How to become a restaurant cook

You can follow one of two routes to become a world class cuisine restaurant cook. The first is through in-house training while you work at an eating establishment, and the second involves formal training at a culinary institute.

Although it may be tempting to follow the route of apprenticeship to become a restaurant cook, you should consider the following:

  • Low remuneration level while you train.
  • Limited possibilities as most of the top class eating establishments, hotels and lodges require some form of education.
  • Limited promotion possibility as training normally provides you with the essential skills to run all areas of the kitchen and this is what is required by employers.
  • Lower earning potential in the long run since research indicates that people with certificates and diplomas earn significantly more than those who gained knowledge through onsite work alone.
  • Lack of credibility and you thus have to work harder and longer before you gain recognition.

The training route for becoming a restaurant cook can open several doors for you if you have trained at a reputable institution and have completed a comprehensive course. When you select the institution you should make sure that:

  • The course is recognized by THETA and overseas institutions.
  • The course is comprehensive enough to provide you with exposure to all areas of the culinary industry, as this will influence your promotion and career possibilities.
  • The course is hands-on with an excellent theoretical base. The focus should be on practical experience throughout the course.
  • The course is recommended by top chefs in the world.
  • The institution leadership is renowned for their expertise in the culinary world.
  • The institution offers all the resources you require to learn how to become a restaurant cook.
  • The institute has a high international standing as it will help you to get into top dining places in the world.

The Prue Leith College of Food and Wine, situated in Centurion in South Africa provides all of the above and also provides students hands-on experience at our Catering division, the fining dining establishment named the Odd Plate, and through the placement of students at world class lodges, hotels and eating establishments in South Africa and elsewhere in the world.

As part of the training to become a restaurant cook through our 18 month chef’s diploma, you will be exposed to all types of chef work, which in the end provides you with an excellent CV for any type of restaurant cook work. This includes:

  • Prep chef work – this is normally a junior level job where you will prepare the vegetables and meat for cooking. You may also help to prepare salads or side dishes.
  • Garde Manger work – where you will be exposed to the cold kitchen. This includes the preparation of finger food, cold sauces and dips, salad dressings and more. You will learn how to utilize the food on the buffet that weren’t used to create works of art.
  • Wine master – although not officially part of the kitchen, you will attend a wine certificate course to learn how to use wine and food in a harmonious way.
  • Sous chef work – where you will be exposed to decorating dishes, maintain menu data, make projections of ingredient requirements, enforce regulations, inspect the kitchen for safety and sanitation etc. The organization and management of the kitchen will fall on your shoulders when the chief chef is not in the kitchen.
  • Station chef work – where you will be responsible for the daily preparation of specific food dishes to complete the menu.
  • Patisserie work – you will learn the art of baking and confectionary. All the sweet stuff will be your responsibility and this is a useful additional certificate that can be obtained, should you later opt to become a pastry chef or perhaps a baker. For this instance you will also be exposed to baking for catering purposes.

The above areas of restaurant cook work are treated in-depth at the Prue Leith College of Food and Wine although many more topics are also dealt with in-depth to prepare you for a stunning career in the culinary industry. Contact us now to enroll as limited space is available.