GatewayGourmet Blog

on July 26, 2011

Finding the Right Culinary School: What to do First

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small vs big culinary schools Choosing the right culinary school can be a difficult undertaking. In addition to considerations of cost, location, and the length of the program, there are literally hundreds of culinary schools to choose from. Some of them are well-known (such as Le Cordon Bleu or the Art Institutes), while others are small and locally-owned, rarely making even the local headlines.

For most students, the appeal of attending a big name school is pretty evident. With a recognizable brand, a large national following, and often years of experience in the field, it may seem like a safe bet to stick with the schools you know. However, many chefs graduate from smaller, less-known schools and still have great success in their careers. It’s all about determining what it is you want out of your culinary school experience and finding the location—big or small—that can offer it to you.

Pros of a Big Name Culinary School

In addition to the benefits listed above, the larger culinary brand names can offer:

Instructors who may be well-known in the field
Larger and more diverse pools of students
A curriculum that has been tested over time
The ability to transfer to a campus in another location
An education recognized by accrediting councils

In some schools, you might also find more flexible payment options (offered through their own financing company) and internship opportunities in restaurants you know and recognize.

Pros of a Smaller Culinary School

If you’re considering smaller, local culinary schools owned and operated by an individual chef or group of chefs, you can look forward to:

A more personalized, one-on-one culinary experience
Lower tuition rates
Greater flexibility in completing your course
Placement and relationships with local vendors and restaurants
Good local networking

As you can tell, the focus here is a lot more on making a personal connection—with your instructor, your school, and your community.

Making the Right Culinary School Choice

There are pros and cons to any education decision, and culinary school is no different. Determine what you want out of your career and talk with the companies you hope to work with in the future to see what they look for in candidates. Culinary school can be a great or not-so-great experience; the difference is usually in the amount of research you do ahead of time.

Culinary Association Spotlight: The International Association of Culinary Professionals

Published

on July 15, 2011

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The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting food professionals who work in culinary education, communication, or food and beverage preparation. It was founded in 1978 as the Association of Cooking Schools, designed primarily to support culinary students just embarking on their careers. It wasn’t until 1987 that the IACP we know today was born, offering a more industry-focused network of resources.

The organization is open to both seasoned professionals and those who have recently graduated from culinary school and are just entering the field. There are opportunities for education, support, networking, and even scholarships offered through the IACP, and all within a strong community of like-minded professionals.

Certified Culinary Professional Designation

Perhaps one of the most well-known aspects of the IACP is their CCP certification (Certified Culinary Professional certification). Because the culinary field is not heavily regulated at the national or state level, there are few universally recognized certifications for chefs and other culinary professionals. The CCP certification is one of the few programs that is largely recognized by the culinary community and carries a mark of prestige all its own.

Awards Offered though the IACP

As is the case with most culinary associations, the IACP one comes with its own award and awards ceremony. The International Association of Culinary Professionals version is the Cookbook Awards, presented to those who have written and published outstanding cookbooks. Additional awards are presented for the Bert Greene Awards for Food Journalism (Magazine, Internet, and Newspaper categories).

Conferences and Additional Opportunities

Annual conferences through the IACP allow members the chance to network with other professionals as well as to stay abreast of the current technologies and trends in the field. These awards are usually held in large, “foodie” cities that make for great local cuisine.

If you’re interested in learning more about the International Association of Culinary Professionals, please visit their website. Many of the opportunities offered through the organization are smaller and more focused, including grassroots movement support and regional conferences and educational opportunities. As a culinary professional, especially one who is just starting out, getting to know your peers is one of the most important things you can do for your career. The IACP is an organization to consider when building your resume and credentials.

James Beard Foundation

What is the James Beard Foundation, and How Can it Help Me Pay for Culinary School?

