Filed under: top culinary schools
If you have dreamed of becoming a chef and are finally ready to take the step towards achieving this goal, you probably have thought about culinary schools. How do you know which school is right for you? Do you close your eyes and pick one, hoping your finger contains a touch of luck? Surely there is a better way to choose a culinary school.
Factors to Consider When Selecting a Culinary Schoolg>
1. Reputation.
When selecting a culinary school to attend, the first thing you need to check is its reputation in the culinary world. It need not be the No. 1 cooking school but it should be known for its standing and ability to produce quality cooks and chefs.
2. Awards or Citations.
Check if the culinary school has any awards or citations granted by culinary award-giving bodies. This way, you’re assured that the school has standards high enough that others in the industry are not only noticing it, but rewarding it.
3. Membership in Culinary Organizations.
Check if the culinary school is an active member of any culinary organization. This way, you’re assured that the school is on top of whatever is the latest trend on the cooking industry.
Although food trends are pretty much like fashion (i.e., there’s always something going out of style and something making a comeback), there are still new things that are introduced now and then. An example is the current trend to cook meat using ‘water treatments’, where the meat is flavored and sealed in a vacuum pack and the whole pack placed in water at a specific temperature. It is trends like these that the culinary schools should be on top of.
4. Curriculum.
What type of cook do you wish to be? For instance, do you want to excel in a specific country’s cooking that may not necessarily the country where you come from? Do you want to be more of a pastry connoisseur? Whatever you want to ‘major’ in, ensure that the culinary school has a good curriculum for it.
5. Mode of Teaching.
Different people learn in different ways. Further, depending on where you are in your life right now, time or schedule of classes may be an issue with you. As such, check the mode of teaching applied by the school and schedules of classes.
6. Proximity.
A school may have a good rep but is it really a viable option for you? If distance is an issue, then you may have to rule out culinary schools out of your city OR you can ask if there are local accredited schools.
7. Check out reviews.
Nowadays, there are some sites that offer a sort of grading or review system for schools. See, if the culinary school you want to attend is listed on the site and see what others have to say. Don’t depend solely on the reviews of other people, but it can be a great starting point in your search for your culinary school.