How To Become A Chef – A Complete Guide

Hospitality is the generous reception of people who enjoy leisure and entertainment simultaneously. India is known as a hospitable country, and people have been welcoming guests with open arms. Apart from leisure trips, the industry has seen growth and revenue from business trips.

People are increasingly going on vacations, weekend getaways, and social gatherings.  India’s hospitable sector includes transportation, food, parks, etc.  However, the food industry has seen major growth after the end of COVID-19. So, how to become a chef?

It is a widely known fact that hospitality services like restaurants and hotels are a catalyst for socio-economic growth. The statistics for 2017 and 2018 showcase that occupancy rates in hotels increased by approximately 65 per cent. Thus, with an increase in travelling, the demand for good hotels and great chefs is also growing. If he is thinking of pursuing a degree as a chef, then now is the time.

Who Is a Chef, and What Skills Are Required?

One must be thinking about how to become a chef. A chef is a person who does not just cook and prepare food but supervises other staff in the kitchen. To become a successful chef, he needs more than raw talent and a couple of hours in the kitchen. It requires apprenticeship training and experience to reach the art of perfection. However, proper qualifications and skills would help him lead a stepping stone in his career.

There are various courses for a chef in India that one could take to pursue a career in the food industry. However, with the qualification, one would need the right set of skills. Let us check out the skills required to become a chef:

• Organisation: It is the ability to handle multiple responsibilities and duties. If one is a chef at a big hotel, then one needs to take care of maintaining equipment and inventory with food. Organisation skills help one in doing various things in a short time.
• Ability to Multitask: In a professional kitchen, chefs should be able to multitask. That means they should know the art of handling responsibility inside the kitchen and managing customers simultaneously.
• Knowledge plus Flexibility: Knowing about the culinary is integral to chef qualification. They should know about spice balance, elegant platters, knife skills, and ingredient judgement. Also, they should be flexible in working at any hour of the day as big kitchens run for a long time.

Types Of Chefs In India

Chefs are responsible for the back-of-the-house operation. They are culinary geniuses as they are responsible for the restaurant’s menu. During their training, a person learns to organise and manage different tasks. While understanding how to become a chef in India, one should know about the different types of chefs in India:

1. Executive Chef

Executive chefs run the kitchen single-handedly and hold command of the kitchen. They are also called the head chef and assist the owner in designing the menu. The salary of a head chef ranges between rupees 2 lac to 20 lac. Moreover, they are responsible for deciding on kitchen equipment and managing kitchen expenses.

2. Sous Chef

The Sous chef works directly under the command of the head chef. They are in charge of various kitchen branches and instruct cooks. They sometimes fill in for the head chefs. In a restaurant, there could be more than one sous chef. The pay scale of a sous chef varies from rupees 1.76 lac to 10 lac.

3. Pastry Chef

Pastry chefs are professionals responsible for baking various kinds of bread, desserts, and pastries. In a restaurant, the role of the pastry chef includes designing the dessert menu and deciding the price of each dessert. The pay scale of a pastry chef ranges between INR 7k per month to 26k per month.

4. Sauce Chef

The sauce in any dish adds the perfect balance. They make sure to create a sauce that gives flavour to the dish. It includes salad dressing, gravy, stews, pasta sauce, and soups. One needs special ingredients to prepare the right sauce for the dish. The salary of a sauce chef ranges from an average of 4 lac.

5. Roast Chef

The roast chef prepares meats and vegetables in the oven. They are responsible for giving marination directions to the cooks. The roast chef should have proper knowledge of wholesome meat and seafood to avail best products and prices. The pay scale of a roast chef varies between 2.4 lac and 30 lac rupees.

6. Pantry Chef

The pantry chefs need to excel in inventory management strategies to monitor the inventory. They are responsible for seeing the refrigerator supplies. The pantry chef is also known as the garden manager and is responsible for cold dishes and appetizers. The pay scale is an average of 2.19 lac rupees.

