This might be one of the most honest posts I’ve ever written and also the most difficult. Many people ask me what culinary school was like and I always hesitate because I hate sounding negative. I don’t want to burst any bubbles. Food is IN right now and culinary school sounds mysterious and exciting. I’m living the dream, right? Â Before you envy me, I have some opinions about school that I think you should know. I’m going to tell it to you straight. If you currently work in the food industry, this post might be offensive and for that I’m sorry. Everyone has a perspective and this is mine.
I had great hesitations while writing this. What will my chefs think? Will I sound like I’m whining? All of my frustrations, resentments, and fears rose to the surface. But then again, so did my feelings of pride and accomplishment. Culinary school was the most brutal experience of my life but I gained so much. Not only did I learn to create beautiful food but I gained confidence. To gain that confidence I had to be ripped from my comfort zone and torn to shreds, only to be built up again. Not unlike boot camp.
A Typical Day
Here is a typical day at school: I’d arrive at 6:15am, get changed into my chef’s outfit, help the sous chef with mise en place and then be seated in class by 7am. For two hours we’d take notes as the chefs prepared 3 courses: an appetizer, an entree and a dessert. At the end of the lecture we’d gather around the front, sample the food and head into the kitchen. There were never enough tools to go around so the next 20 minutes would be a war zone; a battle for towels without holes and saute pans that weren’t warped. If we weren’t watching our stations closely, ingredients and equipment would magically vanish. There often weren’t enough burners and we had to watch carefully to make sure the heat wasn’t accidentally turned up or down (or the pan “accidentally” moved to a different burner in the back). For two and a half hours we would rush rush rush to prepare the food we had tasted while the chefs yelled at us to move faster. At 11:30am our station had to be spotless and the food had to be perfectly plated. After our food was approved we would spend the next few minutes eating our three course meal (unless we had to fix one of our dishes) but there was no time to savor anything because that kitchen had to be absolutely spotless by the time we returned for our afternoon lecture at 12:30. Burners soaked and scrubbed, floor swept and mopped, all dishes cleaned, ingredients put away. Our afternoon lecture finished at 2:30pm and that was it. But not really because evenings were spent reading textbooks, typing up recipes and practicing knife skills.
I’m not going to lie. It was completely exhausting and I was a wreck half of the time I was there; one giant bundle of caffeinated nerves. I’ve had anxiety issues though the years and this put my nerves to the test (shout out to my good friend Xanax). I cracked under the pressure on more than one occasion but usually kept it to myself. And then one day in the final weeks I had a complete meltdown. It was mortifying. There’s no crying in the kitchen? I wasn’t crying in the kitchen; I was sobbing in the kitchen. Did that make me weak? In the eyes of my classmates and chef instructors, yes. In my own eyes, no. It made me human.
The List
Do you want to know what culinary school is like? Here we go. This is a list, because I’m into lists lately.
- Culinary school is not some mecca of foodies. It’s mainly full of students who are just out of high school or in their early 20s. They may or may not have a passion for food. The sole purpose of culinary school is to teach students how to work the line in a restaurant. There’s not at lot of in-depth discussion about ingredients or food history.
- Culinary schools are for-profit institutions and they want your money. When you meet the director of admissions, he or she will tell you that you’re a perfect fit for the school. What you need to know: You’ll be paying a large sum of money ($30,000-$100,000) and you’ll most likely have to take out a student loan. Keep in mind that health insurance is not included. When it comes time to pay back your loan you will be working for just above minimum wage in a field that offers little advancement. You will be paying off that loan for a very long time.
- 90% of what you learn to cook will be French cuisine. The French have excellent techniques but don’t expect a lot of variety in the classroom.
- You will be eating a three-course fine dining meal for lunch every single day. It sounds delicious, right? It is. All the butter and cream you could ever want in your life. Paula Deen has nothing on French chefs. But it gets rather… heavy after awhile. And so do you.
- You will not get to work with every ingredient. Students work in teams and not everyone gets to prepare every dish. I never touched lobster, I only filleted one salmon. No one prepared pork belly because it was never offered to us.
- You need to move fast all the time. Cooks who work the line are supposed to move with a sense of urgency. There’s no leaning on counters, chatting, or sitting. If you have nothing to do you’re supposed to be cleaning. There’s no rest at culinary school. It’s a completely different experience than cooking at home.
