Culinary school necessary?

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thisisputt

thisisputt

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Would culinary school be necessary if you're aiming to be a cook or a chef?
I'm not sure on the answer of this question so I thought maybe you guys could help me get an answer.
Also would it be better if getting a bachelor degree in a university before going to a culinary school?

Thanks for the help
 
Most of the chefs I know turn their noses up at the idea of going to school, lucky peach did a good article about this recently you can find it online.
 
No, you don't need culinary school. You need experience in real kitchens. You also need to know that this is what you want before spending thousands on education. The key is to learn outside of work as well as inside. Get a few good books and read them, familiarize yourself with the terms and fundamentals. Watch videos. Don't get stuck in a position where you don't learn from your chef or job. If you have the money, I suggest traveling the world and working in many restaurants. Food varies greatly, and no two kitchens are the same.

My corporate chef had no culinary education, and was hired by a very respected CCC (Certified Chef de Cuisine.. a Canadian thing?). I've met chefs who had never gone to school, and many who did but suggested I didn't. It's also true that many cooks laugh at those who "wasted" money on school.

There's much more to being a chef then I once thought as a kid growing up. No more bottled salad dressings. No more canned soups. It's time to learn it all from scratch. Fillet fish, butcher meat, make dough for everything from bread to pasta. It's a life long journey. Never become discouraged and always keep learning. The naturals will rise to the top, with or without education. You need heart.
 
Even more interesting how per se got dragged through the mud shortly after the article was written! Seems to offer a very decent base salary tho.
 
Culinary school is a rip off. Rather than paying a school to learn how to work at a soul crushing corporate joint- Start at the bottom at a decent restaurant, that's willing to teach you, and you'll get paid to learn.
 
One would think they would be doing French cuisine. That particular dish sounds distinctly Japanese to me, though there is some kind of "matsutake" that grows in North America I don't think the flavour is the same as the Japanese variety.
 
When I decided to pursue cooking as an occupation, I spent 1990-91 in France. I worked for free at Au Crocodile and L'auberge de l'ile, both 3 star Michelin restaurants. I received low pay at 3 other Alsatian restaurants. I still use many of the things I learned during my time in France. I can't imagine culinary school would have better prepared me. And if you can afford culinary school, you can afford to work for free in a great restaurant - though there's a lot more people trying to do that now.
 
I don't really get matsutake mushrooms. Really mild flavor.. I heard in japan they cook it with rice and ginko nuts.
 
Find the best restaurant you can with people willing to teach you and don't give up. You're going to get the same job whether you went to school or not. For a chef, your attitude and work ethic are the most important thing. Work harder than everyone around you, read all the books, come in early, stay late. That's what it takes to succeed.
 
[video=youtube;gfVjxg2tH7w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfVjxg2tH7w[/video]
 
my neighbor is a line cook at a fancy Sonoma restuarant. she went to culinary school as a hobby, her husband was loaded and payed for it.

they got divorced, and now she is fending on her own. she got buzzed at my house. (she loved my braised curry goat over polenta) and told me her level of pay. i couldnt believe the money. she is barely scraping by.

she did say, she is blessed she isnt strapped with student loan debt. that would kill her. you dont fly out of culinary school and become bobby flay..

at what level in the kitchen do you finally see decent wages..sous chef?
 
What do you call decent? As an engineer maybe 20% of culinary pros end up matching what you make. And that's a big maybe. I'm a sous at a fairly well known restaurant and would bet I come in at a little less than half of what you make. I could make more by going to a hotel chain, but would hate my job. Nobody does this for the money.
 
Dardeau said:
What do you call decent? As an engineer maybe 20% of culinary pros end up matching what you make. And that's a big maybe. I'm a sous at a fairly well known restaurant and would bet I come in at a little less than half of what you make. I could make more by going to a hotel chain, but would hate my job. Nobody does this for the money.
Click to expand...

Good point. My friend is barely making it in CA. She is trying to find a room mate now. She works hard and her job looks fun. I got to hang w her at work for a little.

It would be tough to come out of school with a bunch of debt. And make $15 per hour.
 