Published

on July 6, 2011

Annual James Beard Foundation Awards

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One of the most recognizable names in the culinary world is the James Beard Foundation. Known world-wide as the organization that hands out annual awards for culinary prowess (the Academy Awards of the culinary world), this Foundation offers prestige and fame to a number of chefs, sommeliers, and food writers every year.

Perhaps even more importantly, however, the James Beard Foundation is known as a supporter of culinary students and professionals who are just starting out in the field. Offering scholarships, workshops, and networking opportunities, this is a great organization for any student who wants to attend culinary school with a few marks of honor already in place.

The History of the James Beard Foundation

The Foundation was first established in 1986 in honor of James Beard, a world-famous chef and founder of the Institute of Culinary Education. Originally a place where chefs could gather and share trade secrets and techniques, it has since grown to become the center of the culinary community in the United States.

At its core, the James Beard Foundation is all about education. Although many of the events are focused on established chefs or those who have hit the national spotlight, the true focus of the organization is to offer:

Education and Culinary Classes
Culinary Readings
Culinary Conferences
Cooking Programs for Children
Scholarship Opportunities
Work, Study, and Travel Grants for New Culinary Professionals
Volunteer Opportunities

James Beard Scholarships

The James Beard Foundation Scholarship program was founded to help culinary students pay for their education and get started realizing their dreams of working in the hospitality industry. These scholarships have been offered since 2006, and vary every year on exactly how much is available to prospective applicants (it depends on how many donations the non-profit gets).

The application process can be pretty intensive and competitive, with an average of 650 applicants each year. Of these, around 125 students are selected based on such criteria as grade point average, letters of recommendation, financial need, work experience, volunteer experience, and extracurricular activities. These 125 applicants are then entered into the final review pool. From there, a handful of students are selected for cash scholarships and tuition wavers.

Although the tuition money is great, many culinary students are just as happy to be recognized by the James Beard Foundation and invited to participate in future events. Because of its prestigious name and far-reaching grasp in the culinary world, this is one organization that can boost your career through all its various levels.

To learn more, visit the Foundation on the web at http://www.jamesbeard.org/.

Related Topics:

James Beard Award Winning Cookbook

Outdoor Cooking: A Unique Culinary Opportunity

Published

on June 29, 2011

Some Culinary Career Choices After Culinary School

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Outdoor Cooking Careers Going to culinary school no longer means you’ll walk out the door prepared only to work as a sous chef with a crisp white hat and sensible shoes. These days, the culinary world is growing increasingly specialized, and diners love going to restaurants that promise not only good food, but a unique experience, as well. If you’ve ever dreamed of opening your own restaurant or catering company, you can take the tried-and-true path straight to the kitchen, or you can step outside and try a whole new kind of cooking.

What is Outdoor Cooking?

Most people equate outdoor cooking with good, old-fashioned barbecue. While this is often the case, and many culinary professionals have built careers out of amazing barbeque, cooking outdoors is actually a lot more diverse than that. From cooking a beachside feast to creating gourmet meals that backpackers can take on the go, there are plenty of ways to explore the outdoor cooking and dining experience.

Careers in Outdoor Cooking

In addition to working at a restaurant that focuses on barbeque, you can find several different types of jobs focusing on this niche culinary field. Here are just a few:

Cookbook Writer: Creating tasty meals from ingredients that can be used for campers (think dried fruits and vegetables, canned meats, and other easily portable items) is a unique skill set. So is coming up with new ways to barbecue or use traditional techniques like a dutch oven to bake bread over the fire. If you can use these skills to create a cookbook or post recipes online, you might be able to create your own outdoor cooking niche.

Cooking Classes: Campers and other outdoor enthusiasts are often the first in line to learn more about combining their love of the open air with gourmet foods and great dining experiences. Whether you teach classes to a small group or opt to work with an outdoor adventure provider (either as an instructor or as the cook they take along), your ability to improvise outside can translate to an interesting career.