- Only smokers get to take breaks. I’m not exaggerating. I actually started smoking again at school because it was the only chance I had to relax in a very tense environment (don’t worry, I quit the second I left the building). The same is true at a restaurant. If you go outside for a cigarette, it’s fine. If you go outside for a fresh air break, you’re in trouble.
- There’s no time for injuries. If you cut or burn yourself, you keep going just as you would in a professional kitchen. In the first week of school I sustained a 2nd degree burn on my hand from hot stock. Within 20 minutes I was making pie dough with the other hand.
- Ladies, say goodbye to your femininity. The outfits are incredibly baggy and unflattering, your hair will be in a bun, your nails will be short and polish-free, and no makeup or jewelry is allowed (with the exception of a plain wedding band).
- Vegetarians are not tolerated. If you’re a vegetarian, don’t bother with culinary school. You’ll be laughed out the door. Many chefs are actually offended by vegetarians and vegans. Don’t expect a lot of sympathy if you have a food allergy, either. I intentionally did my externship at a vegetarian restaurant because I wanted to learn healthier techniques. Judging by the reaction I got you would have thought I’d told my classmates I was going to work with cannibals.
- “Health food” is a dirty word. We spent exactly one day dedicated to healthy food at school. Actually, it wasn’t even a day. It was an afternoon “Spa” challenge where we had to create a dish with calorie restrictions. You don’t go to culinary school to learn about healthy cuisine. There are, however, specialty schools such as The Natural Gourmet Institute. I know nothing about these schools but maybe they’re more open minded? Â I hope so.
- Culinary school is often a competition between classmates. There is very little camaraderie. Students typically work in groups and if one person goes down, the whole ship can go down. Everyone makes mistakes while training and resentment builds quickly.
- Chef’s way is the only way. Do you like grilled asparagus? If Chef does not like grilled asparagus, it’s bad. End of story. Do you have a particular way you like to cook hard boiled eggs? It doesn’t matter if it works, it’s wrong. That’s how a home cook prepares eggs.
- You never talk back. If you have a question when something doesn’t make sense or say anything other than “YES CHEF!” expect to be yelled at and/or ridiculed. I witnessed countless contradictions between lectures and never received clarity. Why is something done a particular way? Because that’s how it’s done.
- Work will become your social life. Almost all culinary schools require a restaurant externship regardless of whether you plan to work in the field after graduation. Mine was 6 months and I worked the line for over a year in total. Make no mistake, you’re training to work in a field that mostly consists of evening, weekend and holiday shifts.
On The Plus Side…
Ok. Â That was a whole lot of negativity, so I’m going to counter with some positives:
- You will learn how to make incredible food. You’ll be preparing breath-taking dishes you once thought were entirely too complicated. That is a wonderful adrenaline rush.
- You’ll have unexpected experiences. I got to visit The White House and listen to Michelle Obama speak. I got to meet numerous celebrities in the food world including Marcus Samuelsson, Tom Colicchio, Shirley O’Corriher, Jose Andres, Cat Cora, Carla Hall and many others. I spent an entire day assisting Graham Elliott and Elizabeth Faulkner at a charity event.
- Not all chefs are crazy. For every Gordon Ramsey there is a Jacques Pepin. Our time at school was divided into Phase I and II. Phase I consisted of three passionate, wonderful chefs who wanted us to succeed and were willing to be mentors. They laughed with us while pushing us to work harder and be the best we could be. Phase II was full of anger, shouting, and little to no mentoring. What were they so angry about? Was it because they were treated poorly and turnabout is fair play? I’ll never know. I wish I could have ended the experience with Phase I. Maybe the positive memories would seem like more than a faded dream.
Would I do it all again?
That’s a really tough question. Reading through my list you’d think the obvious answer would be no. However, I’m not sure I’d be where I am today had I not gone back to school. At the end of the day, I learned a tremendous amount of technique. My L’Academie degree has given me a certain amount of street credibility that has definitely provided job opportunities. But I’ve also been incredibly lucky and it might not have turned out so well.  There were many nights when I feared my only options would be working the line or returning to a dreaded desk job. Was it worth a year of misery to be as happy as I am now? Yes. Were there other ways I could have achieved the same goals? Probably. Can I honestly recommend culinary school to you? No. Does that mean you shouldn’t go? Of course not. Only you know whether it’s the right decision for you.
