Designer chefs are at the heart of all catering operations whether in a hotel or a restaurant and hold the recipe for the success of the place. These professionals are highly skilled and innovative, with the ability of turning out not only the most delicious food but presenting these as art forms, as well. Their skill is to simultaneously tempt, tease and please the tongue, stomach and the eyes. Creating gastronomical experien-ces for people to these culinary artists also called Designer Chefs are masters of cuisine. Prospects for a chef are very good. There are lost of options to travel overseas and earn good money.

Essential ingredients that make a good designer chef :- In terms of qualities, this Industry calls for lots of commitment and passion, besides a lot of creativity. As a chef you have to work very long hours and be prepared for very hard work because it is very much a fulltime job. It’s not a job for the faint hearted. It takes a lot of commitment to progress here. If you are one who wants an easy life you are not going to get ahead in this demanding 24 x 7 industry. Attributes very necessary to grow in this field include a well-developed sense of taste and smell which allow you to explore bold new flavor combinations and make them work. The ability to experiment and be creative are other essentials that will enable you to leave your mark on dishes you create. Equally important when working in the kitchen are the skills to plan ahead, organize, have team spirit, a co-operative attitude besides some leadership and management skills when you  climb up the ladder.

Qualifications and Training :- If you are looking at pursunig this career then it is important that you take up a formal 3 year hotel management degree specializing in Food Beverages and it is good to work in a restaurant in non-cooking position. If you do like the experience, the next stepping stone is clearing the entrance examination for any one of the Ministry of Tourism-run IHM institutions across India or opting for a good private organization or international institution. You can also simultaneously or later take up an appropriate business course if you have plans of starting your own restaurant some day. Some of the best ways to optimize practical and college learning, is by starting up- to-date on food trends and advances in kitchen equipment, reading up as many culinary magazines and journals as possible, paying attention to detail and visiting and interning at restaurants, hotels and catering firms.

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Career Prospects for a chef in India/Abroad :- In India the general prospects for a chef are very good. There are lots of options to travel overseas and earn good money. In India, those from hotel Management colleges/Institute, joining hotels as "management trainees." usually start somewhere between Rs. 7000/- to 8000/- a month Abroad it ranges from Rs. 1 lakh to 10 lakh per annum depending on the place of posting and country including incentives  for those, who are very creatively inclined and find it difficult to just keep doing what other people tell them,  entre-preneurship may be an option but that again calls for a lot of commitment. India is shining, so there is a great future.

Work Profile :- After initial training you may have to begin with the least–skilled jobs in the kitchen like pealing potatoes and cleaning prawns. However as your skills get polished with experience and practice , you can begin to climb up the Designer Chef’s ladder and make your way from being an assistant chef, a line chef, head chef then executive chef to a master chef. The work  profile as you climb the ladder increases. Designer chefs at different levels are often responsible for all phases of food  preparation, menu planning, recipe development, purchasing inventory, food costing and labor  control, maintenance of a kitchen’s sanitation  level, scheduling, hiring and firing, managing staff and at times, space and theme planning  of restaurants. In case you want to venture into other Institute/dimensions of this profession, you can become an instructor at a hotel management college, start you own stylist business, caterer, restaurant consultant, food writer even turn entrepreneur by opening your own dream restaurant/hotel/motel.

The mantra to success in this Industry :- It is very important not to stagnate, not to work in one place for too long. Creativity and innovation are very important and depends on an individual mentality how much he/she wants to learn and experiment. Your job has to be more important than anything else. Sometimes one may even have to put one’s family on the back burner to get ahead. Success in this sphere is all about commitment. One needs a lot of it to stick it out during the first few years of struggle. When many freshers have to tackle a hectic schedule sometimes from 7:00 in morning till 4:00 in the morning, day in and day out.

Hospitality Industry :- It is important that candidates assess themselves before venturing into the service industry, where one of the basic requirements is to have a service attitude In terms of qualifications, the candidate after completion of his/her class XII should complete a three years degree or diploma from a recognized catering college/institute of repute. In addition to this, he/she should try to attain knowledge of foreign languages as this is vital and often proves to be an added qualification here. It helps in the later part of their career and gives exposure to international standards also and way of life in foreign countries.

Training and Development

If you wish to become a designer chef study in any one of the following institution which are perceived to be among the top hotel management institute of India.( East/ West /North/ South Regions)

EAST

1    Institute of Hotel Management, Catering & Applied Nutrition, Kolkata, West Bengal.

2    International Institute of Hotel Management , Kolkata, West Bengal.

3    Institute of Advance Manage-ment, Kolkata, West Bengal.

4    Institute of Hotel Management, Gangtok, Sikkim.

5    Durgapur Society of Manage-ment Science, Durgapur, West Bengal.

6    Birla Institute of Technology, Department of Hotel Management, Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand.

7    NSHM School of Hotel Management, Durgapur, West Bengal.

8    Institute of Science and Management , Department of Hotel Management , Ranchi Jharkhand.

9    Advanced Information and Management Studies( AIMS), Durgapur, West Bengal.

10  NIPS School of Hotel Manage-ment, Kolkata, West Bengal.

WEST

1.   Institute of Hotel Management, Catering & Nutrition, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

2.   Rizvi College of Hotel Management & Catering Technology, Mumbai, Maharashtra.

3.   Vivekananda Institute of Hotel & Tourism Management, Rajkot, Gujarat.

4.   Gujarat Institute of Hotel Management, Vadodara, Gujarat.

5.   Tuli College of Hotel Manage-ment, Nagpur, Maharashtra.

SOUTH

1.   Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Admini-stration, Manipal, Karnataka.

