Culinary College: Preparing Personal Chefs

Culinary colleges aren't only for those heading off to jobs at five-star restaurants, cruise lines, hotels, and catering companies. In fact, by attending culinary college, you can get a jump on one of the fastest growing careers out there: personal chef.

My Chef

Once considered strictly the province of the rich and famous, more and more business executives and two-income families are turning to the services of personal chefs in order to gain more of that precious commodity, time. In fact, according to the American Personal Chef Association, there are currently 6,000 personal chefs in the U.S. serving roughly 72,000 clients. Moreover, based upon APCA projections, in the next few years there will be roughly 20,000 chefs serving nearly 300,000 clients - making the personal chef business a $1 billion industry. And those who have attended culinary college are at a distinct advantage.

The Culinary College Advantage

Why are culinary college graduates in a better position to capture a greater share of the business? Because graduates of formal culinary training programs spend the majority of their time preparing practice meals. Along with learning proper food preparation techniques, as a culinary college student you'll study portion control, purchasing, nutrition, menu planning, sanitation, and how to properly store foods, giving you a distinct advantage over the competition. In other words, by attending culinary college you will be prepared to obtain your personal chef certification designation from the American Culinary Federation, giving you recognized credibility with prospective customers.

If you're looking for a job in the culinary arts that won't necessarily require the same kinds of hours and long nights as traditional catering and restaurant work, then being a personal chef could be the ideal career for you. And a great way to get started is by attending culinary college.

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"Chefs Get Personal

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