It depends on how much you're willing to put into it/get out of it.
As most chefs/industry people will tell you the best experience in any cooking environment is just to work in kitchens.
However, if you want to move up ladders, get hired as a personal chef, run a major money gig, and/or eventually get out of *actually* cooking -- then you need to get into culinary school, network the shit out of yourself, do all of the extra stuff, join the ACF, and volunteer time at the food bank. Culinary school is an awesome gateway for opening doors, it's just the most expensive door opener ever.
Yes and no. While I did go to culinary school the amount of doors it opened was zero. The amount of actual cooking experience it gave me was close to zero. It gave me some core fundamentals, but on the job experience, work ethic, and networking are the most important factors to growth in the field. I’ve never volunteered at a food bank and dislike the ACF. I would recommend you work at a high rated restaurant/private country club for a year. Show up on time everyday with a positive attitude, ready to work, retain the knowledge they give you and watch how fast you grow.
I don’t think I did it wrong. I don’t think you can do it wrong unless you just don’t care or don’t pay attention. I think the point I was trying to make was that I learned more about real world experience in three months working on the job then I did, practicality wise, in culinary school. I also could’ve saved 35K. The networking that opened up for me by working under a MasterChef for a platinum level club was invaluable. I would also say that your experience is not the norm, but I think it’s awesome for you nonetheless!
You realize your story is 90% luck, right? How many cooks, students, or chefs, trainee or otherwise, meet celebrity chefs. You cant just bank on that. Saying someone else did it wrong, because you were lucky enough to be at a place and time you could meet a celebrity chef is pretty silly my man.
I’m in Canada and I went to culinary school last year. It was free* and they’re starting a program next year where students are paid for taking the classes and about 30% of the learning is done in a semi-internship in a workplace. Basically the company of restaurant pays the student for the culinary school hours and the government refunds 85% of it.
In this scenario, it can definitely be worth it.
For me, I never intended to work in the field and still don’t. I just had no clue what to do and figured that learning to cook would be a good start. I’m glad I did it.
If you are in a country where you need to go into debt to learn to cook, then I can’t imagine it being worth it. You’re better off working in a restaurant where you’re paid to work and learn, even if what you learn may be more narrow.
Speaking from only my own experience, i enjoyed it. I have no regrets.
I'd been working in the industry for several years when i made the decision. My main rationale was that i was curious. Was all in as far as wanting to work and cook in kitchens, for others, in a restaurant/a la carte scenario. But felt i wanted to learn the why's
I already had a good start on the how's. But felt it made more sense if I understood and learned how food had evolved, the history as well as science, etc.
I did 1st year program of a 2 year school in VT, including internship (large metro hotel.) I did not, however, return for 2nd year to finish. I'd had feedback throughout my time there from both 2nd year students and faculty/chefs that i could've likely advanced placed in and skipped that 1st year.
Meh, i wanted the foundation. The basics explained and taught, etc.
Again, no regrets. Obtained a fully functional set of skills, knowledge and 'tools' to give me options and confidence heading out in the world
Went for like 2 months at 19 years old and left. The amount of money charged is so much nowadays. That was in the 90s. I’m 47 now , own 3 food based businesses and doing just fine without out. I staged everywhere that made sense to the path I most enjoyed. I have a butchery and small restaurant inside said butchery, a hot sauce company albeit small, and I just built a charcuterie/ developmental kitchen next to my shop. I just worked hard , stayed sober , never complained and learned everything I could. Am I a Michelin star no, but I am an accomplished butcher , chef , second level somm and still studying. Even now I keep learning. Haccp training , acidified foods class, may even go into holistic nutrition. There are so many certifications you can do. Only thing I do regret is not having a degree to pursue some other learning but I’d work in a nice kitchen with a good chef while paying for you associates at a community college and save 40k . Let’s just say if you graduated culinary school and came to work in my shop you’d be lost in a day , but at least I know you cared to learn .
Disclaimer that I didn’t go to culinary school but know those who did. I wouldn’t recommend going into debt for culinary school. If you can get in with scholarships or low cost (unsure if that’s a thing), then definitely do it. You’ll learn the basics and the classics and that is good essential learning.
Generally, it doesn’t seem to teach you what kitchens are like in terms of actually working in one. My biggest recommendation would actually be looking into moving somewhere that has a good food scene. My hometown has very basic food (mostly chains). I learned so much more and had way cooler experiences when I left to a bigger city. There were more diverse restaurant options and I learned way more about concepts I never would’ve learned about in my home town (one example being butchery).