2.   Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

3.   Acharya Institute of Management & Science, Bangalore, Karnataka.

4.   Madras Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

5.   T John College, Department of Hotel Management, Bangalore, Karnataka.

6.   KLE’s S. Nijalingappa College, Department of Hotel Management, Bangalore, Karnataka.

7.   Sambhram College of Hotel Management, KGF, Karnataka

8.   Sarosh Institute of Hotel Administration, Mangalore, Karnataka.

9.   Oriental Institute of Catering Technology & Hotel Management , Madurai , Tamil Nadu

10. PES Institute of Hotel Management, Bangalore, Karnataka.

11.           Administration Management College , Department of Hotel Management, Bangalore, Karnataka.

NORTH

1.   Dr. Ambedker Institute of Hotel Management Catering & Nutrition, Chandigarh, Punjab.

2.   Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, Meerut , UP.

3.   Institute of Hotel Management Catering & Nutrition, Gurdaspur, Punjab.

4.   Desh Bhagat Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology, Gobindgarh, Punjab.

5.   College of Hospitality and Tourism, Gurgaon, Haryana.

6.   Maharishi Arvind Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology, Jaipur, Rajasthan.

7.   Maharishi Markendeshwar Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Mullana (Ambala), Haryana.

8.   College of Hospitality and Tourism, Faridabad, Haryana.

9.   Amrapali Institute of Hotel Management , Haldwani, Nainital, Uttarakhand.

10. LBIIHM, Pitampura, Delhi.

The list is indicative.

Preparing them for the job interview :- The candidate should be well groomed. First impression comes from their appearance. Gentlemen should be well shaven, and formally dressed preferably with a jacket and tie Shoes must be well polished and hair neatly cut and combed. They must possess the ability to communicate clearly with clear diction and should be well informed about current affairs and general knowledge. Ladies must be smartly, dressed, sober looking.

Pros and Cons :- Meeting the ever changing needs of the customer some times becomes an initial hurdle for youngsters starting out in this sphere. To overcome this, individuals must adapt and change their mindset to meet the demands of this industry. It is a fast paced life here. One suggestion here is, be local and think global. Avoid temptation. Remember this is not a glamour industry but actually calls for sheer hard work. One needs to acquire a will to learn and adapt. The biggest strength of being in the hospitality business is that it offers a congenial work environment, great team work, exposure to international clientele and high rewards for performers. The flip side is that when the whole world is enjoying, hoteliers have to slog it out, especially on holidays at odd working hours.

CELEBRITY CHEFS

Rakesh Sethi, a product of the Pusa Institute of Hotel Management in New Delhi, has worked at Holiday Inn  Crown Plaza (New Delhi); Leela Kempensky (Mumbai); Park Royal (New Delhi); Yak and Yeti (Kathmandu, Nepal) and the Oberoi (New Delhi). He also has the distinction of working, on deputation for some months, as a Senior Cook at the President’s Estate.

Sanjeev Kapoor is a house-hold name as a renowned Chef. His cookery  show on television, Khana Khazana is watched by millions across the country. A winner of the Best Executive Chef of India Award, Mr. Kapoor had made his foray into the hospitality industry after passing out from the Institute of Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition.

Present Remuneration in India

Even though the pay scale may vary from place to place, the differences are not too many. As a trainee Chef, one can earn Rs. 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per month. As one gains experience of around ten years, one can draw salary of Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 50,000 in a five star deluxe hotel. When one reaches the top and becomes an Executive Chef, one’s salary can be anything between Rs. 1 lakh and Rs. 2 lakh per month. According to the ITC’s latest Annual Report I, the executive pastry Chef at Maurya  Sherton earns a gross remuneration of Rs. 52 lakh plus while the Chinese chef at Grand Maratha Sheraton gets a package of Rs. 50 lakh.

It is a well known fact that mostly, food habits are culturally determined, so one should be adaptable to the changing social order and food habits of people. Besides, as a Chef, one must keep oneself abreast of the latest technologies and techniques of cooking.

Conclusion :- Restaurant kitchen are fast-paced, often stressful and not that comfortable. These initially require long hours of work often on nights weekends and holidays, for a limited pay, in high pressure situations. Here, with years of dedications. hard work and luck, fame and fortune can beckon you. Yet it would be wise to realize that not every designer chef can become a celebrity chef on TV. The most gratifying side of being a designer chef for veterans though, is when while playing around with ingredients they create a lip smacking dish and it is appreciated by those who taste it.

Finally, choose a career not for the money, fame or glamour it seems to offer, but only if you are passionate about it and feel certain that it will help you realize your true potential. There are no short cuts to success! It is vital that fresher first take time to settle down, learn as much as they can about their organization and work, adapt them selves and deliver with quality. Success will automatically follow! Remember-where there is a will, there is a way.

(The author is Director Institute of Management and Technology (affiliated to Kurukshetra University) Jain College Road Ambala City.)