Culinary Arts & Management

What Is Culinary Arts & Management?

The Culinary Arts/Management field is about the preparation, cooking, and presentation of food and the management of the whole process.  The “art” is in creating edible dishes that are both pleasing to the eye while also being pleasing to the taste buds.  And the “science” of the field is to store and prepare foods so that they are safe to eat and are combined in ways to bring out the best in each ingredient.  Many of the artists specialize in different skills, like making food from a particular geographical region or making things like pastries. Professionals in the field, like a chef, may be involved in planning menus, creating recipes, and preparing food, while other employees will have different scopes of duties.  A restaurant manager will be involved more in the business aspects of the operation, advertising, planning work schedules, hiring and firing, ordering, etc.  And of course, there are many non-professional employees who are needed, like servers, bartenders, food preparers, bus people, and dish washers.

In addition to having a real passion for food and maybe some cooking skills from life experience, most people in the culinary arts have training in both the art and science of the field, usually from some kind of culinary or cooking school.  You can get started with a certificate program, but most people choose at least an associate’s degree to gain a solid background and to have more opportunities for advancement.  Chefs often have even more training and sometimes have studied with Chefs in prestigious restaurants.  If you have the passion for food, a desire to get into a growing field with lots of opportunities, and a willingness to start at the bottom and work your way up, then check out Culinary Arts.  Some typical professional jobs are Executive Chef, Sous Chef, Line Cook, Special Events Culinary Director, Pastry Chef, Kitchen Manager, Pub Cook, and Culinary Specialist.