If you’re thinking about attending culinary school, go work for free (“stage”) at a restaurant on evenings and weekends. Many places will gladly take you on. You might be chopping 50 pounds of onions or unloading giant bags of flour. You might be peeling shrimp for 5 hours. But you’ll get a feel for the restaurant environment and you’ll be better informed about what you’re getting into. If you cringed when I mentioned evenings and weekends, you need to seriously reconsider your desire to go to school.
My final thoughts.
I realize this is all a bit harsh and I won’t be surprised if some commenters chime in with better experiences or even accuse me of having an attitude problem. All I can say is that this was my experience at one school. I can’t speak for your school. And truthfully, I do have a bit of an attitude. My passion is for food and not for the industry. Some people have a passion for working the line; they love the chaos, the heat, and the hours. And that’s awesome. I want to relax in the front of the restaurant while they cook me fabulous meals. I’m not wrong and neither are they. We just have different perspectives. I wasn’t built for the line. So what? I love taking my time in the kitchen and never want to rush the experience ever again. I want to savor these skills I’ve learned and thank my lucky stars because school is a thing of the past and life is wonderful.
Christina @ Be Mindful. Be Human. says
WOW! Thank you so much for the honest break down of that culinary school is like. I was considering if I should bit the bullet and go but now I am reconsidering. I am glad you had some positive experiences from going.
fabiola@notjustbaked says
I love this. It is honest and yes, it is so different from my experience in school. But like you said, it was your experience at your school. Everyone will have their story, and they are all real, to them. But one thing we all have in common is food. I am not made for a line either. I didn’t go to school to work at a restaurant, people think I am crazy. I have learned so much, and my confidence sky rocketed. The values we each learn from different experiences are our own, no one can tell us what to get from a situation. I admire your honesty and love that you shared this with us. Thanks.
sally @ sallys baking addiction says
I love this post jen. So honest! So much respect for you. I’m not sure I could handle all that pressure. While I love to cook and bake, I don’t think I’d be able to do it. I hate competing with others and quite frankly, I don’t eat all that much french food! I’d also miss a social life and the healthy foods I love. Thanks for posting this Jen – all such useful information and opinions.
Leah W. says
Thank you so much for sharing this. I was watching The Great Food Truck Race last week and they showed a shot of culinary school students prepping food in the kitchen – you could just tell by the look on their faces that they were tired and miserable.
I feel a lot of “glamorous” or “fun”-sounding careers actually have a dark underside that few people know about. I studied broadcasting in college, and I had a professor who nearly made me change my major because all he lectured us about was how broadcasters NEVER get a day off (especially on holidays – you can’t exactly tape the newscast and air it later), you have to be at the station at 2:00 a.m. to prep for the morning show at 5:00, and if a tornado/hurricane is rolling in and the town is evacuating, you get into the news van and drive right into the storm, risking your life so your viewers can be informed.
I think it’s really noble of you to be so honest, and I think anyone going to culinary school needs to know this before they even sign up. It will save them a lot of stress and debt in the future. Besides, there are many ways someone can express their love for cooking – there’s nothing wrong with self-training, cooking for your family, or becoming a food blogger like yourself.
Fantastic post!
Savory Simple says
Thank you so much for the kind words, Leah! I’ve always thought broadcasters must have a rough job. Especially when they’re on the news saying to get home immediately or expect to be stranded in a blizzard and I think “but what about you???”
Leah W. says
You’re welcome :) I’ve never had to travel to a storm site, but when I was working at my college radio station there was a tornado warning in our area and we had to stay on the air! Our advisor told us we had to give weather updates every five minutes, but if the tornado came within five miles of our building, we could shut down. Looking back on it, it was kind of exciting in a dangerous way :P
Maggie @ A Bitchin' Kitchen says
I love this post. It’s always been a dream of mine to go to culinary school, but it just hasn’t been financially feasible. I think I must be some kind of masochist because it is still something I would do in a heartbeat if I could afford it, despite everything you just wrote!
Thanks for sharing your experiences – it was incredibly interesting to hear the non-glamorous side!
Savory Simple says
You’re not a masochist :) I pretty much knew all of this before I signed up, it just didn’t hit me until I was there. Trust me, it will hit you. But no one could have talked me out of it before I went.
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
What a great, honest post! I’ve always wondered what it was actually like to bein culinary school. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us.
Crista says
My sister-in-law is considering Pastry School. Do you think she will have the same type of experience? Do you know anything about Pastry School?
Savory Simple says
The pastry class always looked a lot more relaxed!
