So, considering culinary school..advice wanted

[supernova]

My previous career is very much fading into the rearview mirror. I haven't been able to find a job in two years in IT. That job market sucks around here big time. Between the economy and outsourcing, I don't forsee an upswing in the type of work I was doing. And I think I'm really finally, officially ready to say goodbye to all that.

SO and I went to check out a school near me. It seemed like a great place. Private tech school so all the equipment is new. LOL. Culinary school would be a great change of direction for me, from sitting at a desk for 8 to 10 hours a day to standing for who knows how long. :P

I am a foodie and consider myself a competent home cook. Though I know preparing food professionally is very different. I'll have to step up my game a lot.

So, if you've been to culinary school, what was it like and do you still think it was a good idea? What should I look for in a decent program? This place today sounds nice, but I really have nothing to compare it to. So suggestions wanted.

:hi:

[AwakeAtLast]

1. Wow, what a great idea!

I've not been, but I think if it something you truly want to do, I say "GO FOR IT!"

I don't think there is such a thing as too much education. I also think your technology background will come in handy even in a kitchen. Restaurants are becoming increasingly tech savvy, so you would have added skills for a chef or owner.

Good luck!

:hi:

[Warpy]

2. Restaurant work is damned hard

and I'd suggest to anyone that they try to find a job in a kitchen, first, before they go to culinary school. You need to see if that's the kind of tough job you want, standing for hours in a pool of your own sweat and banging out dinner for 250 people a night. Even a catering business based out of a large home kitchen involves the same level of sweat.

No, it doesn't matter if you're a breakfast cook at McDs or a prep cook at a super high end bistro, it's all the same slog. It really has to be in your blood or it'll just be another dead end and money wasted.

Any decent school will teach you the basics of managing a line and keeping orders straight so you don't run out or have stuff rot in the walk in, along with enough theory to be able to figure out a menu from whatever is available wholesale locally. Whether or not you're another Escoffier is up to you and largely beside the point.

[Coyote_Bandit]

3. I spent years considering doing the same

and investigating the different training alternatives. In the end I decided not to go. Why? Two reasons really. First, as Warpy suggested I spent some time working in a resturant. A couple that I know owned the place and also did some catering. I got a pretty good look at everything involved - and came to realize just how long the hours can be and just how strenuous and stressful the work can be. Second, I tried to look into my future and I realized that I just don't want to spend most of my remaining weekends, evenings and holidays working and serving other folks. I also realized that I didn't want to turn something I really enjoyed (cooking) into a job. I didn't want to risk losing the enjoyment I get from a well prepared dish

Instead of enrolling in cullinary school I went to the largest tech school in the state and enrolled in a jewelry design and technology program. I completed a year of classes but will not be able to complete the program because the school terminated the program - without offering any compensation or other training alternatives. I completed the fabrication and casting components of the program - but not the stone setting elements. There are no other comparable training programs nearby - and only a few comprehensive programs in the nation.

[yellerpup]

4. I agree with Warpy.

Also, the check out the wages offered to sou chefs before you make the leap, because they are usually under $10/hour.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/business/14schools.html?pagewanted=all

Unless you own your own restaurant you have little chance of making a professional grade salary. Bear in mind that even if you do own your own restaurant, a huge percentage of restaurant start-ups fail owing to other factors than the type and quality of food served and they usually fail within the first year.

Best of luck to you! :hi:

Edit for clarity

[Stinky The Clown]

5. Culinary bizniss bin berry goot to me

There are many directions in which one can go in the foodservice industry. Cooking in a restaurant is just one of them, even for culinary school grads. Just in the cooking end of the biz, there are institutional kitchens (hospitals, employee dining, catering, cruise ships, oil rigs, colleges and universities, military bases, etc. Some jobs are good, some are downright crappy.

Starting in a crappy institutional job could (and often does) lead to promotions and increased responsibility.

I graduated from the Culinary Institute back when it was in New Haven, CT (Moby Dick was minnow back then). I've been in some aspect of the business ever since, and only actually cooked for the first 18 months after graduation.

Restaurant cooking is very hard work. It is satisfying and addictive to some, anathema to others. But is only one small part of the far larger industry. Here's just a for instance: You have IT skills. Add culinary skills and you could be a consultant. Here is a link to a web site that describes one such consultancy.

http://www.deterministics.com/index.html

Mind you, that is just an example. There are manufacturers who make all manner of software for the industry. Many of them also implement for customers (where an entry level job might exist).

Anyway, look at your skills (not just culinary) and go from there.

[Warpy]

6. If you can luck into a non cooking job, great

but there aren't that many of them out there.

Most culinary grads I know run hotel kitchens.

[The empressof all]

7. If I went into food prep I'd strongly consider Candy and Pastry.

I like the idea of a day job and making beautiful cakes and candies. Alas my arthritis doesn't allow me to do that kind of detailed work any longer

[hippywife]

8. I've considered it myself but

only if I could work for myself. In the new job I have in our Dining Services Dept., even though I'm administrative support, I do at times pitch in when we are short staffed. I've found out that all these years with my ass in a chair has made it difficult on my feet, legs, and back to be on my feet for very long. I'm sure you're in better shape than I am, but it can be quite eye-opening to discover how much strength one has lost sitting most of the day. I haven't done restaurant work for 10 years and though I could still handle it, but not so. Need to remedy that situation whether I want to do that or not.

