How Can My Child Become a Chef?
13 August 2023
If your child dreams of becoming a chef, you might be wondering how best to support them. While there are many job opportunities in the hospitality and catering industry, it takes years of hard work, dedication, and passion to become a chef.
Foster their love of cooking at home
The best place to start your child's journey to a culinary career is your very own kitchen. Allow them to help with meal preparation, teach them techniques, and encourage them to try new things (with supervision). Get hold of a range of recipe books - this doesn't have to be expensive - check out charity shops and your local library. If you can, take them to restaurants that showcase different cuisines from around the world. They can also get inspiration from culinary TV shows, including British Bake Off and Masterchef, which have junior versions. You can also find cooking tutorials on YouTube.
Encourage them to join a cooking club
Like any interest, meeting like-minded peers can be an inspirational and educational experience for an aspiring chef. There are various cooking classes and courses, both one-off workshops and longer term programmes which your child can take part in. This will give them a chance to make new friends who have similar goals, while trying new styles and techniques and learning from professionals. Their school may offer extracurricular cooking activities, or a local business or community centre may run sessions. There are “bake off” competitions, inspired by the TV show, which provide important experience of working under pressure to create a dish.
Talk to chefs
One of the best ways to learn about any career is to talk to people already in the field. If you know any chefs, whether they work in a restaurant or catering business, ask them about their career and what it takes to be successful in the culinary world. They will be able to give you and your child insights that you would not be able to get anywhere else. Reading books about famous chefs will also give your child a better understanding of what it takes to make it in the culinary world.
Help them research culinary schools
If your child is serious about becoming a chef, they'll likely need to attend culinary school. While there are many great schools out there, not all of them are created equal. That's why you should help your child to research different schools to find the one that best suits their needs and interests. Make sure you take the time to look into each school's curriculum, faculty, and facilities, and visit on open days if possible.
Apprenticeships
An important part of becoming a chef is completing apprenticeships at various restaurants and hotels. These apprenticeships will not only give your child valuable experience in the kitchen, but they'll also allow them to network with other chefs and industry professionals. Have a look at what options there are and help your child figure out what kind of restaurant they’d most like to train in.
Becoming a chef takes years of hard work and dedication. However, if your child is interested in pursuing this career, there are things you can do to help them get started on the right path.