Culinary School vs.The School of Hard Knocks

When I looked into going to a culinary school I encountered two distinctly different "opinions" from Chefs I had worked with in the past. One set said "you can't learn anything in culinary school that you have not learned already, hey just look at me I didn't go to school!" The other set said "A culinary degree shows you are looking at the culinary profession as a career instead of just a job... I value my education and the opportunities it brought me as well as respect others that have done the same."

What I found out based on my experience.... it's a combination of both!

Yes, you can go to a top culinary school, be an apprentice, and learn great culinary skills and yet somehow still come out a complete moron in the kitchen! Trust me I have seen that so many times , it's just sad. Is it the culinary schools fault or the student?? In some cases it is the school however most times it's the graduate.

Of the chefs I met over the years it is approximately a 70/30 (positive~ negative split) on those that went to culinary school & feel it has helped them and even then, as I later found out, it also mattered where they went to school!

Of the chefs that did not attend school I sometimes found they had a chip on there shoulder about culinary grads as they see them as "spoiled brats that think they know everything!" Not always the case, but a stereotype none the less, unfortunately and that perception is our reality.

In my extensive research on culinary schools I decided to go straight to the top not wasting any time with "art schools" and after 6 weeks of research toured the top 3 schools in America mainly because after cooking for 10 years I did not want to play around! These are the schools I went to....NOT in order just in order of my visit to them: (CIA) Culinary Institute of America,Hyde Park NY, (JWU) Johnson & Wales University,Providence RI & (NECI) The New England Culinary Institute,Montpelier VT.

I chose NECI because they actually make you cook from day ONE with no "demo kitchens" & therefore no excuses. The Student /Chef ratio at that time was 8-1 and fit me and my A.D.H.D. like a glove! What I did not expect however was how much I DID NOT KNOW which was just about everything I thought I knew!
I was wrong with even basic knife cuts,stocks,sauces and even soups! That first year I dreaded going to class only to be told that way "I had cooked it" for years was wrong and here is "the right way" now throw that shit away...oh I laugh now........not so much back then!

I eventually came around however and credit that entirely to the chef instructors as most had industry experience. They where very patient with adult students and they took my frustration in stride and stayed on me until I finally got rid of my old school habits and finally learned the classic way of cooking in a professional kitchen.

The one thing culinary school did not need to each me was speed! I was always fast on the line, no matter where I had cooked , as well as being a fast learner I understood the basic workings of a kitchen line so that gave me an advantage as well. In the industry I was usually the only "gringo" in the kitchen and I always felt I had to prove myself with all these guys who, most of Latin decent, thought I was just slumming until I found a better job! One thing I had that they respected was my background as a U.S. Marine but that's for another story!

Upon my completion of culinary school I set out to concur the culinary world....well....not really.
I took a sous chef position right away and started this trek eventually leading me to starting my own restaurant. What I have found is the "stigma" of going to Culinary School vs.The School of Hard Knocks was ,and still is, everywhere ! Do I favor either school of thought? No & no! School showed me the basics I was missing in the industry and the hard knocks taught me to appreciate the hard daily life of a chef. If I was to truly succeed I needed to learn the "right way" and never to accept second rate cooking nor ingredients & NECI instilled that in just as the Marines prepared me with the tools I needed to be the best! Yes, I take culinary much more serious than I did before as this is not just my passion but my career!

I see a benefit of doing BOTH! Just choose the Right school if you have experience! If no experience get you're butt in a real kitchen BEFORE going to a school and see if it's for you.

If you are still considering a culinary school you must realize that the name of the school does matter when you apply for a position in a professional restaurant. Based on my personal experience a culinary degree from the CIA,NECI & JWU, combined with experience, is much more appealing to a Chef.

I have found CIA & JWU grads are very good with large "hotel & multi-unit operations" and NECI specializes in the smaller scale operations however all of these grads have literally cooked there ass off to get to where they are and provide the foundation for success needed in today's kitchens that are first and foremost a business.

In conclusion I believe both culinary schools as well as real world experience is what separates myself from others and highly recommend anyone going into the culinary industry to experience both.

What do you think? Agree or disagree?