Enrolling in a culinary arts institute can certainly help whip up rewarding careers in the future.  

Some will become World Best 50, Gault & Millau-recognised or Michelin-starred chefs, and many may be on their way to becoming successful restaurateurs.  The others may pursue a different path, whether for a personal or a professional decision; opting for opportunities other than becoming a chef is also a path some take.  

If you are among those that would like to trade in your Chef’s hat and apron for other rewarding culinary careers, then you are in for a treat. Here are some possible career choices where you can make proper use of the culinary or artisanal course that you have taken.  

Culinary Artist 

For culinary artists, food is a medium to create art. Doing a culinary arts program will offer hands-on experience as well as extensive knowledge of various cooking techniques that can be put to good use while serving authentic and aesthetically pleasing dishes.   

Cake decorator  

Today, customised cakes are in demand for every function and occasion. Finishing an artisanal course in Sugarcraft will equip you with the specialized skills, techniques, and tools required to make elaborate and exquisitely designed cakes and pastries.  

Food Blogger  

Are you a wordsmith with a love for food? Then, try combining both your passion and become a food blogger.  

A food writer with a background in the culinary arts would know how to describe and express a kaleidoscope of flavours. If you took a culinary course, you would see how a dish should look or taste and be equipped with the knowledge of cooking techniques and cuisines from around the world that will help you write authentically and knowledgeably about food. You can start a food blog, write restaurant reviews, and even share your recipes, which could prove quite a lucrative career.  

Artisanal Food Producer  

Not every student Chef is interested in creating dishes to order. There would be many who would be keen to devote their cooking talents to producing artisanal food. Courses dedicated to teaching the traditional art, nuances of the craft, and the science behind high-quality and distinctive handmade food and beverages can be helpful for those looking to venture into this career path. Chocolates, cakes, and bread are popular artisanal foods, and to meet high-quality control standards, these foods are produced and sold in small batches.  

Caterer  

Culinary arts professionals can also try their hand at the catering business. You can always work as a consultant if you prefer not to work in a hotel kitchen.   

One of the things that reputed culinary schools do is to give student chefs an overview of what it is like to handle the catering business by giving them a glimpse into it through menu curation, talking to food suppliers, and actual meal preparation as well as food knowledge. Some culinary schools like ICCA Dubai offer students a fine dining banquet experience, from meticulous planning, practice, and execution.    

Chef Instructor  

Some who have earned their stars may be naturally drawn to teaching and mentoring; professionals keen to share their culinary arts knowledge can pursue a culinary schoolteacher career and apply to be instructors in a cooking school. Their knowledge, coupled with the experience of working in the industry, can significantly inspire and influence aspiring cooks.  

Food Photographer   

A background in culinary arts can be beneficial when you want to pursue a career in food photography or food styling. Understanding aspects of food, knowledge of ingredients, how long a dish should take to prepare and how a word should look when it is freshly baked can help prepare for the photoshoot and photograph in the best way light.  

Savouring Success   

Those student Chefs emerging from culinary learning institutes such as ICCA Dubai can look forward to a rewarding future with their culinary certificates.  The knowledge, skills, and experience these student Chefs learn while in culinary school can equip them to find the culinary career of their choice, coupled with Passion, Persistence, Performance, Perfection, and Patience, culinary specialists can decidedly reap the rewards of their efforts. 

 For every young, up and coming Chef, competitions are not only a way to showcase their skills but also a platform to learn and improve. That’s exactly what La Chaine des Rotisseurs—International Association of Gastronomy, the  500-year-old institution, aims to do. Concours des Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs was set up to encourage and develop the skills and ‘know-how’ of young chefs and sommeliers worldwide since ‘succession planning’ is an important goal of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs thereby nurturing new talent.

For the last eight years in a row, ICCA Dubai has been the venue for the UAE Bailliage UAE National Competition, of which the winner would represent the UAE in an international arena.

There was passion in the voice of Chef Uwe Micheel, Conseiller Culinaire of the UAE, as he discussed the competition, its rules, and how contests like this were not just a mere competition but a way to pass on the knowledge.

“Young Chefs Rôtisseurs Competition’s main goal is to encourage and promote the expertise of young chefs. The contestants have to be under the age of 27 years. This year, eight chefs qualified for the country final of the Young Chefs Rotisseurs Competition. Each competitor received an identical black box sponsored by Barakat with around 60 ingredients; after examining the black box, they had to write a three-course menu in English in 30 minutes and prepare the same within 3.5 hours using the selected ingredients. The winner will go on to represent the UAE in the international competition that will be held in November 2022.”

Dispelling myths that culinary contests like Young Chefs Rôtisseurs are merely about preparing flawless dishes, he said “It is more than preparing a delicious dish; we look at how they are performing in the kitchen, whether there is wastage, whether the contestants are keeping the kitchen clean and above all whether their time management is on point. This is a real life kitchen scenario that we try to simulate in this competition.”

Judges at the Young Chefs Rotisseurs Contest

At a competition as prestigious as the Young Chefs Rotisseurs, the judges were no less illustrious and experienced. All the judges are senior UAE chefs who are well-experienced in the culinary industry while being proficient contestants in various culinary contests in their younger days.

The judging panel consisted of 4 judges on the tasting table and two judges in the kitchen.

Chef Atim Suyatim, the head judge of the tasting table, broke down their judging process and their expectations. “I have been the head judge for the last few years. What we are looking for while assessing the dishes is if there is a balance of four basic tastes and whether these flavors are working in harmony and not competing with each other. We are not only looking for visually appealing presentations that show creativity and innovation but also that show proficiency of skills using contrasting or complementary colors, shapes, flavors, sizes and with a variety of mediums while maintaining consistent portion sizes.”

But he was quick to add that this contest also came with negative marking with deductions allotted for inconsistent portioning, disproportional sauce and garnishing to the main piece, unappealing presentations and delay in presenting the final dish. “The contestants have to be extremely mindful about how they prepare their dishes, how they are in the kitchen, their organizational skills, the sanitation process, product utilization among others.”.

Meanwhile, Chef Majed Al Sabagh, the Head judge of the Kitchen relayed an interesting aspect of this competition. “While, like any contest, there will be three prize winners, all the participants and winners will go home with more than a certificate. They will get detailed, constructive feedback on each of their dishes, what is working and what is not, which they can use later on to better their dishes. For our participants who are emerging commis chefs looking to up their game, this exercise can be extremely useful.”

Fresh, quality ingredients play a crucial role in competitions of this stature and this is where Barakat, the official ingredients sponsor has been delivering every single time for the last 8 years. Said Chef Neil Ranasinghe, Senior judge & Production Manager/NPD Chef, Barakat Group of Companies, “One of the main impetus for Barakat to support and be part of competitions such as this is to support the new generation of chefs and help them save time and increase productivity. For instance, in today’s competition, all the contestants have access to clean, ready to use ingredients. Also, as a people-driven company, we are not only committed to satisfying our customer base but also in constantly innovating and creating new products.”

 ICCA Dubai’s Association with Young Chefs Rotisseurs Competition

ICCA Dubai’s Association with Young Chefs Rotisseurs Competition goes back eight years. Lauding ICCA Dubai’s excellent facilities and support, Chef Uwe Micheel, said, “ICCA Dubai has always been a fantastic venue which is why we are happy to have the competition here. The world-class facilities, and support of the staff, especially Mr. Sunjeh is commendable.”

Want to compete in prestigious culinary contests?

Participating in the culinary competition is a great way for young and upcoming Chefs to garner more experience and up their game. Chef Uwe Micheel gave a few points to ponder for those looking to participate in culinary competitions, “There is a knack to doing well in culinary competitions. The first cardinal rule is to read and study the rules. Many contestants tend to skip this step or just give the rules a passing glance which can prove to be counterproductive during the competitions. Once you have understood the rules, you must start training for this can certainly help you in terms of speed and precision of execution. If the competition involves mystery boxes, then try practicing mystery boxes to get an edge in the competition. Try to garner as much experience as possible. Also, take the time to talk to people who have participated in culinary competitions, get their advice, tips, and recommendations on how you can compete better.”

Meet the winners of the Young Chefs Rotisseurs Competition

At the Young Chefs Rotisseurs Competition, every participant is a winner in their own right, emphasized Chef Uwe before announcing the winners.

Chef Himanshu Verma, Commis Chef 1 at Five Palm Jumeirah walked away with the top honors. This competition was his first international win. He has bagged prizes in competitions held in India. Besides expressing his delight at winning this prestigious competition, he also said, “It has been such a true learning experience for me and the feedback has been so constructive. Due to my busy schedule, I didn’t find time to train so I went in with an idea and proper plan on what dishes to execute based on the ingredients provided. “ As for representing the UAE at the international competition, he added, “It’s a huge responsibility for me to be the representative for the UAE but I am going to train really hard and give it my best shot.”

The second prize winner was Chef Sanjay Singh Saud, Commis chef at Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai. A culinary scholarship student at ICCA Dubai, Chef Sanjay has won several culinary competitions: from being the last year's first runner up at the Young Chef of the year to being the runner up at a Nestle culinary competition and bagging gold medals at Salon Culinaire and a culinary competition in  Sharjah. “ As a culinary scholarship student, the training and guidance I received at ICCA Dubai have immensely helped me in this competition, for which I am thankful.” He said.

Meanwhile, the third prize honors went to Chef Joshua William Jonathan from Jumeirah Creekside.

On a parting note, Chef Uwe added, “Competitions like these keep even experienced chefs like me and those on the judging panel on our toes because you never know what new and innovative techniques you get to see, after all, one never stops learning in the culinary industry!”