“Mmmmmm….the wonderful aroma of biryani coupled with ten different chutneys” - the smell is divine and the sight is one to behold. “Wake up, it is time to go to school”, screeched a voice that startled Beena, as she opened her eyes wide. She realised that it was her mother trying to wake her up. She lingered on the dream for a few more seconds and finally stood up. She loved food and cooking and experimentation even more and could see herself doing this for the rest of her life. But, would her parents allow her to pursue such an unconventional choice of a career?
Many students like her dream of a seemingly unconventional career, many wish to do so, but stop themselves due to a lack of awareness on what are the opportunities that the field can potentially offer and what they need to do to grab the same. Fret not! Let us help Beena out today!
What does a chef do?
A chef is a professional who prepares quality meals and delicacies for a client through their knowledge and training. The client could be a 5-star restaurant or a hotel or a catering service. They creatively experiment with flavours and ingredients to come up with new dishes.
Where does your journey start?
You start as a line cook and gather knowledge by working under the head chef. You can gradually progress to a point where you manage a team of chefs and lead a specific part of the kitchen. Prestigious restaurants generally look to recruit chefs with at least 10 years of prior work experience.
Restaurants prefer their chefs to have prior training in the form of a culinary degree or training. Many colleges offer these courses now, which are designed to help learn how to cook and present meals in the best possible way. The presentation part is key because plating food plays a vital role in making a dish popular. These programs also provide internship and apprenticeship opportunities.
What should you study to become a chef?
It will be helpful to get a Bachelor’s degree in culinary arts, hotel management or catering technology. If needed, you can pursue a Master’s degree in specialisations such as Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Tourism and Hotel Management.
These programs provide practical, hands-on training in areas like food production, food and beverage service, front office operations, and housekeeping. They also focus on managerial skills in hotel accounting, food safety and quality, human resources, facility planning, financial management, strategic management, tourism marketing, and overall hospitality management.
Additional certifications that you can consider are the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA) professional certification, bakery and patisserie certification, food production certification, food service professional certification, executive chef certification, decorator certification, and nutrition specialist certification.
Top culinary colleges in India are The Culinary Academy of India, Indian Institute of Hotel Management and Culinary Arts, Hyderabad, Welcome Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Manipal, Institute of Hotel Management (Taj Group), Aurangabad, Symbiosis School of Culinary Arts, Jodhpur Institute of Hotel Management.
What are the associated entrance exams?
Standardized entrance exams for culinary arts include NCHM JEE, MAH HM CET, WB JEHOM, IHM, and IPU CET. Among these, the National Council for Hotel Management & Catering Technology Joint Entrance Exam (NCHM JEE) is primarily conducted for admission to BSc Hospitality & Hotel Administration programs at institutes affiliated with the Council.
What is the growth trajectory like in the culinary field?
The culinary field is predicted to grow by around 20% between 2024 and 2030. Typically, there are 4 levels in the chef hierarchy.
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Commis chefs (0-2 years)
This is the initial stage where you will learn to handle basic tasks like peeling, chopping, and cleaning while working alongside senior chefs to learn food preparation, cooking techniques, and hygiene. -
Chefs de Partie (3-4 years)
You will also be known as a station or line cook and will be responsible for supervising a specific part of the kitchen. You will start with supervising a specific kitchen section and eventually master it all. Typically, you will begin in the cold kitchen before moving to sautéing, grilling, or frying. It would be good to equip yourself with a certification or Diploma for this level. -
Sous chefs/Executive sous chefs (4-8 years)
You will act as the second-in-command of the kitchen and handle menu planning, work schedules, order supervision, and customer relations and also train junior chefs and enforce SOPs. It would be good to equip yourself with an Advanced Diploma for this level. -
Head/executive chefs (9-10 years)
Also known as Chef de Cuisine, you will be in charge of managing the entire kitchen. You will focus on setting the budget, ensuring quality control, hiring staff, and shaping the restaurant's vision.
What is the expected salary in this field?
The average annual gross salary for entry-level chefs in India ranges from ₹2 lakh to ₹3.5 lakh. For head chefs, it can reach up to ₹1.86 lakh per month. Currently, there are approximately 3,299 chef job vacancies across the country.
Who are the top role models in this field?
The most notable personalities in this field are Mr. Sanjeev Kapoor, Mr Vikas Khanna, Mr Gaggan Anand, Mr Manish Mehrotra and Mr Ranveer Brar. Remarkable chefs across the world include Mr. Gordon Ramsay, Mr. Massimo Bottura, Mr. Thomas Keller and Mr. Yotam Ottolenghi. These chefs have gone on to publish wonderful cookbooks and change the way the world views modern gastronomy.
The uniqueness of this field lies in the combination of creativity with practicality. Unlike some rigid professions, chefs have the freedom to experiment and present dishes in innovative ways. They can evoke powerful emotions and memories through their food, creating a meaningful impact on their customers. Additionally, chefs serve as ambassadors of global influence and cultural representation. However, it also presents challenges such as poor work-life balance, long working hours, risk of burnout, and economic fluctuations. To sum it all up, if you are passionate about succeeding, working on the challenges and the diverse aspects of the role can make it both rewarding and fulfilling.