It is a burden that is almost impossible to pay back, and totally exempt from bankruptcy. And as more people go it means less and less. These schools are for profit institutions, and they don't flunk people even if they deserve to.

If they were run like graduate programs at a state university (entrance standards, minimum GPA, low student to teacher ratio, directed studies aspects) they might begin to justify charging the same amounts. You can go to law school at the University of Alabama, which last time I checked had a bar pass rate in the upper nineties, for less than CIA four year.
 
The Lucky Peach article makes a pretty convincing case for learning on the job vs. taking on $50,000+ in debt.

Keller is quoted in the article as saying that, "If you’re making $10 an hour five to ten years after you graduate from culinary school, then you’re not very good." Maybe so, but what can graduates from places like the CIA expect to make on average? It's pretty telling that the article states: "The CIA would not disclose graduate salary data, nor would it disclose how many graduates remain in the industry after five years. These are both basic, understandable metrics that could be used to evaluate program efficacy."

Many for-profit schools sound downright criminal. Here is a great article on the "Academy of Art University," which is headquartered in the Bay Area: http://www.forbes.com/sites/katiasa...ing-art-degrees-and-false-hopes/#4506a11c1dd9
 
22K a year for Art school! Art & Music for most people are what they enjoy after their real job.

There is a certain% of culinary students that wash out in real kitchens. You have to be fast, organized, & tuff skin not too sensitive & thrive on pressure. And all for sub standard pay.
 
Dardeau said:
You can go to law school at the University of Alabama, which last time I checked had a bar pass rate in the upper nineties, for less than CIA four year.
Click to expand...
But passing the bar doesn't mean you get a job, and getting a legal job doesn't mean making good money. :p
 
Pirendeus said:
But passing the bar doesn't mean you get a job, and getting a legal job doesn't mean making good money. :p
Click to expand...

Entry level is still way higher than 12/hr. Which is what you make after going to CIA.
 
Dardeau said:
Entry level is still way higher than 12/hr. Which is what you make after going to CIA.
Click to expand...

Assumes facts not in evidence.
Entry level @$12 is for the dilettantes that spent their time @school with their head stuffed in a bong or work in depressed markets. There's nothing wrong with a good party but lets keep it real. A lot of people (read...vast majority) go to culinary school as a defacto career choice because they think it will be easy and they have nothing better to do than spend mom's money. If you aren't starting out over $12 after graduating lets face it, your not exactly the cream of the crop. Simply because it's not statistically viable for the majority does not make school a poor choice.
I think we all know not just any one can walk into law or medical school, even with cash and great grades as there are only so many slots. Additionally we've blushed over the fact that you would spend another 100K+ getting a Bachelors before you even get to that point.
Clearly there are more financially viable career choices than the culinary arts but I'm still in strong favor of getting a degree for the right individual. Most who apply themselves and actually work in this field for more than a few years will be able to justify the cost of their degree.
The one really flawed argument I often see as a basis for not going to culinary school is the starting hourly wage of a line cook. This is not why you go to the CIA or any other college. Starting wages are a moot point. I've hired CIA grads that were worthless and I've seen others advance their careers exponentially faster than those who never went to school. What is hard to put a value on is the fact that with a degree you are often getting your foot in the door in advance of others. If corporate is looking for a Chef (not a line cook or plunger) and they have two resumes, both from applicants with equal years of experience, only one has a degree. Who do you think is getting the first interview? If the corporate Chef is an alumni of your school and the other applicant is not who do you think is getting the job?
Put a price on that, because ultimately that is what you are paying for.
The thing no one likes to say because it's so obtuse is that if you are the sort that has to resort to asking for career advice on the Internet from strangers then you as an individual should unequivocally not spend your $$$ on Culinary School. For this career choice to be viable you need to be the sort that flips both middle digits to to the statistics and you know exactly where you are going and how you are going to get there. A degree is tool that like any other tool has it's use. For some it's literally worthless and to others it's invaluable. There are no universal "best" answers.
No matter whom you opt to take advice from do yourself a favor and work in this industry for a year before you decide to go to school.
Best of luck with your decision either way.
 
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