What Training Is Required To Become A Top Chef?
December 3, 2008 by: admin
There are hundreds of culinary schools throughout the world, and if you are thinking of a career in catering, in particular in becoming a top executive chef (head chef and overall kitchen manager), then here are a few ideas to help you get started.
You can join the catering profession with no virtually no qualifications, and start at the bottom in low skilled kitchen positions. After a few years of in house training in food preparation, hygiene and basic cooking skills you should be able to advance to an assistant cook position, and beyond that you could become a head cook, running establishments such as cafes, bar kitchens, fast food restaurants and cafeterias. Although head cook positions can be well paid, it could take you a long time to advance to this level, and it is unlikely you will get a job working for any of the top fine dining kitchens without any qualifications.
To be a top chef you will need some formal catering training, and to start off it is a good idea to gain high school, college or culinary school basic diplomas in food preparation, hygiene and business administration. Don’t forget that executive chefs run all aspects of their kitchens, from the food preparation through to the staff training and produce sourcing, so it is important for you to have some qualifications in business practices. Once you have basic catering qualifications you will then be able to apply for internships in the food service industry and these will typically start off as low skilled positions, but in very good professional kitchens in top hotels, restaurants and event centres.
It takes many years of training and experience for a chef to acquire the level of skill needed to be an executive chef in a top restaurant, and although you can learn a lot about the industry by working in top kitchens, many chefs find it much more beneficial to complete further two to four year advanced catering courses, either through colleges or culinary institutions, as these focus on honing essential chef skills, and gives individuals an advantage when applying for positions in top kitchens where the standards of even the lower skilled positions available are very high.
