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Culinary Arts Career Information, Training School, College Search
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Culinary Arts Career Information
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Culinary Arts Career:
Culinary arts may be defined as the practice or
manner of preparing food. The most popular
career with the culinary arts industry is as a
professional chef or cook. Chefs are employed
within all sectors of the hospitality industry
such as restaurants, hotels, resorts, catering
companies, cruise ships among many others. The
primary role of the chef is to plan and direct
food preparation, storage and cooking activities
or to actually carry out the preparation and
cooking of complete meals, banquets or
speciality foods. Depending on their position
and the structure of the company, chefs may have
a wide variety of responsibilities.
Food and
kitchen safety is paramount and it is up to the
head chef to ensure that all regulations are
strictly adhered to and that a safe working
environment is maintained. They may develop new
recipes which involves the research and
selection of the best ingredients while keeping
costs down. Effective purchasing of supplies and
inventory management is extremely important.
Food and labor costs as well as waste should be
monitored and reported. Head chefs may be in
charge of recruiting, interviewing and training
new kitchen staff. They also must plan the staff
and production schedules.
Educational Requirements:
Many educational institutions, including
specialist culinary arts schools, offer programs
from certificate to degree level to prepare you
for an entry-level position in the culinary arts
industry. Most training is received on the job
and some candidates proceed to an
apprentice-style training while in the
workplace. However, a recognized and
comprehensive qualification will help to speed
up your career advancement. Most programs
provide a mix of lectures, hands-on labs,
demonstrations and projects. Many schools have
their own kitchens in which students can work in
a simulated restaurant environment. Students
should get a grounding in cooking processes,
food science and nutrition before they proceed
to instruction on specialized areas such as
soups, sauces, meat and poultry cooking or
baking.
You will also cover sanitation and hygiene
requirements and safety regulations. More
advanced programs will include subjects such as
cost control, marketing, catering menu
management and bar and beverage management.
Diploma programs may take two or three years to
complete and a degree will usually take four.
Most programs require that the student complete
an externship to allow them to get hands-on
experience in a real working environment.
Other Skills Required:
Working within the culinary arts can be a very
satisfying career but it can also be a very
demanding one. The hours are often extremely
long and unsociable with chefs required to work
nights, weekends and public holidays. You need
to be able to cope physically with this kind of
schedule and also be prepared for long periods
of standing and some heavy lifting. It is a
highly pressurized and fast-moving environment
so you need to be able to cope with stress and
to work quickly under pressure. Excellent
communication skills are essential so that there
is no confusion between team members as to what
needs to be done.
If you are an executive or head chef, you should
display effective leadership skills, able to
motivate and manage your team correctly. At any
level, you need to prove yourself as a team
player. Good time management and organizational
skills are necessary. A certain level of
creativity is an advantage when it comes to
experimenting with ingredients and food
presentation.
Accreditation:
When selecting a culinary arts program, you
should ensure that it is an accredited one.
Accreditation is the review of an educational
institution or a program by accrediting bodies
to ensure that high standards are maintained.
Schools and programs can be accredited by a
regional and / or a professional accrediting
body. There are six regional agencies in the US
that accredit programs as part of the Commission
for Higher Education. The accrediting body for
culinary arts programs is the International
Association of Culinary Professionals. If you
are unsure whether your chosen program is
accredited, you should call the educational
instistute directly to enquire.
Career Opportunities:
A career in the culinary arts is a very popular
career choice so competition can sometimes be
fierce for certain positions. This is why
achieving qualifications recognized by the
industry and gaining valuable industry
experience are so important. There are many
options open to graduates of culinary arts
programs. They may find employment as chefs or
cooks in restaurants, hotels, hospitals,
resorts, culinary services or work as personal
chefs or in canteens of private companies. Many
are successful in starting up their own catering
or bakery business.
There are various levels of chefs within a
kitchen. An executive chef is responsible for
the food preparation and cooking activities for
several restaurants within an establishment or
perhaps for several restaurants within a chain.
Sous chefs supervise the activities of chefs and
specialist chefs who prepare and cook complete
meals or speciality foods such as pastries,
sauces, salads, meat, poultry or fish dishes.
Other chef positions include chef de partie,
corporate chef, saucier, chef de cuisine or
pastry chef. A commis chef is a junior or
apprentice chef and that is the entry-level
position for most culinary arts graduates.
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