Should you go to culinary school? This is a question a lot of aspiring chefs ask themselves. The answer is, it depends. There are a number of factors you have to look at before making the decision.
As a disclaimer, I should note that I did not go to culinary school. Cooking was not something I loved as a kid. I just kind of fell into it. While my own experiences will obviously influence my opinion, I’m going to be as objective as I can in answering this question.
Do You Have To Go To Culinary School To Be A Chef?
Let’s get the obvious question a lot of people have out of the way first. Do you have to go to culinary school to be a chef? The answer is no! Cooking is one of the few remaining jobs out there that most people learn on the job.
You can work your way up to be a head chef schooling. It just takes time, effort, and dedication. I’m not going to lie, it is a grind. You really have to love what you are doing to work your way up to be a head chef.
It should be noted that going to culinary school does not guarantee you a head chef job right away either. You may start higher up the ladder, but you still have to work your way up.
Is Culinary School Worth It?
Ok, so let’s say you decide you do want to go to culinary school. The next question I see a lot is if culinary school is worth it. Again, the answer is, it depends.
To determine if culinary school is worth it to you, you have to ask yourself why you want to go. School can give you a broader base of knowledge more quickly than a single restaurant job. Most restaurants specialize in certain types of food, so you might not get exposure to more exotic cuisines.
And this really comes down to preference. Being able to cook every type of cuisine is great if you are a celebrity chef or competing on a cooking show, but it’s not necessary for a culinary career. Plenty of amazing chefs are experts in a single type of cuisine and cook it their entire careers. But if you have come down with a strong case of culinary curiosity, then school might be for you.
If you are looking to open your own restaurant and don’t want to spend years toiling in someone else’s kitchen, then culinary school could be your best bet.
Cost is a big factor. It costs thousands of dollars and up to 4 years to complete culinary school. The benefit of learning on the job is that you are actually getting paid to learn. You have to factor in the cost to determine if culinary school is worth it.
I will admit that I have a bad case of culinary curiosity. I want to know how to cook everything! However, I have a family now and school is just not in our budget. Fortunately, there is a free alternative that helps satisfy my cravings: Youtube!
Pros and Cons
Let’s look at the pros and cons I’ve already mentioned one of the pros. If you go to school, you will get exposure to more techniques and foods than you would at most restaurants. It is simply the nature of the business that restaurants tend to focus on one type of cuisine, though there are exceptions.
Another pro is that you might get to start higher up the ladder. You are not likely to get a head chef job right out of school, but you probably won’t start in the dish room either.
A culinary degree will add something extra to your resume as well. Having years of experience and a degree could be the leg up you need to land your dream job.
The first con is obvious, and that is cost. As I said earlier when you learn on the job you are literally being paid to learn. Culinary school is going to cost you thousands of dollars. Given that pay in the restaurant industry is not the greatest, the cost is a big roadblock.
The second con is that you can’t mimic the pressure of working a line in culinary school. Cooking in a classroom is one thing. Cooking in a restaurant on a busy Friday night is another. If you can’t handle the pressure, the money you spent on culinary school could be wasted.
My Verdict
Should you go to culinary school? In my humble opinion, it is hard to justify the cost. It is nice, but not necessary. If money is no issue, then by all means go for it. However, I wouldn’t risk myself financially when you can be paid to train in the field.
I’m not trying to down culinary school. Many great chefs have gone this route. But in this day and age with stagnant wages and rising tuition costs, it is hard to justify going.
Not to mention, there are plenty of great sites like this one that will help teach you how to cook! Check out my top 5 kitchen tools for beginners. If you prefer video, here are my top 3 cooking channels on Youtube!
