9 Essential Chef Skills

9 Essential Skills Our Culinary School Will Help You Develop

Students who enrol with us at the Prue Leith Culinary Institute will find themselves with an industry advantage at the end of their qualification. As one of the top culinary schools in South Africa, our accredited courses pave the way for future successes in the food preparation sector. We will also equip you with essential chef skills you’ll need to make it in this field.

1. Culinary Prowess

Mastery of the culinary arts is a lifelong pursuit, but our chef school trains students in fundamental and advanced cooking techniques they will use in their line of work. From French cooking methods to modern gastronomy, we do it all.

2. Attention to Detail

Our chef school provides students with practical work opportunities that develop an eye for attention to detail. The culinary arts are creative, but they rely upon scientific principles to work. We will thus teach you how to do all that you do with precision and keen exactness.

3. Food and Kitchen Safety

Kitchens can be dangerous environments if no-one plays by the rules. At our training institute, you will learn how to keep your kitchen an accident-free zone that is safe and sanitary. This will not only improve the working environment, but the quality of the food prepared there too.

4. Business Savvy

Not all prospective chefs realise how important a strong sense of business is in many culinary careers. Enrolling with us means you will learn how to cook cost-effectively, source affordable and quality ingredients, manage inventory, and budget successfully.

5. Leadership Skills

Managing a team in a dynamic environment like a kitchen isn’t easy – but it can be done with a great communication style and passion for people. Through personal development and practical work, our chef school will develop key leadership qualities unique to your personality.

6. Working in a Team

Teamwork is undoubtedly one of the most important chef skills one can have in a kitchen. This means accepting feedback, collaborating, communicating, and a high degree of emotional intelligence. Thankfully, these are all skills that one can acquire and improve upon with practice.

7. Making Decisions on the Fly

Any career in culinary preparation will put your decision-making skills to the test. The environment is fast-paced and will require that you think on your feet. Through practical training, our chef school will empower you with the ability to make wise decisions in high-pressure scenarios.

8. Creative Thinking

A major reason that culinary careers are so fulfilling is because of the creativity for which they allow. From clever flavour fusions and inspired plating, to menu design and experimentation, we will help you hone your inventive imagination.

9. Multi-tasking and Organisation

For a kitchen to operate smoothly, it needs to be organised. Keeping track of tasks, working efficiently, and committing to quality requires both exceptional multi-tasking and organisational skills. With us, you will learn how to intuitively work with ease in any environment by creating order and purpose.

Other chef skills you can look forward to learning from us include sustainable cooking, understanding nutrition and diets, flavour construction, and even food production supervision. For more information on the cooking courses we have available, feel free to get in touch with us today.