Gastronome (chef)

As a gastronome you are the craftsperson behind the food. You work with details quality taste and the entire guest experience – from the raw material comes in the back door until the plate is placed in front of the guest. The training makes you a skilled cook and you can specialise in for example chef chef with focus on green gastronomy or open sandwich and catering.

§What do you do in everyday life?

In a kitchen the everyday is speed, focus and fellowship. You prepare raw materials, make stocks, sauces and accompaniments, prepare dishes and present them so they both look beautiful and taste right. You plan menus, keep track of hygiene and self-checks, receive and assess goods and work closely with the rest of the kitchen brigade, especially when it is busy during service.

• 01You learn to cook from scratch – techniques, flavor, composition, and plating.
• 02You get professional pride: you can stand behind the quality of every single plate.
• 03You work with raw materials year-round and learn to use season and minimise waste.
• 04You become part of a strong community in the kitchen where everyone pulls together.
• 05You get access to a branch where skilled chefs are in demand across the country and abroad.
• 06You can choose a direction that fits you – from green gastronomy to open sandwiches and catering.

§How do you get started?

You typically start with a basic course at a vocational school, where you learn the basic techniques and find out if the trade is for you. Then you need an education agreement with a kitchen – a restaurant, a hotel, a canteen, or similar – where you alternate between school and practice as an apprentice. As a student you get paid during training while learning the trade in practice.

§Way forward

With the journeyman's certificate in hand you can work in everything from busy à la carte restaurants to hotels canteens and catering. You can eventually become sous-chef head chef or start for yourself. Many chefs also travel and work abroad and some build further with courses or train within management nutrition or running their own business.

“A good meal begins long before the guest sits down – it begins with a cook who is passionate about their craft.”