Culinary School : 12 Great reasons why you should Go.

Creative exploration

Cooking and baking are not just skills; they’re also art forms. When you cook, you’re taking raw ingredients and making them into something completely new and original. Whether you’re designing decadent dinners in our culinary arts program, or crafting elegant confections in our pastry and baking classes, you’ll be tapping into your creative side.

You Love the Culinary Arts

Simply put, this is the number one reason to earn a culinary degree. If you are passionate about culinary arts, then there are few things that will be more enjoyable than being surrounded by chefs, studying recipes and learning the ins and outs of working in a kitchen.

Studying and attending culinary classes won’t feel like work if you truly love the subject matter and want to learn as much as possible.

Taste testing!

One major benefit about going to culinary arts school is getting to taste new, bold, and complex flavours and textures. You can try various cultural dishes and also experiment with creating new dishes. Your training will educate you on flavour pairings and profiles. This education can help you create, innovate, and transform the culinary scene. You can even learn what traditional spices are used in specific ethnic cuisines. Taste away!

Hone Your Skills and Expand Your Knowledge

Although cooking at home or training in a kitchen allows you to learn the necessary techniques of cooking, in culinary school you’ll master the techniques under the guidance of experienced master chefs, learn the science and theory behind cooking methods and theories, and develop your culinary intuition. You’ll graduate prepared to walk into the kitchens of top restaurants, publish a blog, and create menus to satisfy the most selective palates and health requirements.

Various career opportunities

Culinary arts training gives you the skills you need to help create aesthetically-pleasing dishes in a safe and timely manner. Your training experience can prepare you for numerous roles in the field. Career paths range from preparation staff or line cook. If you want further education, you could specialize in specific culinary areas like desserts or seafood. As you gain more experience, you could work your way up to a chef position. Culinary arts training gives you the opportunity to pursue a career that you love while giving you the foundation for you to advance your career.

Here are a list of job roles a culinary arts profession could help you achieve:

• Restaurant cook
• Prep/line cook
• Short order cook
• Assistant chef
• Private chef
• Pastry/dessert chef
• Baker
• Catering specialist
• Dessert specialist

Remember, the more experience and education you gain, the more opportunities you have to advance your career!

Professional Satisfaction

Whether you are just starting your career, making a change in your professional path, or enhancing your current occupation, it is important to feel fulfilled in your career path. If you’d rather tackle a recipe than an excel sheet; prepare a dinner rather than a presentation; review a menu rather than a peer; bake a pie rather than make a pie chart; and create stunning food photography rather than manipulate clip art, pursuing a diploma in culinary arts is a great way for you to pursue your passions and work towards professional satisfaction.

Travel The World

As you receive a culinary arts education, you have the ability to travel the world. Many schools give you the opportunity to study abroad. What better way to learn about French food than studying the culinary arts in Paris for a semester? The same goes for learning about German food, Italian food, Asian food, and food from all over the world.

Like-minded people.

It’s always a joy to work alongside people who share your interests and passions. At Johannesburg Culinary & Pastry School, you’ll get the chance to become acquainted with other aspiring chefs in an intimate setting. We pride ourselves on small class sizes that encourage a sense of community, and by networking with your fellow classmates, you’ll be able to exchange ideas and form important relationships. Culinary school allows you to be surrounded by like-minded culinary enthusiasts. Many of these students will go on to become your best friends as well as your future colleagues and mentors.

Networking

Culinary school provides the opportunity to network with other like-minded chefs-in-training, alumni, and expert chef instructors. You will likely meet people from various backgrounds and different parts of the world in the classroom or in a restaurant/food company kitchen, giving you the chance to explore different areas of the food industry.

Potential to Secure Better Jobs in Less Time

Perhaps the most convincing reason to earn a culinary degree from a cooking or culinary arts school is because it can help you secure a better job in less time. If you start out in the culinary industry with no credentials, it could take you a decade or more to work up to being a head or executive chef. By earning a culinary degree, you can achieve that title in a lot less time.

Become an expert/specialist

When you start cooking in a restaurant kitchen, you will only learn how to prepare the dishes that restaurant serves. After all, they’re not a school. They don’t have time to teach you sushi if you’re working at an Italian restaurant. They want you to be able to cook their menu and cook it well. But that’s all.

When you go to culinary school, you will learn how to prepare a variety of dishes, making you a well-rounded chef. With hands-on training, you will get a taste, so to speak, of each style and type of cooking. When you get to your first position as a cook you will already be familiar with the basics, so the restaurant can teach you the finer points and exact dishes they’re known for.

To Gain Experience in the Kitchen

It should come as no surprise that a big reason to attend one of the many culinary schools across the globe is for the experience. Some entry-level students at culinary institutes are starting out with passion and enthusiasm, but they may not have the skills to back up their career goals. By attending hands-on seminars in the kitchens and working with other chefs in a professional environment, aspiring chefs can gain experience that will help prepare them for any number of future careers in the field.

Going to a culinary school isn’t right for everyone. Some people prefer to go right into the kitchen and achieve great success. But registering at a culinary school is another path to a career as a chef. There are advantages to gaining and educational background before you step out into the world.

At the end of the day

The culinary world is a diverse one, and there is no one-size-fits-all career option once you graduate and enter the workforce. It doesn’t matter whether you want to bake cupcakes in a local grocery store or become a contender on Master Chef – there are a multitude of options out there.

The best way to prepare for a career and to improve your skills in the kitchen is to earn a culinary qualification of some kind. The variety of options is endless, and you can choose from long or short courses that teach food preparation and pastry. If you are thinking seriously about attending a culinary school, then use this guide to get a better understanding of all the many benefits.

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