Survival Training: Okay, so eating bugs and making twig salad might not exactly tap into your culinary training, but survivalist training is an important part of outdoor cooking. If you can create an oven and boil water using only what nature provides, you might be able to be part of a survival training team.

Traditional and Cultural Techniques: Many types of international cuisine rely on outdoor cooking (earth ovens, clambakes, etc.) to get the right combination of flavors. Opening a restaurant that specializes in these types of cuisine can be a very rewarding career.

Like the great outdoors, the sky is the limit when it comes to building your own culinary career. If you’re passionate about the outdoors and camping, and you enjoy providing good cuisine to those who share the same passions, you might be able to find your place among the outdoor cooking stoves and barbecues!

Culinary Career Options: Working in a Banquet Service

Published

on June 22, 2011

Start Your Own Catering Company

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Working in Banquet Service Most culinary students dream of the day when they’ll possess the ultimate culinary title: Executive Chef. It’s not uncommon for students to be driven by visions of restaurant ownership, five stars attached to their name, and the ability to plan and implement their own menu someday.

And while these are noble goals, the truth is that it will take years of work to get to that level. In the meantime, you’ll need to get plenty of hands-on experience with all different types of cuisine—and all types of food service organizations. One way in which to get some of the skills you’ll need is to work as part of a banquet service.

On the Banquet Line

Banquet workers, like catering professionals, specialize in creating large portions that offer consistent quality and taste—often for hours at a time. As a prep cook for a banquet, you can expect to spend considerable time working with one or two ingredients, perhaps chopping onions or preparing potatoes. While this might not seem like the most exciting eight hours you’ll ever spend on the job, there is something to be said for this kind of repetition. Over time, you’ll become faster, develop better muscles, and even come up with a few tricks that are unique to your style of cooking. These are all skills that will serve you in the culinary field.

At higher levels, you might be asked to make food to-order (think omelets or crepes), carve and serve cuts of meat, or even supervise an entire team of banquet servers. In these instances, you can also develop additional techniques and learn who you are as a cook. Maybe it turns out that you are great bantering with customers, or perhaps you have a knack for coming up with on-your-feet solutions to problems. All of these are great skills to discover.

Becoming a Banquet Manager

Banquet management is a great career path all its own. Banquets can be large, ornate, and demanding, and being able to keep the client happy isn’t always an easy task. However, don’t expect to walk out of culinary school and into a banquet management job; working your way up through the ranks can take a few years, and require additional education at the Master’s degree level.

As a banquet manager, you can expect to:

Coordinate with various departments (housekeeping, beverage management, marketing)
Talk with and meet clients
Manage budgets
Sell and promote events
Organize (and in some cases, hire) banquet staff
Prepare and help serve food
Create unique menus
Comply with food safety and sanitation regulations

Banquet managers make an average of $45,000 per year, and the position often allows you to work for big-name restaurants and businesses. Although there isn’t a direct path to banquet management, a degree in hospitality management can go a long way, since so much of this field takes place in hotels.

Related Topics:

Food Service Managers

Find a Hospitality Management School Near You

Restaurant Consultant Careers

Published

on June 20, 2011

Restaurant Management Courses

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Restaurant Consultant Traditionally, working in the culinary field means long hours, lots of weekend and holiday work, and being tied to a kitchen or restaurant for several years. In fact, unless you are a celebrity chef or a restaurant owner, there isn’t a whole lot of autonomy in the field.

However, as more and more people are searching for careers (even culinary ones) that provide a better work-life balance, new opportunities for culinary students and professionals are opening up. One such example is a restaurant consultant: a professional others turn to for help opening, running, maintaining, or streamlining their own culinary business.

Why There is a Need for Restaurant Consultants

Running a restaurant or hotel is a big job. Worrying about so much more than just the food on the plate, a successful restauranteur knows all about design, finance, real estate, human resources, project management, and customer service, just to name a few. And in many cases, successful chefs capable of creating extraordinary dishes don’t have the time or the education needed to juggle all these tasks. A restaurant consultant can come in, help set up the restaurant or pick it up off its feet, and hopefully settle the chef for a long and successful future.