Courses Required To Become a Chef

How to become a chef? What courses are required to become one? It is one of the most exciting professions in the world. They enjoy great prestige and status, and the demand for its courses has increased. We have listed a few courses that one can pursue:

Bachelor of Hotel Management (BHM) in Culinary

If one is wondering how to become a chef, one could pursue a bachelor of hotel management degree. This a three-year undergraduate program. The program covers various topics related to culinary arts and hotel management. The program helps build culinary experience, competencies, business skills, and leadership.

BSc in Hospitality and Hotel Management

One of the popular chef qualifications is BSc in hospitality and hotel management. The course is a three-year full-time undergraduate. It gives extensive knowledge in food and beverage services, nutrition, human resources etc. Candidates who have a great interest in food preparation to front office operations could apply for the course.

BSc in Catering Science and Hotel Management

If one is thinking about how to become a chef, then this is the right course. It is an undergraduate management course covering all catering business segments. The candidates get extensive knowledge about marketing, housekeeping, food and beverage management, hotel administration, etc. It takes three years to complete the course, and candidates can apply after their 10+2.

Certification in Food Production and Patisserie

Certification in food production and patisserie could be beneficial if one is training to be a chef. The program consists of two semesters with 17 weeks of classes and 20 weeks of training each semester. The course includes practical and theoretical subjects. It is a short-term program that takes around one and a half years to complete.

PG Diploma in Culinary Arts

After pursuing a career in one sector and now wondering how to become a chef, the PG diploma in culinary arts is designed for holders who wish to re-align with the culinary sector. It trains the candidate in food preparation and cooking. The full-time postgraduate course prepares candidates for a career as a chef.

BA in Culinary Arts

Getting a degree in BA in culinary arts might be the answer to how to become a chef. It is a three-year course that studies culinary in kitchen arts. The course helps students to study culinary arts practice. It also helps candidates to use the modern trend application in food services.

How to Become a Chef In India?

There are multiple steps and courses to be followed to learn how to become a chef. However, choosing a career in this field is one of the most exciting and liberating professions. It gives individuals the opportunity to explore their creativity and skills. Besides cooking and preparing food, the chefs are responsible for maintaining vendor relationships and other responsibilities.

Eligibility

Even though pursuing a career as a chef does not require a formal degree, enrolling in culinary art school would give you the foundation of knowledge to begin cooking for customers. To obtain a degree in hotel management or culinary arts, students must get a 10+2 pass.

After clearing the 12th exam, students are eligible for degree programs like BA in culinary arts, bachelor of catering technology and culinary arts, and bachelor in hotel management. Very few colleges provide certificates and certifications to students who have just cleared the 10th standard. The key points to remember for how to become a chef are:

• Complete the 10+2 school education or the equivalent course.
• Get a diploma in the chef management program.
• Also, one could get graduation in hotel management and catering technology
• Get the on-job training under a head chef
• Get a career in the food industry in the international hotel or public and private sector.

Entrance Exam

Are you wondering how to become a chef? You must qualify for the entrance exam and get a three-year management diploma for it. At the same time, those who have completed their graduation in cuisine technology and hotel management can work as a chef. They can pursue the course from a recognised hotel management institute and start a career in top restaurants.

To get into a hotel management institute, one has to clear the NCHMCT JEE entrance exam. NTA conducts this popular exam to give students admission to various undergraduate and postgraduate level hotel management courses. All the courses are affiliated with the National Council and Hotel Management and Catering Technology. The test gives one admission to different IHMs, state government and PSU-connected institutions.

Admission

The admission process for becoming a chef in India is an online procedure requiring the candidate to pass the entrance exam. After clearing the entrance exam, the candidates need to:

• Open the website of the interested colleges
• Fill out the admission form
• Now attach the documents required
• Pay the necessary amount and submit

After submitting the form, one has to wait for the results, go for the GD-PI round, and wait for the results. Every university has its acceptance rate for the culinary arts. However, one must clear the entrance exam to get admission to the desired college.

Conclusion

The chef is a trained professional, helps plan the menu, and looks after kitchen appliances and other related activities. If one is wondering how to become a chef, clearing out the admission exam and getting admission to the right college might be the first step.

Evaluate numerous career choices to choose the right career path for yourself. Dive in to our guide on Career Options.

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