THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY IS ONE OF THE OLDEST INDUSTRIES. BUT THE DEMAND FOR CHEFS IS NEWFOUND
THE love for good food is a unifying trait for people the world over. Little wonder then that, today, international food festivals are being leveraged to facilitate cultural understanding among nations. On a similar note, Indian Council for Cultural relations recently organised the IBSA Food Festival in the Capital.
“The food and beverage industry, incidentally one of the oldest industries, is becoming increasingly organised and competitive. As a result, there is a burgeoning demand for chefs,” said Rajan Loomba, executive chef, Durbar, The Ashok Hotel. He added: “There is a general perception that pursuing a career as a chef requires one to be absorbed only in restaurants or hotels. But, the truth is that there is a parallel demand for qualified chefs in hospitals, residential academic institutions, defence establishments and industrial catering units.”
“It requires a lot of perseverance to establish one's credentials as a reputed chef and students should embark on a hotel management course, which is the prerequisite to becoming a chef, only if they have a genuine love for cooking,” said Owen Jullies, director, South African Chefs Association. “In Africa, hotel management institutions are very discerning about their intake and even conduct mock classes after the selection test to gauge the attitude and aptitude of the students,” he added.
Most undergraduate hotel management courses are of three to four years' duration. The programmes available include Bachelor's of hotel management, Bachelor's degree in hospitality and catering science, diploma in hotel management and Bachelor's of science programme in hospitality and hotel administration.
According to Jullies, there is an unmistakable uniformity in hotel management courses the world over. All these courses impart a basic knowledge of French culinary techniques, which were popularised through a book written by the famous French chef Augus Escofee. This was also the first professional cookbook. But, he added, these courses are also streamlined keeping in view the food ethos of individual countries. “In addition, today, there is also an emphasis on subjects like accountancy and computers as chefs are required to devise menus which are cost effective,” explained Jullies.
According to Jullies, there is an unmistakable uniformity in hotel management courses the world over. All these courses impart a basic knowledge of French culinary techniques, which were popularised through a book written by the famous French chef Augus Escofee. This was also the first professional cookbook. But, he added, these courses are also streamlined keeping in view the food ethos of individual countries. “In addition, today, there is also an emphasis on subjects like accountancy and computers as chefs are required to devise menus which are cost effective,” explained Jullies.
Elaborating on some of the challenges of the profession, chef Mara Alcamim from Brazil said, “People, in general, are not very adventurous when it comes to food. They might try new recipes occasionally but as a rule they prefer sticking to the food that they are used to. At best they might try enhancing their existing recipes. So, a good chef should have a fair comprehension of the food culture prevailing in a specific place and come up with innovations for existing recipes.” She added that cooking vegetables, meat or fish through a standard procedure but by trying different combinations of spices is one of the simple ways to innovate.
However, Alcamim also pointed out that if the food cultures of various countries are observed closely it becomes evident that the food ingredients are essentially the same everywhere. According to her, this is an offset of the medieval invasions and colonial conquests. “This spells an opportunity for chefs around the world, as it means that whenever they have to cook at international food festivals or for a foreign clientele they have everything at their disposal,” said Alcamim.
The starting remuneration for chefs can vary between Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 a month. And with experience, this figure can even cross one lakh. “Remunerations are higher in the private sector. Also, if one works for a multinational chain one gets the opportunity to travel abroad and the salary and perks are usually very lucrative,” informed Loomba.
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