Culinary schools are whipping up a new batch of chefs to meet the industry's growing demand The global hospitality industry is booming. Worth an estimated $3.5 trillion (Dh12.8 trillion), it encompasses a variety of industries, including food service.
The global food service sector, which covers all institutions that are responsible for meals eaten away from home, accounts for around $400 billion (Dh1,469 billion).
With eating out becoming more and more an everyday activity rather than a luxury, this figure continues to increase. This in turn has brought about a demand for well trained chefs, and has led to many culinary schools and expert-led chef training programmes appearing all over the world. In the past, most chefs learnt their craft as an apprentice in a kitchen. With the support of a mentor, they would usually start by learning the basics and make their way up the ranks.
Today, there are still apprentice programmes on offer at some establishments, but hopeful chefs can now choose to attend culinary schools, which also entail a placement at a restaurant for direct hands-on experience.
Chef titles
There are various types of chef titles. The executive chef is in charge of everything to do with the kitchen, including menu creation and staff management. While the position includes extensive cooking experience, it also entails a high level of management of the kitchen. Chef de cuisine is a synonym for executive chef. This is the traditional French term from which the English word chef comes from, and is more commonly used in European and American kitchens.
The sous chef is the direct assistant of the executive chef, and second in command. He may be responsible for scheduling and filling in for the executive chef should he be absent. The chef de partie, also known as the station chef, is in charge of a particular area of production. In large kitchens, each station chef may have several cooks or assistants.
Station chef titles include sauté chef, responsible for all sautéed items and their sauce, fish chef, who prepares fish dishes; roast chef, who prepares roast and braised meats and pastry chef, who is responsible for baked goods, pastries and desserts.
Training courses
The career path for those trained in the culinary arts has become less clear cut in recent years. The large number of training courses have made the industry more competitive, and only those with exceptional skills become head chefs. There are many training courses available that cover a wide variety of aspects of culinary art. The fundamentals of culinary arts course consists of practical training in the kitchen, and organised trips to introduce students to the industry. Students learn knife skills and basic food preparation techniques, as well as practical food hygiene skills. The introduction to cooking skills course focuses on the basic aspects of fruit and vegetable preparation, including salads, dressings and cold sauces.
There are also courses that focus on specific elements of cooking. For example, fundamentals of baking courses teach prospective chefs the theory and production of yeast breads, quick breads, cakes and cookies, pastry and pate choux items. International cuisine courses expose students to the preparation of international dishes made in a traditional manner.
International cuisine
These courses are available at various institutions around the world, particularly in the US, UK, India, Australia, Sweden and France. The Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institutes offer the Le Grande Diplome Le Cordon Bleu, a qualification that is recognised by culinary professionals worldwide. Founded in Paris in 1895, today the establishment has 30 international schools, including institutes in the UK and Australia, offering culinary training and guidance. The areas of study on offer include baking, buffet catering, cheese, confectionery show pieces, food preparation, kitchen management and international cuisine.
The DCT European Culinary Arts School in Switzerland was founded in 1991 and offers a variety of courses, including a certificate in European gourmet cuisine. Its areas of study include culinary skill development, European pastries, kitchen management, nutrition and patisserie.
The Apicius Culinary Institute of Florence was founded in 1996 in what is known as one of the most revered culinary capitals in the world. Programmes are shaped either for people who are approaching 'the art of Italian cooking' for the first time, or for experts in the field who wish to refresh and deepen their cultural and practical experience of Italian cooking. The establishment has state-of-the-art newly remodeled facilities. Areas of study include meat cutting, meal planning and starch production.
Cooking techniques
The Art Institute of New York Cit in the US, offers a culinary arts programme that provides hands-on instruction in fundamental cooking and culinary skills. The curriculum for this programme covers basic cooking techniques, purchasing and baking, dexterity in knife skills, speed, timing, coordination and presentation.
Students learn the chemistry of food, how ingredients are combined and the intricacies of recipe preparation.
The Culinary Institute of Canada, located at Holland College's Tourism and Culinary Centre, has been training aspiring chefs since 1983. Programmes are designed to develop advanced culinary skills and provide managerial training, while covering all aspects of food preparation, presentation and service at international standards.
Students have the opportunity to learn from award-winning chefs and put their new skills to work during a period of internship. The college offers courses in culinary arts, pastry arts and culinary operations.
Following completion of these courses, most students continue to entry-level jobs in kitchens at restaurants, hotels, clubs, resorts, convention centers and many other establishments. Here they can continue to master their craft, and many then chose what area of cookery they would like to specialise in.
