What is the best culinary school in Canada?

[gingerbeer]

For someone looking to do a 1-2 year course, with the hope of ultimately becoming a chef?

[chromedome]

I don't know that you could label one or another school the "best," any more than you could name a "best" wine or "best" radio station. It would depend on your own individual criteria.

I had excellent instructors at both NAIT in Edmonton, and NSCC in Halifax. I learned a great deal in both schools. NAIT, of course, has a substantial advantage in funding and equipment, as well as (if you're interested in that sort of thing) its tight relationship with Culinary Team Canada.

The Dubrulle school in BC, George Brown in Ontario, and the Culinary Institute of Canada in PEI are all well-respected institutions. You'll get a solid education at any of them, and most of the country's other schools as well. Ultimately, your career trajectory will depend more on you as a person than the school you went to.

Be responsible and organized; work quickly and well; show a passion for continued learning; be there when you're needed; don't grumble about doing your share of the cleaning...if you do these things consistently, you'll rise to the top in just about any kitchen regardless of where you've trained.

[TheUnknownCook]

gingerbeer:

Canadian Culinary Federation: Culinary Educational Institutions

Perhaps you could contact the C.C.F. about any culinary apprenticeships.

Shaw Guides Canada

I hope that that helps. Good luck.

[Edward J]

"Best" School?......

Not any easy question.

Culinary schools are like a piggy-bank: You can only get out of them what you put into them.......

VCC in Vancouver has some pretty fine instructors and like SAIT and NAIT, the culinary dept is well connected.

Apprenticeships are probably your best option--when you're finished, you have both solid work experience AND no student loans........

[howsmatt]

Depends on the type of chef you want to be. I have found that after a few years in the business someone's cooking school background is far less important than the chef's they have worked for. Either you have good habits and knowledge or bad. I've worked with chef's with CIA, cordon bleu and no formal training and when it comes down to being a chef the successful ones continued to learn long after school was over. If you are skilled, passionate and patient you can become any kind of chef you want, just make sure you work under the right people.

[Mikeb19]

The school doesn't matter as much as the individual. Most of the top Chefs in the world are either self-taught, or learned via apprenticeship (formal or informal). That's not to say cooking school doesn't matter - it can jumpstart a talented cook's career, or it can merely be the prelude to years of peeling vegetables...

As for the best, I've worked with terrible cooks from SAIT and CIC (one of my old chefs refused to hire anyone from SAIT, no matter their experience afterwards...). Haven't worked with anyone from NAIT, and the few I've worked with from Dubrulle were pretty good. And LCB seems to be where all the career changing housewives go. Not that it matters, just what I've seen.

Edited January 7, 2010 by Mikeb19 (log)