterers often have to prepare foods in sterile kitchens and then transfer items to the venue, or they may need to prepare and cook food in an unfamiliar space. For that reason, it is vital that catering companies understand how to implement proper hygiene methods and safety standards.
If you plan on opening your own catering business, mastering this is perhaps the most important thing you can do in order to attract more customers and ensure that events go well without any staff problems or negative reviews from clients after the fact.
You’ll Learn About the Business Side of the Culinary Industry
Operating a catering business is about a lot more than just whipping up incredible food. It also requires owners to have plenty of business savvy. In order to be successful with a new catering company, you should understand how to budget for expenses, how to price food items per person, how many staff you’ll need to hire and even whether to incorporate as an LLC or an S-corporation.
A culinary arts school can provide you with courses and programs that cover these topics and set you up for success in the catering industry.
You’ll Learn About Advanced Preparation and Reheating Protocol
Because of limited space and time, as well as the fact that guests for weddings, parties and business events typically all need to be served their meals at the exact same time, caterers don’t often prepare all the food on site. Instead, much of the prep work is done in advance, and some foods are even cooked in advance and then reheated onsite.
Culinary arts programs can teach you how to reheat or preserve foods so that they remain safe to eat as well as delicious.
Attending a culinary school is a fantastic way for aspiring caterers to learn the ins and outs of operating their own catering business. Find out more about the degrees and certifications available through accredited culinary schools.
6 Questions to Ask When Considering a Culinary Arts School
Although it is possible to begin a culinary career without a formal education in the field, most professional chefs know that attending a culinary arts school can be a great way to break into the industry. You’ll hone your skills, discover your niche, network with potential employers and be able to interview and accept a range of different positions.
Since there are so many different cooking schools out there, it can sometimes feel overwhelming. Narrow down the many options by asking yourself the six following questions when considering a culinary arts school.
1. What Programs and Specialties are Available?
This is the most important question that potential students need to ask. Culinary arts schools can offer a range of different programs that could include a six-month training course, a weekend refresher course or a full bachelor’s degree in the pastry arts. Make sure that the length of time you desire is offered as well as the subject matter and program title that most interests you.
2. What are the Total Costs of the Program?
Another factor to take into consideration is the overall cost of attending a culinary arts schools. Those schools with the best reputations often cost more than smaller, local cooking schools. How much you want to spend, as well as what kinds of scholarships and grants are available, may help you whittle down the choices and make your final culinary arts school selection.
3. Where is the Campus Located?
You can find culinary arts schools in nearly every city, in every state and around the world. If you want to master a specific type of cooking, such as French patisserie, then going to a culinary arts school with a campus in France might be ideal. Otherwise, look for schools with a campus near to your current residence, which can save you from having to relocate.
4. What Kind of Teaching Methods are Employed at the School?
The types of teaching methods employed in culinary arts schools can vary wildly, but you’ll want to look for a program with lots of hands-on cooking. This allows you to take what you learn and practice it right away in a modern kitchen, ensuring that you’ll master the skill there and then.
5. What do Graduates Say About the Culinary School?
If at all possible, be sure to ask past graduates about their experience at your choice of culinary arts school. While no two experiences will be the same, overwhelming positive reviews and an appreciation for the teaching staff are both good signs. Also be sure to find out what percentage of graduates is able to successfully go on to work in the culinary field. The higher the number, the better.
6. What is the Age and Reputation of the Culinary Arts Institute?
While it is certainly possible that a relatively new school can be a great place to hone your skills, generally those older culinary arts schools have a tried-and-tested curriculum that is better for students. Schools with a positive reputation may be a safer choice that those with poor reviews online or warnings from past students.
By asking yourself these six questions, you can pick the perfect culinary arts school to prepare for a new career in the field.