Culinary Careers |
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Becoming a Chef or Executive Chef
For our visitors interested in a career at the helm of a commercial kitchen, from a small locally owned restaurant to a large, 5-start downtown or resort based establishment, a degree in culinary arts may be right for you. A degree or certificate in a natural chef training program will prepare graduates for a career in a variety of positions including an executive chef, a therapeutic, natural or personal chef, cooking consultant or natural foods cooking instructor.
What Is A Chef?
Professional chefs are people with a sensitive, experienced palate who wish to create complex art out of simple ingredients. Chefs enjoy creating food that will be enjoyed immensely by others. For those who wish to make a living using the highest quality ingredients in the healthiest possible manner to supply people with the nutrients and nourishment they need, there may be no greater career choice than that of an executive chef. There is a reason chefs are so renowned throughout every culture worldwide. Through food, they are able to inspire us, fulfill us, reminding us of why we enjoy eating food in the first place. A great chef can fill the needs of our palate and our bodies at the same time, designing meals to provide our bodies with optimal energy and performance.
The top rated Culinary Schools listed on Nutritionist World provide the specific training to nourish your natural talents in the kitchen. Taught by renowned professional chefs, each area of expertise of a culinary career is covered throughout the duration of classroom instruction and any continuing internships of professional work-study. Among the many focuses of culinary arts provided by today’s schools, the following are among the most prominent:
- Vegetarian & Vegan Cooking
- Raw Food Diet Preparation
- French Cooking
- Italian Cooking
- Japanese Cooking
- Southwest Cooking
Chef Job Duties
The executive chef is the CEO of the kitchen. Everything happening behind the scenes, from food supplier to the patron’s plate, is controlled and dictated by the executive chef. Job duties for an executive chef, regardless of the type of establishment, typically involve creating the restaurant’s theme and establishing the menu to complement this theme. Day to day operations include food preparation, managing the employees throughout the kitchen including all other chefs, line cooks, prep cooks, waiters am dishwashers. In many situations, the executive chef will source and maintain contracts with all vendors including food, alcohol, kitchen and dining equipment. Many times they will work closely with restaurant management on marketing and customer relations as well.Chef Skills
A natural chef should possess certain skills that allow them to carry out their job at the highest level. A degree in culinary arts will focus on the improvement and development of these skills. Top-level executive chefs must excel in the following areas:
- A Developed Sense of Taste & Smell: Chefs must posses the ability to recognize flavors and tastes that separate good food from great. This also allows chefs to improve upon and even create new dishes to be used in their menus.
- Creativity: Chefs must be able to exhibit creativity, not only with flavors and smells but with composition and presentation of their meals as well.
- Teamwork: A 5-Star kitchen only runs smoothly when everyone is working together. As the executive of the kitchen, it is the chef’s responsibility to keep all the pieces running smoothly.
- Organization: With the variety of different tasks to be completed in order to keep a kitchen running smoothly, organization is among the most important aspects of a chef’s job. The ability to plan, prepare and execute all stem from good organization.
Chef Salary & Career Outlook
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for chefs is expected to be good, propelled by the growth of urban areas where fine dining and upscale restaurants are popular, an increase in the variety of dining establishments and demand for healthier cuisines. However, competition for the finer dining establishments will be high as these are where the best salaries are paid. Most executive and head chefs have experience in the restaurant industry as well as a two or four-year degree or certification from a culinary institute or hospitality management school.
The median salary for top-level chefs in 2009 was roughly $51,600 annually, with many making above $66,000 at the top end. For chefs with experience and recognition, these numbers grow substantially. Moreover, as healthier eating becomes more popular, increased demand for natural chefs and natural foods eating establishments will propel these wages upward.