Famous Chefs Who Didn't Attend Culinary School?

[PassionateChefsDie]

I have to say yes but then the majority of them do have Journalistic degrees which is there craft not many of them have actually worked a Kitchen! I'm pretty sure the ladies where country writers and gourmets to call them chefs would be a broad use of the word as would be with Hugh, are they chefs even if they dont cook on a commercial scale? Didn't Delia have some form of home economic degree? To compare them to Raymond Blanc isn't really like for like!

Another example from this side of the pond would be Rick Stein who had a journalistic degree but made it as a chef replacing Floyd

Edited to Add

We have an old trade certificate called City and Guilds 706/1 & 706/2 which took 3 years part time or 2 years full time which has been replaced with a National Vocational Certificate 1&2 do you have an equivalent or is it generally always done through catering degrees?

Edited September 29, 2005 by PassionateChefsDie (log)

[Silly Disciple]

Apparently both Heston Blumenthal and Pierre Gagnaire are self taught as well.

Isn't it interesting that quite a few chefs considered today to be the top cooks all are self taught? Adria, Keller, Bras, Veyrat, Blumenthal, Gagnaire, etc.

Edited September 29, 2005 by Silly Disciple (log)

[PassionateChefsDie]

Apparently both Heston Blumenthal and Pierre Gagnaire are self taught as well.

Isn't it interesting that quite a few chefs considered today to be the top cooks all are self taught? Adria, Keller, Bras, Veyrat, Blumenthal, Gagnaire, etc.

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Blumenthal and a few others are self taught in the aspect they ate there way around France we'd all be better cooks if we could do that some of us haven't got the money!

[Silly Disciple]

Apparently both Heston Blumenthal and Pierre Gagnaire are self taught as well.

Isn't it interesting that quite a few chefs considered today to be the top cooks all are self taught? Adria, Keller, Bras, Veyrat, Blumenthal, Gagnaire, etc.

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Blumenthal and a few others are self taught in the aspect they ate there way around France we'd all be better cooks if we could do that some of us haven't got the money!

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well you could always make the same claim about culinary school ie who's got the money to pay for it. and for that matter I dont think you learn technique or kitchen management by eating your way trough a country.

[PassionateChefsDie]

Apparently both Heston Blumenthal and Pierre Gagnaire are self taught as well.

Isn't it interesting that quite a few chefs considered today to be the top cooks all are self taught? Adria, Keller, Bras, Veyrat, Blumenthal, Gagnaire, etc.

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Blumenthal and a few others are self taught in the aspect they ate there way around France we'd all be better cooks if we could do that some of us haven't got the money!

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well you could always make the same claim about culinary school ie who's got the money to pay for it. and for that matter I dont think you learn technique or kitchen management by eating your way trough a country.

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You've got admire to aspire! I wish I had the money as I pointed out particularly over here most of the education is vocational which would cost you about 2 meals for a years education. I can honestly say I've learnt more by eating out than I've ever learnt behind the scenes, I did it to a commis years ago, for 2 years he'd been serving 3 rosette standard food not really understanding what he did! Yes he tasted it but it wasn't until I took him to Gordan Ramseys he actually realised what he did up to that point all he did was cook after that he realised he was a small component off the whole!

[Silly Disciple]

I agree that eating in these places is a learning experience.

Maybe the point I'm trying to make is not just by eating will you get to be Keller, Adria or Blumenthal. It seems to me that it is mostly a trigger for one's creativity, a realization on how something is properly done, a standard to be attained, but ultimately a complement to technique, management skills, and a discerning taste, among other skills.

[PassionateChefsDie]

I agree that eating in these places is a learning experience.

Maybe the point I'm trying to make is not just by eating will you get to be Keller, Adria or Blumenthal. It seems to me that it is mostly a trigger for one's creativity, a realization on how something is properly done, a standard to be attained, but ultimately a complement to technique, management skills, and a discerning taste, among other skills.

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Most of the mediocre chefs I've met don't eat out yet wish to throw comment, the ones that do try to recreate!

Rarely are many of these chefs particular good businessmen even the top ones some where around here is a thread linking to an article regarding profit margins and michelin stars!

Most have to modify there structure after a while some never really truely make money but do it for the love this hasn't changed, certainly not in the last 30 years! I've got around here some where the great chefs of France talking about bad profit margins with good food!

To suggest that these people are all good business man throws in the face of the majority of research I've seen regarding quality food establishments none of them are going to beat Macdonalds!

[Silly Disciple]

I agree that eating in these places is a learning experience.

Maybe the point I'm trying to make is not just by eating will you get to be Keller, Adria or Blumenthal. It seems to me that it is mostly a trigger for one's creativity, a realization on how something is properly done, a standard to be attained, but ultimately a complement to technique, management skills, and a discerning taste, among other skills.