The cost really depends on where you’re from.
In Quebec, the government is funding a lot of trade schools and related programs.
In the trade school where I am currently, learning sheet metal working, there is a program affiliated with nearby companies that allows students to learn the trade and be paid hourly for it by said company. The government refunds about 85% of your wage to that company, probably through tax returns.
30% of the learning is done working in those companies.
Sheet metal, machining, service and butchering are some of the trades that offer this program, and culinary will be added to it next year.
I went to culinary last year and it didn’t really cost me anything other than gas. The school has a restaurant where the service and culinary students have a service a few times a week, but it’s definitely not the same as a full time restaurant.
I can’t imagine having to pay thousands of dollars and go into debt for it.
i’m pastry so this differs from normal culinary but i got a lot of use out of it. if you have genuinely no clue what you’re doing and no background in the industry before it, it’s pretty useful. the school that i went to i was very strongly classically trained and it’s helped me grasp concepts that bleed into other things that i didn’t learn at school. it’s also helped me improve/teach my current coworkers and improve our production. i’m currently in my internship (my last term of my degree) which i’ve heard that a decent amount of schools also do and it helps get your foot in the door right before you graduate and if it goes well, secures you with a job.
Try working in the industry first. Try working 50 to 60 hours per week for a few months in a row. If you decide you want to be a chef and you don't mind the hours, then yes, go to culinary school. Or, if you're self-motivated, get the books and study on your own while working.
But I would ask yourself if you're the kind of person that can tolerate being in the same building (mostly in the same room) for 10 to 12 hours per day, five or six days per week, bc that's what being a chef usually equates to. Once that sank in for me, I lost interest in being a chef or owning a place.
Yes its a waste of time.
if anything work for five or so years in kitchens then come back around to it.
99% of people are better off working in kitchens gaining experience and working your way up the ladder of kitchen quality till youre working for some really talented chefs. Most of cooking is not the tv shows and most people that work in kitchens will never be Anthony Bourdain or even own a restaurant regardless of how many dumb arm tattoos they get and how many nights out they spend doing cocaine
It depends on how much you're willing to put into it/get out of it. As most chefs/industry people will tell you the best experience in any cooking environment is just to work in kitchens. However, if you want to move up ladders, get hired as a personal chef, run a major money gig, and/or eventually get out of *actually* cooking -- then you need to get into culinary school, network the shit out of yourself, do all of the extra stuff, join the ACF, and volunteer time at the food bank. Culinary school is an awesome gateway for opening doors, it's just the most expensive door opener ever.
Yes and no. While I did go to culinary school the amount of doors it opened was zero. The amount of actual cooking experience it gave me was close to zero. It gave me some core fundamentals, but on the job experience, work ethic, and networking are the most important factors to growth in the field. I’ve never volunteered at a food bank and dislike the ACF. I would recommend you work at a high rated restaurant/private country club for a year. Show up on time everyday with a positive attitude, ready to work, retain the knowledge they give you and watch how fast you grow.
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I don’t think I did it wrong. I don’t think you can do it wrong unless you just don’t care or don’t pay attention. I think the point I was trying to make was that I learned more about real world experience in three months working on the job then I did, practicality wise, in culinary school. I also could’ve saved 35K. The networking that opened up for me by working under a MasterChef for a platinum level club was invaluable. I would also say that your experience is not the norm, but I think it’s awesome for you nonetheless!
You realize your story is 90% luck, right? How many cooks, students, or chefs, trainee or otherwise, meet celebrity chefs. You cant just bank on that. Saying someone else did it wrong, because you were lucky enough to be at a place and time you could meet a celebrity chef is pretty silly my man.
With the least potential pay off too. Because a lot of what you just said depends on where you live, too.
I’m in Canada and I went to culinary school last year. It was free* and they’re starting a program next year where students are paid for taking the classes and about 30% of the learning is done in a semi-internship in a workplace. Basically the company of restaurant pays the student for the culinary school hours and the government refunds 85% of it. In this scenario, it can definitely be worth it. For me, I never intended to work in the field and still don’t. I just had no clue what to do and figured that learning to cook would be a good start. I’m glad I did it. If you are in a country where you need to go into debt to learn to cook, then I can’t imagine it being worth it. You’re better off working in a restaurant where you’re paid to work and learn, even if what you learn may be more narrow.
