‘Those who aspire to be owners and chefs must know the art and science of cooking, business, sustainability, and nutrition’
Chef Christopher Koetke is vice-president, Strategy and Industry Relations at the School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College in Chicago, USA. Chef Koetke is a certified executive chef and culinary educator by the American Culinary Federation and has been cooking up many a storm, winning a gamut of awards, recognitions and associations across the world. Koetke has served on the education committee of the World Association of Chefs’ Societies as well as for 10 years on the American Culinary Federation Foundation (ACFEF) Accrediting Commission. He shares his views on career opportunities in culinary arts. Where does India stand on the map of culinary education? India is a country of great cuisine—and a very varied cuisine. At the same time, there are very few stand-alone culinary schools. There are many schools that teach both hospitality and culinary to their students. We at Kendall though see these two pursuits as two different careers. At the same time, culinary and hospitality are still members of the same family—but not the same people. Thus, I think that there is tremendous potential for culinary schools in India where students could learn their own cuisine and other cuisines of the world. For someone who absolutely wants to study culinary arts and passionately so, a culinary education is a must. But remember that culinary is not just about learning how to cook. It is about learning the business of culinary arts which is much larger than being a strong culinary practitioner. Culinary students today who aspire to be owners and chefs need to know the art and science of cooking, business, sustainability, and nutrition. How can culinary education open doors for students globally and provide upward mobility? I travel around the world a lot. I visit many countries and talk to many chefs, general managers, etc. What I hear pretty much everywhere I go is that there are not enough educated and strong kitchen employees. There are also not enough to promote. The reason behind this is simple. In many places around the world, the culinary and hospitality industries continue to grow and are projected to do well into the future. This means that students are graduating into a strong employment market with the potential for growth. Additionally for those who prove themselves, there is also the potential to live and work in other areas of the world. But I want to be clear—success only comes from hard work, much experience, and a strong education. Students (and employees) need to have passion, discipline and intensity to succeed in the long run. How to choose the best culinary school? There are a number of criteria that are paramount to making a good decision. Look at the facilities for cleanliness. Look at the kitchens and see how many students study in them and how much equipment and space there is in them. Analyse the faculty for both industry (culinary) and teaching experience. Study the curriculum. How many hours are spent in the kitchens? Does the curriculum focus on local and international culinary arts, business, sustainability, and nutrition? How many business courses are taught? What is the employment rate upon graduation—and where do the graduates typically work? Is there an internship/externship in the programme and if so, where are students placed? I would also take the time to talk to experienced chefs and find out their opinion of the programme. Lastly, ask if the school teaches from recipes or if they teach by focusing on method and technique (and developing the students’ taste abilities). This last point is crucial. When students master technique, they are eventually freed of relying 100% on recipes and instead cook from instinct and experience. This is how chefs are made.