Because most restaurant consultants on a case-by-case basis with their clients, there is quite a bit of autonomy in this career. The best consultants can make their own schedules and travel around the world helping others to run their businesses.

How to Become a Restaurant Consultant

If this is a field you’re interested in becoming a part of, it’s best to have the education and experience you need to back up your credentials. In most cases, this means a four-year degree in hospitality management or restaurant management, as well as a few years working in a professional kitchen or even owning your own restaurant.

This kind of educational background helps because you not only have the culinary knowledge needed to succeed, but you have business training, as well. Because most restaurants hire a consultant because they need help with the business side of things, having that degree helps to lend you credibility and make you better prepared to offer sound and solid advice.

Once you have the degree in place, it’s up to you to find your niche. You can work with an existing restaurant consulting firm, or start your own. If you have the self-drive and entrepreneurship to build your own business, you can expect great things and plenty of good food in your future!

Related Topics:

A Day in the Life of a Restaurant Manager

Find a Hospitality/Culinary School in Your City

The Difference Between a Cook and a Chef

Published

on June 15, 2011

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Difference Between Cook and Chef To most people, a cook and a chef are the same thing. The two terms are used interchangeably to indicate someone working away in the kitchen, regardless of whether that individual is cutting vegetables or masterminding the entire menu.

For those who work in the culinary field, however, there is a big difference. Although there is no single professional organization that determines exactly who is a chef and who is a cook, most agree that the difference lies in education and experience. If you have a culinary degree and/or trained under a notable chef and have moved up the ranks, you are typically considered a chef. If you simply dabble in the kitchen at home or are just starting out at the bottom of the restaurant totem pole, you are almost always considered a cook.

What Makes a Cook a Cook?

Most people agree that a cook is lower-ranking than a chef, and that chefs themselves vary in rank. For example, an executive chef is the top of the line, while sous chefs, chefs de partie, and other professionals might have the right training, but are still working toward their top professional goals.

If you still aren’t sure exactly what it is that makes a chef a chef, consider these qualifications:

A two- or four-year culinary degree
Extensive training under a chef with the goal of gaining a culinary education equal to that of a degree (also known as a culinary apprenticeship)
Responsibilities that include a supervisory role
The ability to create and implement menus in a restaurant setting
Management roles in the kitchen

A cook, on the other hand, can expect to:

Prepare food on a daily basis
Perform kitchen duties, as needed and directed
Clean and wash the kitchen
Use recipes and follow someone else’s menu plan
Still be at the learning level of his or her career

There are some culinary institutions (including the American Culinary Federation) that offer designations and titles based on testing, work experience, and education. Although many organizations and restaurants recognize these distinctions (and will boost your career accordingly), they aren’t required to be a chef or to be successful in your own culinary career.

In most cases, the cook is below the chef in terms of prestige, pay, and career development. However, there are instances in which this isn’t true. Many home cooks or amateurs have skills and experience that surpass that of their chef counterparts; they simply may not make claim to the title.

Famous Cooks vs. Famous Chefs

In fact, many of the celebrity chefs we have come to know and love as a culture aren’t really chefs at all. Rachael Ray and Nigella Lawson are two of the biggest names in the culinary and Hollywood world, but both women profess that they aren’t trained chefs…and have never pretended to be anything other than cooks. Self-trained, self-motivated, and never having worked in a long-term chef capacity (such as overseeing a restaurant), they are just two examples of cooks who have hit it big.

Different Types of Chefs

Culinary School: Is it Better to Live on Campus?

Published

on June 13, 2011

Culinary School Scholarships and Grants

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Living On Campus

The question of whether or not to live on a college campus isn’t one that many culinary students face. Because culinary school has become so interwoven into most medium-sized and large cities, you can usually find a good program in your area—no moving or adjusting your home life required. Additionally, most community college culinary programs and smaller vocational schools don’t have a campus equipped for on-site housing. In these instances, the schools expect you to figure out your own lodgings.

