1. Culinary Artisan
A chef is a highly trained and skilled professional cook. They are proficient in all aspects of food preparation, usually specialising in a particular cuisine. A chef can receive formal training from an institute as well as an apprenticeship.
There are different directions you can decide to go in should you choose this artisan journey. Each direction deals with a different area of food preparation, whether you want to study specifically Italian food or you want to be a pastry chef, all of these options can be achieved through an apprenticeship.
What qualifications you need
When it comes to having a qualification, completing a professional chef’s training course will not only raise your credibility amongst suppliers and potential customers and any other professionals you work with, but any recipes you learn in your coursework can be applied in your business.
You’ll need a specific set of skills if you wish to make your professional cooking career a success, and opting for the right course up front may make that positive difference on your path to success.
Training institutions
The National Youth Chefs Training Programme has partnered with the National Department of Tourism and the South African Chefs Association (SACA) to address the rising demand for cooks and chefs. This programme is part of an initiative to fund skills development projects and create employment.
All students who enrol in the programme at a first year level will complete a City & Guilds Certificate in Food Preparation and Cooking (Culinary Arts). In second year, on successfully completing the course, students can enrol to complete a City & Guilds Diploma in Food Preparation and Cooking.
The students that make it into the third year will complete an Advanced Diploma in Food Preparation and Cooking and will learn leadership and management skills, as well as menu and recipe development along with a higher level of specialised cooking skills.
Companies that offer culinary artisan apprenticeship
The Hilton Hotel and Resorts are offering a chef apprenticeship, which will assist you in learning preparation, cooking, and presentation of food, to deliver excellent customer experience.
Trade Associations you should belong to
The trade association for chefs is the South African Chefs Association SACA; this association connects local chefs, trainees, hospitality industry players and investors together with global information.
The Centre for Culinary Excellence (CCE) is a part of the SACA and came about because of the shortage of skills within the hospitality industry. The CCE offers short courses of either, one, five or 10 days to allow for interested individuals to enhance their skills in manageable periods of time.
The SACA is home to one of the greatest collections of resources in the South African culinary and hospitality industry. This definitive reference source offers its members an all-access pass to a vast collection of books, magazines, videos, multimedia and menus, as well as invitations to attend their annual Infochef conference, and other educational workshops run throughout the year.
Experience Needed
After you’ve achieved your qualification you will most likely start out as a line chef, but with time and experience you can progress to more advanced specialised positions including sous chefs, chefs de cuisine and executive chefs.
An education is not strictly required to become a chef, because you can work your way up from dishwasher. However, many successful chefs combine both an education an experience to advance their skills and their careers.