Laura Dembowski says
I have always been fascinated by culinary school but didn’t know that much about it. This is one of the most interesting blog posts I’ve ever read. I don’t think I would’ve wanted to go to culinary school before reading this, as I’ve never enjoyed any kind of school, but I am now certain it would simply crush me. Thank you for writing such an honest post.
atoastandtea says
I enjoyed reading this post. I’ve never thought of enrolling in culinary school, but I was in grad school hoping to become a college professor, another career with crazy hours/work loads, crappy pay, and insane competition to find a decent job (despite the occasional media coverage suggesting professors work 15 hour weeks and are lousing about the rest of the time – could not be further from the truth). It certainly wasn’t physically exhausting in the way you describe (which sounds horrible!), but I did know of professors who advised grad students to break up with significant others and give up their hobbies so they could devote all of their time to their research. I decided I wasn’t enough of a masochist to keep pursuing this career once I fully understood what it was like, so I left with a masters degree. Now I cook for relaxation, and, after reading Kitchen Confidential recently, I know that my next career will definitely not be in the food industry! I admire your honest post – it seems that the careers people go into because they are passionate about them can often be the most abusive, because you’re expected to put up with a lot of crap if you truly love doing something. I think it’s always better to be as informed as you can before getting into something like this, even if the information doesn’t stop you from doing it – so you’re doing a service to readers who might be thinking of getting into culinary school themselves. Anyway, this is a long comment, but your post struck a real nerve :). I look forward to more recipes!
Savory Simple says
Thank you for a lovely comment :)
Colleen Mitchell says
I am in culinary school right now and it is absolutley nothing like you describe! I think your school of choice makes a big difference. I am not saying it isnt hard (especially since I am only a few weeks away from turning 50 in a school full of 20 somethings) but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. 9 weeks to graduation and I have the highest grade in the class – a 4.0! Hows that for an old lady! lol! :)
Savory Simple says
I’m glad to hear you’re having a positive experience!
Linda says
I stumbled across your post from a friend’s tweet. I love the honesty and as a professional in the food industry, I found myself nodding to your points. I was a “mature” student at culinary school so I had more drive than the kids around me. I am glad I went to culinary school, but I know it’s not for everyone. I feel like culinary school is designed to weed out those who have romantic notions about the food industry or being a chef. Real life in the food industry is a lot like school, right down to the “my way or the highway” attitude. Actually, real life is generally harder than school – but if one can’t hack four hours of gogogogogo then that is a good sign that the food industry is not the career path to be on! Of course, I only stayed for 6 months of school, then ditched and started my career: I picked up the essentials, the rest was learned on the job.
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says
What an honest post. You really opened my eyes about culinary school and I realized that I just don’t think it’s for me. I like taking my sweet sweet time in the kitchen and when I have battle wounds in the kitchen, I become such a baby about it! I just don’t think I could ever handle all that pressure.
Robert says
Thank you for sharing your experiences and thoughts. To me it sounds like the culinary school prepares you to the worst possible scenarios in kitchens. I spent some weeks (out of curiosity) in several restaurant kitchens – all your points did appear in some of those establishments, but fortunately not all of them at once. Fighting for kitchen equipment (e.g. a silicon mat without holes or a still intact sieve) and having your meal in a rush (usually standing, because you never sit in a kitchen) is something I’ve experienced in all restaurant kitchens up to now. Though the meals didn’t got on my hips since on those long working days with a busy dinner service I had only time for one single meal.
Fortunately, there are open minded chefs who do accept and are curious about other ways of preparing the same food or dish. After leaving school, it’s crucial to find some chef from this open-minded category. Or at least something different, like you did with your internship at a vegetarian restaurant. On the plus side I’d add another point, which is more related to the internships than the culinary school itself: It was absolutely exciting seeing food you helped to prep or cook go out to paying customers (and empty plates coming back ;) ). I also loved to seek out the feedback of my fellow line cooks, who actually plated my salad, used my brunoise bell pepper or cooked my ravioli – this feedback loop helped me to improve in a very short time. And of course another plus: beer never tastes as great as after a long day with a busy dinner service ;)
yummychunklet says
What great insights! I saw a movie once where a guy was a line chef and all he kept saying was, “Yes, Chef!” after anything she said. I thought it odd.
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes says
I loved this post – i’m sure it helped a lot of people regarding culinary school! It sounds like a very tough thing to get through – I give people a lot of credit who went through it.
p.s. I’m very into lists, too :)