However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t culinary schools with on campus housing. Many of the larger institutions like the Culinary Institute of America do offer traditional dormitories, and an estimated 1,700 students live at CIA each year. Other four-year universities and colleges that are known as destination schools (including international culinary schools) offer similar housing options.

Benefits of Living on Campus

Some culinary students love living on campus, while for others, it can be a struggle or an impossibility due to family obligations. Ideal for students fresh out of high school or who don’t otherwise have ties to their hometown, on-campus housing means that you can truly immerse yourself in your education. You will find:

Easy access to campus amenities (libraries and study resources)
A strong, education-focused atmosphere
Lifetime friends and colleagues
Short commute times
More time to spend on schoolwork

Like traditional universities, however, don’t expect your culinary school to provide palatial living quarters. You can expect roommates, small rooms, communal bathrooms and living spaces, and all the features that come with dormitory life. You can also expect to pay for these services—off campus and on campus housing comparisons almost always show that living off campus is a smarter financial move over the long term.

Scholarships and Grants for Housing

Of course, if you do choose to live on campus, you may be able to find financial aid designated solely for that purpose. The complete “college experience” is one that many organizations believe is conducive to better educational outcomes and a more focused approach to learning, and scholarships and grants may be available to cover on-campus housing.

If living on campus for culinary school is something you want, be sure and look at schools that make this a priority. For schools that don’t offer housing, you may also be able to find resources for connecting with other students in the area hoping to find a roommate or get an apartment close to school. The admissions and student life offices should have more information.

Related Topics:

Culinary Schools in Big Cities vs. Small Cities

The Hospitality Industry and Theme Park Careers

Published

on June 8, 2011

in Hospitality Management

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When we talk about careers in hospitality management, most people assume the field includes hotels, motels, and other overnight accommodations. While it’s true that these types of professions dominate the hospitality trade, the field is actually quite large. Spas, cruise lines, restaurants, catering companies, event planners, and even theme parks are all included. That’s why a degree in hospitality management is so versatile; there are plenty of places where employment is a real possibility.

Working in a theme park (or water park) might not be something you’ve considered before, but the truth is that there are good job opportunities here. When you have a degree in hospitality management (either at the Associate or Bachelor’s level), you can go beyond serving popcorn at the concession stand or wearing a giant dog costume to work in guest relations, marketing, and other mid-management roles.

What Does a Theme Park Manager Do?

Your job as a member of a theme park’s management staff will vary depending on the employer. For example, a large corporation like Disney is run differently than a more science-oriented place like SeaWorld or a locally owned and operated water park. Your personal background and professional goals will dictate where and how you will best succeed.

With that disclaimer in place, you can still expect to:

Create business plans and strategies
Implement marketing plans and promotional packages
Monitor and maintain customer satisfaction
Oversee facility management
Handle finances
Hire, fire, and train employees
Work with legal departments to ensure safety

This kind of work comes with a high level of responsibilities, which is why most theme parks look for someone who has a degree in hospitality management, recreation services, or another related field. These courses are offered at many different types of schools, and you should be able to find both online and local options at the community college, private college, or public university level. As is the case with most degrees, the higher you go (all the way up to a Master’s in hospitality management), the better your chances of promotion and higher rates of pay.

Of course, all that hard work can pay off you’re really interested in the field. Whether you’re drawn to taking advantage of perks like free admission for your family, or you love being around an industry that thrives on fun, this can be a very rewarding profession. And with salaries that figure into the six figures for highly trained and experienced managers, the financial aspect is appealing, as well.

For more information on beginning a theme park hospitality career, you may want to visit the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), which offers workshops, conferences, and training opportunities for professionals already in the field.

Hospitality and Tourism Careers

Published

on June 6, 2011