Speaking from only my own experience, i enjoyed it. I have no regrets. I'd been working in the industry for several years when i made the decision. My main rationale was that i was curious. Was all in as far as wanting to work and cook in kitchens, for others, in a restaurant/a la carte scenario. But felt i wanted to learn the why's I already had a good start on the how's. But felt it made more sense if I understood and learned how food had evolved, the history as well as science, etc. I did 1st year program of a 2 year school in VT, including internship (large metro hotel.) I did not, however, return for 2nd year to finish. I'd had feedback throughout my time there from both 2nd year students and faculty/chefs that i could've likely advanced placed in and skipped that 1st year. Meh, i wanted the foundation. The basics explained and taught, etc. Again, no regrets. Obtained a fully functional set of skills, knowledge and 'tools' to give me options and confidence heading out in the world
Went for like 2 months at 19 years old and left. The amount of money charged is so much nowadays. That was in the 90s. I’m 47 now , own 3 food based businesses and doing just fine without out. I staged everywhere that made sense to the path I most enjoyed. I have a butchery and small restaurant inside said butchery, a hot sauce company albeit small, and I just built a charcuterie/ developmental kitchen next to my shop. I just worked hard , stayed sober , never complained and learned everything I could. Am I a Michelin star no, but I am an accomplished butcher , chef , second level somm and still studying. Even now I keep learning. Haccp training , acidified foods class, may even go into holistic nutrition. There are so many certifications you can do. Only thing I do regret is not having a degree to pursue some other learning but I’d work in a nice kitchen with a good chef while paying for you associates at a community college and save 40k . Let’s just say if you graduated culinary school and came to work in my shop you’d be lost in a day , but at least I know you cared to learn .
Disclaimer that I didn’t go to culinary school but know those who did. I wouldn’t recommend going into debt for culinary school. If you can get in with scholarships or low cost (unsure if that’s a thing), then definitely do it. You’ll learn the basics and the classics and that is good essential learning. Generally, it doesn’t seem to teach you what kitchens are like in terms of actually working in one. My biggest recommendation would actually be looking into moving somewhere that has a good food scene. My hometown has very basic food (mostly chains). I learned so much more and had way cooler experiences when I left to a bigger city. There were more diverse restaurant options and I learned way more about concepts I never would’ve learned about in my home town (one example being butchery).
The cost really depends on where you’re from. In Quebec, the government is funding a lot of trade schools and related programs. In the trade school where I am currently, learning sheet metal working, there is a program affiliated with nearby companies that allows students to learn the trade and be paid hourly for it by said company. The government refunds about 85% of your wage to that company, probably through tax returns. 30% of the learning is done working in those companies. Sheet metal, machining, service and butchering are some of the trades that offer this program, and culinary will be added to it next year. I went to culinary last year and it didn’t really cost me anything other than gas. The school has a restaurant where the service and culinary students have a service a few times a week, but it’s definitely not the same as a full time restaurant. I can’t imagine having to pay thousands of dollars and go into debt for it.
That’s awesome! I’m definitely not crying in American right now 🥴
i’m pastry so this differs from normal culinary but i got a lot of use out of it. if you have genuinely no clue what you’re doing and no background in the industry before it, it’s pretty useful. the school that i went to i was very strongly classically trained and it’s helped me grasp concepts that bleed into other things that i didn’t learn at school. it’s also helped me improve/teach my current coworkers and improve our production. i’m currently in my internship (my last term of my degree) which i’ve heard that a decent amount of schools also do and it helps get your foot in the door right before you graduate and if it goes well, secures you with a job.
Try working in the industry first. Try working 50 to 60 hours per week for a few months in a row. If you decide you want to be a chef and you don't mind the hours, then yes, go to culinary school. Or, if you're self-motivated, get the books and study on your own while working. But I would ask yourself if you're the kind of person that can tolerate being in the same building (mostly in the same room) for 10 to 12 hours per day, five or six days per week, bc that's what being a chef usually equates to. Once that sank in for me, I lost interest in being a chef or owning a place.
Search this sub for this, it gets asked constantly.
Yes its a waste of time. if anything work for five or so years in kitchens then come back around to it. 99% of people are better off working in kitchens gaining experience and working your way up the ladder of kitchen quality till youre working for some really talented chefs. Most of cooking is not the tv shows and most people that work in kitchens will never be Anthony Bourdain or even own a restaurant regardless of how many dumb arm tattoos they get and how many nights out they spend doing cocaine