Tag: Top Chef

If you have decided that you would like to become a top chef, you may be looking for the proper steps to achieve your goal. There are a few different schools of thought concerning how to become a successful chef.

Some of the best chefs today have risen through the ranks of the restaurant industry with nothing but on-the-job experience, grit and determination. However, thanks to celebrated cooking shows like “Top Chef,” there is heightened interest in a formal culinary arts education today. More chefs than ever before can boast a culinary arts degree.

So, where does that leave you? To become the best chef you can possibly be, many restaurant owners and managers will tell you that it requires a combination of hands-on real world experience and a degree from a high-ranking culinary arts school.

How Do You Choose a Culinary Arts School?

If you decide to pursue your degree, there are a number of important items to consider. In order to find the best culinary schools or colleges in your area, you need to create a checklist and do your investigative homework. Taking time to find the right school for you is the initial step to becoming a successful top chef.

Look for ACF Accreditation

The best culinary schools or colleges will be accredited by the American Culinary Federation (ACF), so the first thing you can do to narrow your search is to look for schools in your area that carry this seal of approval. Among other things, an ACF accreditation guarantees that a school hires only certified faculty, does not exceed certain faculty-student ratios and abides by predetermined facility and curriculum standards.

Search for Real World Experience

The best chef schools will offer real food service experience as part of their culinary arts curriculum. In your search for culinary arts schools, narrow your choice to schools that offer student-operated restaurants. Then, go visit those facilities and try to talk to the students who are working there. What kinds of experiences are they having? If they are feeling the true-to-life pressures of working in a quality restaurant, you are on the right track in your college search.

Find Affordable Programs

Despite what you may have heard, a formal culinary arts education does not have to cost a fortune. You can find very good ACF-accredited community college programs that are extremely affordable. Because you may be facing low salaries at the beginning of your culinary career, it is important that you do not enter the workforce straddled with huge student loan debt.

Consider the Facility

Your search for the best culinary schools or colleges should include a close look at the actual program facilities. You may find that the ACF-accredited programs have been around longer and are therefore housed in older facilities. While their kitchens may not boast the newest and shiniest equipment, older schools have other positive features to consider. They will most likely have a large, widespread group of alumni who will be happy to help you as you work to achieve your career goals.

The newest culinary arts programs may provide more modern kitchens and high-tech classrooms, but you may find that those comforts come with much higher price tag. As you visit facilities, keep in mind that accreditation and real experience should be the top priorities on your checklist.

Figuring out how to become a successful chef involves taking the time to look at your current personal situation. If you are in a position that allows you to pursue a culinary arts degree, you are on your way to earning educational credentials that can take you a long way towards achieving your goal of being the best chef you can be.

If you are considering attending culinary school, you owe it to yourself to research the following culinary schools. The culinary schools on this list are all highly respected in the industry, have a wide range of culinary degrees and training available, and will help you become a top chef, pastry chef or restaurant manager.

Le Cordon Bleu Schools of North America

The Le Cordon Bleu culinary arts program provides you the opportunity to develop your skills through demonstration followed by hands-on practical application in professionally-equipped kitchen labs. You will be immersed in the culinary/hospitality world, spending significant time in the kitchen applying skills and techniques as dedicated, professional chef-instructors pass on their skills, experience and knowledge.

The Culinary Institute of America

To be a leader in the increasingly complex and ever-changing food service industry, you must be a skilled culinarian, an astute business person, and a creative trendsetter. In the CIA’s 38-month Bachelor of Professional Studies (B.P.S.) program, you will gain extensive experience in the kitchen.

The Art Institutes

The focus of The Art Institute’s culinary programs are to prepare you with a broad range of experience and skills. You’ll begin by sharpening your fundamental cooking techniques and skills, from basic cuts to managing a menu. From there, you’ll explore the world of international cuisinesthe traditional classics to the emerging flavors.

Johnson & Wales University

The College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University can turn your passion for the culinary arts into a successful career in one of the world’s fastest growing industries. By combining hands-on culinary training with a foundation in the liberal arts, business classes, social responsibility and relevant work experience, Johnson & Wales prepares you for success in today’s global economy.

The French Culinary Institute

With The French Culinary Institute’s innovative method of training, it takes just 6 months by day, or 9 if you train at night, to learn what would take years to learn at other schools. It’s all about personal attention, instant feedback, hands-on repetition, and inspiring reinforcement so that each lesson becomes an instinctive part of your permanent repertoire.

Keiser University Center for Culinary Arts

Keiser University’s culinary comprehensive program includes laboratory sessions, academic preparation and hands-on experience focusing on food production, sanitation, nutrition, stock and sauces, dining room management, intro to baking & pastry, storeroom operations, meat cutting, American and French cuisine.

Kendall College

Over the course of seven quarters, you will receive rigorous culinary training, leadership skills and the positive, collaborative attitude needed to excel in the foodservice world. Students hone through this knowledge by practicing them in real-world environments beyond the classroom, including the two Kendall restaurants and through mandatory internships.

If you want to become a top chef, we highly recommend you take a look at all of the schools above. We invite you to watch videos and request free information from these schools to learn more about them at CulinarySchoolFinder.com.