How to Become a Chef: Career Guide, Courses, After 12th, Top Colleges, Eligibility, Steps, Types, Abroad, Scope, Skills, Jobs, Salary 2023

Chefs are qualified and skilled professionals who are proficient in every aspect of food preparation. They understand flavours, cooking techniques, and create recipes from fresh ingredients. The task of a Chef is very exciting but simultaneously it has a lot of responsibilities as well. From maintaining the safety and security standard of food to customer satisfaction, a Chef needs to do it all.

To become a Chef, aspiring candidates must pursue undergraduate or postgraduate Hotel Management Courses, Cooking Courses, and Catering Courses. India is home to several top Hotel Management Institutes like IHM, IIHM and Parul University which enrol students on the basis of various Hotel Management entrance exams like IIHM eCHAT, CUET and NCHMCT JEE. To become a Chef, candidates can also pursue certification courses in cooking, catering, nutrition sciences etc.

The average starting salary of a Chef is INR 3.66 LPA while the maximum salary that a Chef can get after gaining substantial years of experience can go up to as much as INR 21 LPA and in certain cases even more. The factors determining the salary of a Chef are their work experience, expertise, and the organisation that they are associated with. The average annual salary of a Chef in India is 6 LPA. Read More: Salary of a Chef

Table of Content

How to Become a Chef: Quick Facts
Who are Chefs
Eligibility Criteria to Become a Chef
Steps to Become a Chef
Types of Chefs
How to Become a Chef in India

6.1 How to Become a Chef After 12th

Chef Courses

7.1 Entrance Exams

Top Hotel Management Colleges in India
Skills Required to Become a Chef
Benefits of Becoming a Chef
Salary of a Chef
How to Become a Chef: FAQs

How to Become a Chef: Quick Facts

Eligibility Criteria	Bachelors’ in Hotel Management or other related streams
Skills Required	Cooking, Experimenting with cuisines, catering
Starting Salary	0.80 LPA
Average Salary	6 LPA
Highest Salary	15 LPA

Who are Chefs

Chefs are skilled professionals who have expertise in cooking a variety of dishes and experimenting with the cuisines. Chefs take care of the safety standard of food in any restaurants, and hotels while maintaining the proper taste of the same.

Safety standard and perfection in the taste is necessary for the consumers’ ultimate satisfaction. Chefs are in charge of experimenting with recipes and sometimes the fusion recipes taste so well that the cuisines are named after the Chefs who created them.

Eligibility Criteria to Become a Chef

To become a Chef the primary requirement is the knowledge of nutrition in food and a passion for cooking. A graduation degree in hotel management or other related streams helps candidates in boosting up their expertise in cooking and experimenting with cuisines.

Listed below are some of the basic eligibility criteria required to become a Chef.

Aspiring candidates must qualify class 12 board exams from any recognised board.
They must be passionate about cooking and be able to maintain the nutrition level and taste of the food.
Candidates must have a bachelor's degree in hotel management or any other related streams like food science.
Candidates can have a certification course in cooking, and catering as well after pursuing a graduate degree.
Candidates willing to go for higher education can pursue post-graduation degrees in hotel management, food sciences and other related streams.

Steps to Become a Chef

As discussed above, candidates aspiring to become a Chef, must complete their 12th board exams and then start preparing for the entrance exams of various top institutes offering bachelor degrees in hotel management and other related streams like B.Sc. in Food Science, Certificate Courses in Cooking and Catering and others. Discussed below are the steps for becoming a Chef.

Step 1: The first step on the road to becoming a chef should be pursuing a basic diploma degree after clearing class 12th board exams. The duration for Diploma courses usually ranges between 1.5 - 3 years, including any necessary paid or unpaid internships.
Step 2: Candidates should devote a minimum of 3-4 years earning a Bachelor’s degree (BA) in Culinary Arts Courses.
Step 3: After earning a bachelor's degree, one may pursue a postgraduate degree in Culinary Arts
Step 4: One gains the information and skills necessary for the selected specialisation, even if formal schooling is not required to become a chef.
Step 5: Gaining Real-World Experience Post-Internship/Apprenticeship
Step 6: One must begin their career as a commis chef in the speciality division or sector of a restaurant. The road to becoming a chef is only the beginning, with a formal degree.
Step 7: Gaining the proper exposure while working in a favourable setting with a varied mentors is essential for becoming a successful chef.
Step 8: Daily tasks will help them hone their knowledge and abilities.In addition to providing opportunities for professional networking, this practical exposure also enables one to get to know one's coworkers.

Types of Chefs

Chefs are broadly categorised on the basis of the work done by them. Tabulated below are the various types of Chefs for your reference.

Job Profile	Job Description
Chef-Owner (Group Chef)	A Chef-Owner is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the restaurant and also to undertake the overall direction, reputation, and profitability of the same.
Executive Chef (Chef de Cuisine, Head Chef)	An Executive Chef is a skilled professional cook who oversees the operations of a restaurant or dining facility. They are responsible for the food that comes out of a kitchen, from conception to execution.
Sous Chef (Second Chef, Under Chef)	A sous Chef acts as the executive Chef's second-in-command, supervising cooks and overseeing day-to-day operations.
Senior Chef (Chef de Partie, Station Chef)	Senior Chef is a Chef in charge of a particular area of production in a restaurant. In large kitchens, each Chef de partie might have several cooks or assistants
Pastry Chef (Patissier)	A pastry Chef is a Chef who works in a kitchen and creates a variety of baked goods such as sweets, candies, desserts, cookies, brownies, pastries, and bread.
Sauce Chef (Saucier, Saute Chef)	A sous Chef is a person who works in a kitchen and is primarily responsible for preparing sauces. Sauce Chef reports directly to the Chef de cuisine or executive Chef.

How to Become a Chef in India

To become a Chef in India, one does not require any specific qualifications or career stream. The job of a Chef is more passion and hobby oriented than qualification oriented. Thus, candidates desiring to become a Chef must have cooking as their hobby.

School Level Preparation: School life is presumed to be years of self-development and self-exploring. It is the phase of life when students discover their areas of interest, hobbies etc. The candidates who are desiring to become a Chef must start preparing for it at the earliest. The basic preparation for becoming a Chef starts with developing an interest in cooking.

How to Become a Chef After 12th

To become a Chef, preparation starts after the candidates complete their 10+2 from any recognised board. The candidates must start preparing for the entrance exams of top hotel management colleges in order to pursue relevant courses for becoming a Chef.

UG Preparation: Candidates who are desiring to become a Chef can pursue any Undergraduate Hotel Management Courses or Cooking Courses and other related courses such as B.A. Culinary Arts, B.Sc. in food sciences etc. from top private or government universities in India.
PG Preparation: A candidate can become a Chef with a bachelor's degree in hotel management or any other related course but a postgraduate degree of the same is always preferred for becoming a Chef.

Chef Courses

To become a Chef, an aspirant must complete 12th from any recognised board and then take admission in the relevant bachelor’s degree courses such as BBA Hotel Management or B.Sc. in Food and Nutrition Sciences.

Tabulated below are some of the top courses available for candidates to become a Chef.

Parameters	Bachelors’ in Hotel Management	Masters’ in hotel Management	B.Sc. in Nutrition Sciences
Duration	3 Years	2 Years	3 Years
Eligibility Criteria	12th from any recognised board	Bachelors’ degree in any related stream	12th from any recognised board
Top Colleges	IHM Chennai, Crist university etc.	IHM Delhi, Parul University etc.	BHU, DU etc.
Entrance Exams	NCHMCT JEE	IIHM eCHAT	CUET
Average Course Fees (INR)	1,38,000 Per annum	1,00,000 per annum	30,000 Per annum
Average Salary (INR)	3 LPA	5 LPA	3 LPA

Entrance Exams

The entrance exams for getting admission in top colleges for hotel management, Chef, catering courses are tabulated below.

Name of the Exams	Application Deadlines	Exam Dates	Result Declaration
CUET	February 9, 2023 - March 12, 2023	May 21, 2023 - May 31, 2023	To be announced
NCHMCT JEE	February 2, 2023 - April 27, 2023	May 14, 2023	To be announced
IIHM eCHAT	-	March 11, 2023	-

Top Hotel Management Colleges in India

India is home to more than 1,555 Hotel Management Colleges, out of which more than 71 colleges are listed IHMs that is recognised by the UGC. The fee structure of top Hotel Management Colleges ranges between INR 40,000 - 2,00,000 annually.

The top hotel management colleges in India with their average fees are listed below.

Name of the Colleges	Location	Average Annual Fees (INR)
IHM Mumbai	Mumbai	1,32,000
IHM Chennai	Chennai	1,18,000
Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration	Manipal	1,12,000
Institute of Hotel Management, Catering & Nutrition, New Delhi	New Delhi	1,12,000
Parul University	Vadodara	40,000
International School of Hospitality and Tourism	Kolkata	1,38,000
DPMI Vocational institute	Delhi	60,000
International Institute of Hotel Management	Pune	1,31,000
Dr.Ambedkar institute of Hotel Management catering and Nutrition	Chandigarh	1,22,000
Christ University	Bangalore	1,25,000

Skills Required to Become a Chef

Becoming a Chef requires multitasking ability amongst the candidates. These multi-tasking abilities includes cooking, catering and other associated duties that are necessary for the satisfaction of a customer. The skills required to become a Chef are tabulated below.

Excellent cooking skills	Experimenting with the food	Communication skills
Cuisines presentation skills	Able to make fusions of cuisines	Knowledge of nutritions
Food Serving skills	Client handling skills	Understanding basic food science

Benefits of Becoming a Chef

A career as a Chef is best suited for someone having a keen interest in food and cooking new recipes. Becoming a Chef gives ample space to a candidate for following their cooking hobbies. Thus, a Chef rarely feels any workload and enjoys their work. The benefits of becoming a Chef are pointed out below.

Ability to follow the passion: The job of a Chef needs the candidates’ passion for cooking and experimenting with the food. Thus, a Chef can get inner satisfaction while following their passion.
Customers’ feedback: The Chefs are able to get on-time feedback for the recipes they have cooked from their customers which helps them in improving their quality.
Start their own business: Food is a basic necessity for human life and the best quality food is what everyone desires. A Chef gets the opportunity to start their own food business.
Getting variety to taste every day: To check the quality and taste of the food, the Chefs taste the food themselves before serving those to the customers which gives them an opportunity to taste a variety of flavours every day.

Salary of a Chef

The salary of a Chef increases with the experience gained. A Chef at an entry-level position or at an intern level gets a salary of INR 0.80 LPA which increases with the years of experience gained. The maximum salary which a Chef can get with relevant years of experience is INR 15 LPA and in some cases even more.

Designations	Average Annual Salary (INR)
Executive Chef	2.5 L
Head Chef	8 L
Station Chef	3.5 L
Junior Chef (Trainee)	0.80 L

How to Become a Chef: FAQs

Ques. What are the main steps to becoming a Chef?

Ans. To become a Chef, one can study Certificate, Diploma, Undergraduate, and Postgraduate courses such as BSc in Hospitality and Hotel Management, BSc in Catering Science and Hotel Management, Certificate in Food Production and Patisserie, PG Diploma in Culinary Arts, BA Culinary Arts etc.

Ques. What knowledge do you need to be a Chef?

Ans. The Chef must have knowledge of culinary techniques, as well as the percentages of exact ingredients, the appropriate temperatures, preparation times and the safety and hygiene of the recipe.

Ques. How many years does a Chef study?

Ans. A Chef studies for 3 years after completion of class 12th. It is necessary for a Chef to have a 3 years graduation degree in Hospitality and hotel management, food sciences etc.

Ques. How can a candidate become Chef after 12th?

Ans. In order to become a Chef, candidates can have a diploma degree in food production or a bachelor's degree in hospitality and hotel management and other related streams.

Ques. What is the average fees for hotel management courses?

Ans. The fee structure of top hotel management colleges ranges between INR 1,00,000 - INR 2,00,000 per annum. The average fee structure of IHMs are INR 1,38,000 per annum.

Ques. What is the average salary a Chef gets in India?

Ans. The average salary which a Chef gets in India is INR 5 LPA.

Ques. How much a Chef gets paid at an entry level?

Ans. At the entry level, a Chef receives an average annual salary of INR 1.20 L. The salary of a Chef increases with the years of experience gained.

Ques. What skills do Chefs need?

Ans. Chefs requires to have cooking skills, food presentation skills, catering skills and other skills needed for becoming a member of hospitality industry like good communication skills.

Ques. What is the highest form of Chef?

Ans. The head Chef remains at the top of the hierarchy in restaurant kitchens. They are responsible for creating menus, controlling kitchen costs, and managing the kitchen staff.

Ques.What is the benefit of being a Chef?

Ans. The benefits of becoming a Chef includes the opportunity to create new dishes, experiment with unique ingredients etc. The Chef also get opportunity to start their own food businesses.