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Most of the mediocre chefs I've met don't eat out yet wish to throw comment, the ones that do try to recreate!

Rarely are many of these chefs particular good businessmen even the top ones some where around here is a thread linking to an article regarding profit margins and michelin stars!

Most have to modify there structure after a while some never really truely make money but do it for the love this hasn't changed, certainly not in the last 30 years! I've got around here some where the great chefs of France talking about bad profit margins with good food!

To suggest that these people are all good business man throws in the face of the majority of research I've seen regarding quality food establishments none of them are going to beat Macdonalds!

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I never said money makers.

[transfattyacid]

Nico Ladenis

Worked in advertising ( if memory serves ) before opening Chez Nico.

[Moopheus]

Jacques Pepin and Andre Soltner come to mind. But they are not exactly "self-taught." They went into the business at a time when it was still typical, at least in France, to start very young as a galley slave in the old-fashioned apprentice system.

[Busboy]

Paul Bertolli of Oliveto and David Tanis of Chez Panisse immediately come to mind.

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Not to mention Jeremiah Tower.

[bigbear]

i'm pretty certain chiarello met his first wide at the cia...could be wrong.

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I suppose the double wide came next?

[johnsmith45678]

Rarely are many of these chefs particular good businessmen even the top ones some where around here is a thread linking to an article regarding profit margins and michelin stars!

Most have to modify there structure after a while some never really truely make money but do it for the love this hasn't changed, certainly not in the last 30 years! I've got around here some where the great chefs of France talking about bad profit margins with good food!

To suggest that these people are all good business man throws in the face of the majority of research I've seen regarding quality food establishments none of them are going to beat Macdonalds!

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Most high-end/famous chefs I know of seem to do rather well (except Rocco!). Of course many also sell cookbooks, their own brand of food, have TV shows, etc.

[Bill Miller]

Paul Bertolli of Oliveto and David Tanis of Chez Panisse immediately come to mind.

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Not to mention Jeremiah Tower.

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Not to mention Robert Del Grande--Cafe' Annie--he does have a PhD in biochemistry however.

[rooftop1000]

Appears Wolfgang Puck didn't either:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/wolfgang_p...1702053,00.html

Conversely, Emeril has a doctorate from J&W? Wow, didn't know there was such a thing.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/emeril_lag...OD_9823,00.html

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Emeril gave up a full scholarship to a conservatory to go to culinary school instead

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[leviathan]

I was reading one of Mario Batali's posts where he gave advice to somebody to "attend college while cooking in high-end restaurants, after graduating you'll have enough experience you won't need to go to culinary school." What successful/famous chefs do you know of that didn't attend culinary school? All I know of off the top of my head is:

Mario Batali

Gordon Ramsay (if he did, I think he dropped out)

Scott Bryan (dropped out)

Japanese? chef in "A Cook's Tour - Down Under" who worked up from dishwasher

Any others?

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I thought Batali attended Le Cordon Bleu in London after he graduated from Rutgers? Today, if you're starting out, it seems like you need to go to culinary school. Even famous chefs who didn't go to culinary school seem to prefer employees who have had some formal training.

Edited February 7, 2007 by leviathan (log)

[kristin_71]

Thomas Keller

[kalypso]

Rick Bayless - grew up in the family restaurant biz, went to Univ. of Mich

Bio info here You only need to read the first paragraph or two.

[Claudia Greco]

I was reading one of Mario Batali's posts where he gave advice to somebody to "attend college while cooking in high-end restaurants, after graduating you'll have enough experience you won't need to go to culinary school." What successful/famous chefs do you know of that didn't attend culinary school? All I know of off the top of my head is:

Mario Batali

Gordon Ramsay (if he did, I think he dropped out)

Scott Bryan (dropped out)

Japanese? chef in "A Cook's Tour - Down Under" who worked up from dishwasher

Any others?

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I believe Mario did a stint at Cordon Bleu? And the Japanese chef you refer to is Tetsuya Wakuda, arguably one of the finest chefs in Australia:

http://www.tetsuyas.com/page/about_tetsuya.html

[cfm]

Rick Stein? Alastair Little? No personal knowledge, but associated in my mind with the label "self taught."

Catherine

[Basildog]

Rick Stein? Alastair Little?  No personal knowledge, but associated in my mind with the label "self taught." 

Catherine

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Rick Stein went to college..Guardian Feb 5th

[oneidaone]

Lee Hefter.

[Mayhaw Man]

Chef Boyardee is about as famous as you can get.

[Reefpimp]

I hope this won't be considered a derailment--but why is it even germane if a person di or did not attend a culinary academy?

And why is this given more weight than if a person came up through a European apprenticeship program (MUCH more demanding than any culinary school) or is self-taught with input from other chefs?

Edited February 11, 2007 by Reefpimp (log)

[nicos]

Neil Perry

Tetsuya Wakuda