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Should You Go
To Cooking School? |
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career
center cooking
school |
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March 2003
Every month I receive a bunch of emails from readers who want
to go to cooking school. Some are high school students, others
food loving career changers and some are experienced cooks who
feel the need for formal training. Their question? Which cooking
school do I think is best for them and in some cases should
they even go?
The problem is that good schools go bad and bad schools get
worse! What I can offer is some points of consideration that
will enable you in making a more educated choice.
When selecting a school or college there are several things
that you need to consider; do you need to go to school in the
first place, what do you need to learn, what type of school
do you want to go to, how much money do you want to spend (or
borrow), do you want to relocate, what are your expectations,
and the question that many professionals would regard as the
most important - is this really the business for you?
Is this really the business for you?
To be contraire let's examine the last question first. Cooking
is a tough, thankless business. Do not get involved in it if
you need lots of sleep, have bad nerves, need to be off on weekends
and holidays (bank holidays for Canadian & British readers)
or if you are afraid of burns, cuts and bruises - to your body
and your ego. Do not think of becoming a chef unless you like
working really hard both physically and mentally, working shifts
and being shouted at upon occasion. Don't think of becoming
a chef if you think you are going to earn big money, get a TV
contract or become a celebrity. Sounds pretty negative right?
Well it can be -unless you are the kind of person who always
sees the silver lining, in other words… Become a chef if you
like being challenged and like having your weekend on Wednesdays
and Thursdays. Become a chef if you enjoy busting your balls,
proving yourself every day, become a chef if you dream of being
the best and are never satisfied with whatever you achieve…
Don't do it for a paycheck or because you think it looks glamorous
- because the paychecks suck and there is no glamour in taking
the bus home stinking of fish.
Do you need to go to school?
OK so you are past the first question - congratulations you
are as crazy as the rest of us - you really want to be a chef.
But do you need to go school to achieve your goal? If you want
to simply learn the basics of cooking and work in a diner or
pub you could probably learn enough on the job. Knock on the
doors' of a few restaurants, start as a kitchen helper and take
a few short classes at a local school - this may well be enough.
An apprenticeship is a good option too. Working four or five
days a week in the kitchen and going to school one day a week.
This is very common in Europe and Australia - it can be found
in the US too. This works out well as you get paid while you
are learning. However if you are totally committed to full time
education read on, but if you have never spent a day in a professional
kitchen, go and work in a one for a couple of weeks for free,
before you sign up for classes. See what it is really like;
this could be a life changing experience one way or another!
What do you need to learn?
Ask yourself, "What is it I want to learn?" If you have already
been working in a kitchen for a number of years then your going
to need to have an open mind and be ready to break some old
habits. I also think you need to join a good school with experienced
educators - if you are going to do it, do it right. If you are
totally new to the business then you will need to consider what
is important to you; a well-rounded education - kitchen mixed
with some front of house training, purely kitchen or even more
specific - just pastry and baking? Make your decision and this
will narrow down your educational options. If you are not sure
most will recommend that you choose the broader option as you
can always specialize once you've had a taste of what's available.
What type of school do you want to
go to?
Some like the idea of going to a large happening school while
others are attracted to a more intimate environment - you decide
what suits you. Do you feel the need to go to a really well
known school like the Culinary Institute of America (USA), Westminster
Kingsley College (UK) or will your local community college fit
your needs? Sometimes this question is answered by your bank
balance - or lack of. How much money do you want to spend (or
borrow)?
Depending on the country you live in educational costs wildly
differ. For example when I went to cooking school (or catering
college as we call it in the UK) there was no real cost for
me. Education in Great Britain is covered by the government
(actually by tax payers money) up to a certain age, after that,
the costs are pretty nominal when compared to say the US where
the Culinary Institute can set you back nearly forty thousand
bucks for two years worth of classes, books, room and board.
Community Colleges in the US do offer inexpensive cooking programs
that will cover the basics. My suggestion is that you need to
decide what you want to do once you have completed your education,
if you wanted to work for a catering company like Aramark then
good educational credentials would probably lead to a better
salary than a community college education. However if you plan
on working in a high quality hotel you are going to start at
the bottom of the ladder, so the amount of energy you put into
getting an interview and how you come across on the day is going
to be what gets you the job.
Do you want to relocate?
If you do not want to move away from home then you obviously
have to find a cooking school close to home. Call a few local
chefs and ask them which of the local schools are putting out
good students.
What are your expectations?
We all have different needs and expectations. Sure the better-known
schools offer good training - they have to justify their fees.
But at the end of the day no matter how high your expectations
may be, the person who controls how much you learn - is you.
When you are at school ask questions, read cookbooks, foodie
mag's, newspaper food sections and cooking web sites, ask questions
and then ask more. When your educators know that you are interested
in the business it will inspire them to teach you.
A Final Tip
When you are at school have fun! Life gets too busy once you're
out of there - so live life a little while you have the chance!
Written By: Jeremy Emmerson
What did you think of this article? Email
us your feedback.
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