[madmax]

9. Fantastic OP - since my Grandson

who is 15 and loves to cook has indicated to his parents that he is considering Culinary School after HS graduation.

Most have pointed out some very real negatives and the realities of a life/job in the kitchen. I have found Stinky's reply (as usual) very helpful as he rarely ever sees an issue in black and white. Love ya Stinker - just don't tell Sparkly :silly:

I'm emailing this thread when is has seemed to have been pretty much discussed to the end, to the kid.

Thanks guys!

edit: typo

[grasswire]

10. as stinky says, there are related opportunities

Two areas that are still exploding are the specialty coffee industry, and the pastry-baking industry. A family member of mine was an exec chef at upscale New England entities for twenty years and wore out his feet and his passion for the deadening work. He started a service to the food and beverage industry providing social media. It's coming along.

For more info on allied fields, check out www.freshcup.com and www.dessertprofessional.com. Those are trade magazines for the specialty coffee industry and the pastry industry.

[Phentex]

12. I think Dessert Professional...

would be a FABULOUS title!

MMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

[Tesha]

11. There are other ways...

I have a neighbor who opened her own business..

http://simplydelishnh.com/blog/

She's doing well, and enjoys it a great deal.
There are also small speciality producers, like cookie, candy, bread makers that sell in smaller stores.

best of luck - and if you need recipies - you can always find us here.

[madmax]

13. Sweet Carolina Cheesecakes

You guys brought to mind a woman here in NC who bakes cheesecakes from her home. Each cheesecake - 40.00. I had one DELISH!!!

She offers Strawberry, Blueberry, Custard and Spice, Caramel, Coconut, Mint, Nut, Liquor, and a few others. She doesn't have a website :( all word of mouth adv. and she's doing a fantastic business. Oh, also loaf cakes seasonal sweets an savories, and cookies.

Her card reads: Sweet Carolina Cheese Cakes
"specializing in New York Style cheese cakes"

[TreasonousBastard]

14. Our local community college has a pretty good cooking school and I've been trying to...

find time to get into the pastry courses. Not terribly expensive, and the stuff they sell in the attached store is pretty good.

But, not up to what you get at the French Culinary Institute which would be happy to let me take a 9 month night pastry course for $36,000.

THIRTY-SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS to learn how make pate au chou. The day school is 46 grand.

OK, if materials are included, there's at least 10 grand in butter and fresh fruit in that tuition, but it's still a lot of money that I can't imagine getting back any time soon.

[madmax]

15. Wow -

36k My grandson can forgt that one. There are other options, he needs to keep checking. ;)

Who knows, by the time he's ready to graduate he may have considered another field. At his age ideas and such turn on a dime.

[The empressof all]

16. Have him check out the community college route

Then when he graduates he can get on the job training in an upscale kitchen.

[madmax]

18. Good idea

I was thinking of taking a baking class myself in our local CC. For some reason I've got this itch to bake, now I have the time but the arthritis is a bummer.

You have that problem too, if I'm not mistaken. :hug:

[The empressof all]

22. Yeah....I got it baaaaaad

The cool damp winters here in PNW don't help with it either. It's been a rough summer for me and I'm not looking forward to the weather kicking it up even more. I'm not by nature someone who regrets much but I do sometimes wonder what would have happened if I went to the Restaurant school in Philadelphia when I had the chance in the late 70's.

I'd love to take some serious classes too---I need to be content to watching the cooking and food channels... The body just can't take it anymore. Good thing we can still eat though ...Right? :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Stinky The Clown]

17. The Culinary Institute is about 30K a year, too.

When I went, my GI Bill paid all my tuition in monthly installments and even at that I had a few bucks left from my monthly check. I even had enough left in benefits to go on and get my BS at another school and *still* had unused benefits.

There are MANY culinary schools to choose from. While CIA is the Harvard Law of cooking schools, there are many *more* very successful cooks from other schools, the same as lawyers. Don't rule out Community College, either. I have a few friends who teach at that level and they are as good as any CIA instructor (one of them, in fact, was).

There are also boutique sort of schools, like the one your cite. In my view, they overcharge and under-deliver.

[pengillian101]

20. Yikes!

"THIRTY-SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS to learn how make pate au chou. The day school is 46 grand."

Yikes, almighty! Everything is online for free now.

[pengillian101]

19. Sorry I have no advice.

Just sending my best wishes to ya!

[hippywife]

21. I've seen ads for the Culinary School here but didn't look at

it until this morning. Doesn't say how much it will cost so I'd probably have to look into enrolling before I could find that out. I really don't have the energy or the money to go, tho.

http://www.plattcollege.org/programs/culinary/

I hope whatever decision you make works well for you. :hug: