If you decide to live and study in Kentucky, you will get to experience a unique blend of southern and Midwestern food. Its proximity to the Midwest gives Kentucky chefs access to fresh meat and in-season produce. Many of the largest restaurants in Kentucky are located in its main cities of Louisville, Lexington, and Bowling Green. Some of the most popular restaurants in Kentucky include Seviche, Ghyslain Chocolate des Beaux Arts, and Holly Hill Inn.
When you live in Kentucky, you can take advantage of its low cost of living, which is about 12% below the national average. With almost 4.4 million people living in Kentucky that enjoy this benefit of Kentucky life.
Are you ready to study culinary arts in Kentucky? If so, there are ten schools that can help you reach your goals. These schools offer a mix of certificate programs, Associate’s degree programs, Bachelor’s degree programs, and graduate programs. However, the overall average tuition rate of $4,992 is still very affordable. This is particularly true when you factor in the average scholarship award of $2,447.
Most culinary arts programs are laid out in roughly the same way. First, you build a strong foundation of cooking and baking skills. Topics covered include knife skills, protein preparation and cooking, food timing, and how to work in a kitchen. As you move through your culinary program, you’ll build on these skills while learning new ones. By the end of your program, you should be able to work efficiently and accurately in any kitchen you are put into.
One of the benefits of earning an Associate’s degree or Bachelor’s degree is the possibility to take extra courses. If you are interested in owning a catering business or restaurant, you may want to take extra courses to prepare you for the business aspect of your career. In addition, you may be able to take elective courses in different cuisines and cooking methods that interest you.
There are three main career paths you can pursue as a new chef: restaurant work, catering work, or private chef work. Restaurants are the most common workplaces for chefs, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 46% of chefs work in restaurants. Working for a catering company allows you to serve a wider variety of food to all sorts of clients. If you are a private chef, you may have to work on-call or late evening hours to serve your clients’ needs.
In Kentucky, some of the primary culinary employers are Jack Binion’s Steak House, A & M Events, and Adecco.
You do not need any special license or certificate to work as a chef in Kentucky, unless you plan on opening your own restaurant or catering company. This gives you the freedom to begin pursuing jobs as soon as you graduate. The American Culinary Federation has certification options that you can use to demonstrate your skills to potential employers.
Chef’s salaries fluctuate widely based on experience, education, and seniority. The best way to increase your earning potential is hard work, since seniority can qualify you for higher-ranking jobs like sous chef and executive chef.
In Kentucky, the average salary for a cook is $18,900 per year (O*Net, 2012). Chefs in Kansas earn an average salary of $38,300 per year (O*Net, 2012).
Job growth in Kentucky is not as fast-paced as it is in other parts of the country. The demand for chefs is not anticipated to change much between 2010 and 2020 (O*Net, 2010). In that same time frame, cooks can expect job growth of 8% (O*Net, 2010).