Looking to unleash your inner masterchef? Here are some of the most renowned cookery schools across the globe…
You’ve got the right equipment, including a draw-full of razor-sharp knives, quality Masterchef pans with fancy non-stick surfaces, and a suitably capacious fridge-freezer. But to produce magic in the kitchen, you’ll need the right training. And that is where renowned cookery schools come in.
A culinary school is a highly specialised educational establishment, whose focus lies in training the Michelin-star chefs of tomorrow. Within the catering industry, there’s a distinct emphasis on practical skills, and consequently a formal education isn’t a requirement to having a stellar career in the kitchen. But at the same time, building a solid foundation in a whole range of essential skills isn’t going to do your prospects any harm – and it might introduce you to entirely new worlds of gastronomy, just waiting to be explored.
So, where might you go to get that culinary education? Several schools stand apart as especially prestigious.
Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, USA
Auguste Escoffier revolutionised French cuisine in the late 19th century, and refined the ‘mother sauces’ (namely béchamel, espagnole, tomato, velouté and hollandaise) into the state we know today. There are two campuses of the school that bears his name: one in Colorado, the other in Texas.
Culinary Arts Academy, Switzerland
Similarly, this Swiss institution has campuses in Lucerne and Le Bouveret. The syllabus here focusses on practical skills that will create commercially successful chefs: which means not just how to wield a knife, but how to write a business plan for a restaurant. From 2020, the academy is even offering a diploma in vegetarian culinary arts – which might make it appeal to those who are considering a career in plant-based cuisine.
Westminster Kingsway College, UK
This London-based culinary school has four campuses: in King’s Cross, Victoria, Soho and Regent’s Park. There’s an enormous range of programs available for chefs of every level, including degree-level courses for aspirant head-chefs.
Apicius, Italy
You’ll find this Italian school in Florence. It’s traditionally structured, with information being delivered via a combination of lectures and workshops. There are courses in patisserie, consumer science, wine, nutrition, and just about everything else – meaning that you’ll benefit from a broad range of knowledge. Apicius is part of the University of the Arts, in Florence; it offers two four-year bachelor’s degrees, namely Hospitality Management and Food and Wine Studies.
Le Cordon Bleu, Paris, France
Le Cordon Bleu is unlike many of the other cookery schools on this roundup, in that it has forty campuses spread across the globe, including in the UK. The school is possibly the most prestigious in the world; graduates can be confident that they’ll impress with this name on their CV. If you’re looking to experience the full package, then you might consider Le Grand Diplôme – a qualification that encompasses both the Diplôme de Pâtisserie and Diplôme de Cuisine. Having completed it, you’ll be able to whip up a nine-course tasting menu without much trouble.
