Louisiana Culinary Schools

Culinary Schools in Louisiana

If you are looking to get a culinary education, you might find what you need in Baton Rouge, Lafayette or Shreveport. All of these cities feature a culinary academy that offers fantastic training for the field. You can opt for the traditional classroom training, or you can go into an online program where you attend school all on the computer. If you do that, you won’t have to worry about location at all. The only thing you would need is an internet connection and a passion for what you’re doing.

You can either get into a one year program, a two year program or a four year program. The first option can be found in a vocational school where you will pick up the knowledge needed just for starting positions in the field. Then you may move up to a community college that will provide the skills needed for basic management. The last option comes from an actual university. You need to obtain a degree from there if you want to work in the more advanced areas of the field, perhaps as a food and beverage director.

Tips for Choosing a Culinary School

To pick a good culinary school, you must first assess how well prepared the institute is to educate you. Look into the credentials of the faculty and also examine the inventory of the student kitchens. See if you can find a school that has student run restaurants on campus. Those will provide you with direct experience that will benefit you outside of school. You may also want to find out what kind of financial aid you have available through the school to see if you can afford to attend.

Learning the Local Food Culture

There is no better way to achieve success than to get a feel for the food culture in an area. You can do this by going to local diners, restaurants and eateries to get a taste for some home cooked recipes. You can also attend some food festivals and events in the state. Those will give you a range of tastes to choose from, and they usually focus around some theme. You can get a better idea of what people like to make there and, more importantly, what they like to eat. Check out some of the following during your time in school:

• Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival – Ponchatoula
• Lockport Food Festival – Lockport
• Crawfish Boil – Oak Mountain State Park
• Jambalaya Festival – Gonzales
• Watermelon Festival – Farmerville

Get Your Chef’s Whites and Get a Job

You should consider getting a membership with a food association in your area while you are in school. That will allow you to get better access to internship opportunities, job openings, scholarships and more. It will also help you get involved in the food community, which may very well aid in your career advancement.

You can expect to make between $30,000 and $40,000 when you first go to work. This salary should increase over time as your skills improve and you advance in your workplace. Food and beverage directors often make more than $70,000 a year, so the money is out there. You just have to be focused enough to get there.

Louisiana Technical Colleges Offering Culinary and Pastry Arts, Restaurant Management, and/or Hospitality Degrees

• Remington College – Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Shreveport
• Ashworth College – Online