Culinary Art is not just about cooking food and becoming a chef. Today, the field offers plenty of options making this a good alternative for those wanting to join the industry, says Chef Reetu Uday Kugaji
Culinary art has grown a long way from merely cooking food and becoming a chef. It is no longer a monotonous routine of sending your resume for the post of a chef, rather one may definitely consider doing a lot more than just cooking.
Those who choose to study the culinary arts will be prepared to enter a successful and rewarding career due to their advanced knowledge of both the practical and business traits of the field. One can now even be a food stylist, who gives a total makeover to the prepared dish. What a beautician is to a lady, a food stylist is to food. They give our plate a beautifying effect so that we relish food through our eyes before we actually taste it. A food stylist does this by absolute mind-boggling food presentations and plating. Colour, contrast and appearance of the food can do wonders for the plate, giving it just what it needs to attract a foodie.
Food stylists can apply for jobs in food magazines, cookery shows, food photography and of course, not to forget, the movies that are based on culinary themes. One may work as a consultant food stylist for such projects. The best example of a food stylist is chef Michael Swamy who is also a travel photographer and a writer based in Mumbai, India.
Culinary arts with a background in science, will help one in taking up a career as a nutritionist or a catering supervisor in a leading hospital. Culinary arts with a basic course in food science, which focuses on an in-depth study of the chemical and technical facets would also help one pursue a career as a food scientist in leading manufacturing companies and food research laboratories. This would definitely include molecular gastronomy, food safety or being a food scientist, that could probably take you a long way.
Food traveller, food anchor and a chef — that is a perfect combination of profiles for a person who loves to travel and explore new cuisines while getting paid for it. It would definitely satiate one’s travel bug as well.
How about being an amazing food anchor, a food author or a bloggerIJ Culinary art also incorporates doing a lot of research and study on different cultures, traditions and culinary history which further helps you to put it down on paper and you may end up publishing articles, cook books and being a food author and a writer.
A very renowned career is that of a food journalist, food writer and food critic, in which one has to communicate with public on latest food trends, chefs and restaurants through newspapers, magazines, blogs and books.
One may even pick up a job as noble as being a culinary head, a professor so that we can further prepare and inspire the next generation for the same. One may also be a hospitality consultant or a design specialist, work as a kitchen designer, or restaurant designer, or do layout and designing of menus. One can opt for jobs like menu creations, menu designing and food event planning.
There are job options in sales and marketing teams of leading kitchen equipment and kitchen tools manufacturers. If you are focused to be an entrepreneur, then you may run your own pastry shop or a café.
No matter what, a course in culinary art can unquestionably help you fulfill your dream — from either becoming a food stylist or an entrepreneur who would not only bring out the best in you but will also help your bank balance.
(The writer is programme head-culinary arts, Queen Margaret University- Edinburgh & ITM, Institute of Hotel Management)