How Can I Become a Chef?
I am just starting my GCSE studies, and I am looking for some advice on becoming a chef. This has always been my ambition – I love cooking – but I’m not sure of the best route. That probably depends on two factors – just how keen you are to get into a kitchen, and how you feel about academic study. If you are absolutely certain that you want to get straight on with the practical side of things, you could apply (after you have taken your GCSE exams) for an apprenticeship with a restaurant, a chef or a hotel group, and study at college at the same time. There is a range of options for day-release or block-release schemes. The college route was the one famously taken by Jamie Oliver, who studied for the Professional Chef Diploma at Westminster Kingsway College in London. You don’t have to secure an apprenticeship to start with, but having the right mentor, and a place in the industry, is invaluable. But if you are not yet sure which corner of this now vast industry (which extends to areas
There are many paths to become a chef. Some people start by having an interest in cooking which they mainly explore at home, and others have long training in restaurants under the guidance of other chefs. Another route is to attend a culinary school, usually one recognized in your country by the culinary profession. These can help people learn everything from the basics of cooking to running a restaurant. No matter which route you take, if you want to become a chef, you should be practicing cooking every chance you get. If you’ve developed this interest prior to finishing high school, take opportunities to cook at home and use some of the great programs on networks like The Food Channel, to give you ideas as to how to expand your cooking repertoire. Read cookbooks of famous chefs too, and also books that focus on cooking technique. If you’re lucky some high schools have culinary arts departments, where you can learn even more about how to become a chef. Where this is unavailable, look
I would recommend going to AI in Chicago. I am also looking to become a chef when I get out of school. I too am in the 10th grade, but I am not in boarding school. I am home-schooled, and have been all my life. I am gonna go to AI when I get out of high school. Take sanitation courses. Take some cooking classes ahead of time so you can get partially prepared.
