Have you always dreamt of becoming a renowned chef and owning a restaurant in Utah? If yes, learn how to get into culinary schools in Utah and turn your dreams into reality by reading through this article.
As a child, I have always loved the kitchen and everything that happens there. Most of the time, I’m always in the kitchen with my mum, helping out and trying to learn the nitty-gritty of the various cuisines, delicacies, and dishes she serves for the family. This ignited the love and passion for cooking in me.
As I grew up, I got the opportunity to visit eateries and restaurants, where I admired the chefs, restauranteurs, and sommeliers there as they cooked and served various dishes to their customers. I paused to think, this is the type of professional career I want to pursue myself. Interesting story right?
I know that there are a lot of people like me out there, who have this passion for food. That is why this article on culinary schools is coming your way, to help you achieve that lifelong dream of acquiring culinary skills. Most people have gone to the extent of taking cooking courses online, as well as baking courses online just to learn and perfect their culinary skills.
What is Culinary Art?
Culinary arts are the cuisine arts of food preparation, cooking, and presentation of food, usually in the form of meals.
Modern culinary arts students study many different aspects of food. Specific areas of study include butchery, chemistry and thermodynamics, visual presentation, food safety, human nutrition and physiology, international history, menu planning, the manufacture of food items (such as the milling of wheat into flour or the refining of cane plants into crystalline sucrose), and many others.
Chefs, Restauranteurs, and Sommeliers take food safety courses, so as to learn more about how to maintain the health of their customers.
Utah is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and its west by Nevada. Utah also touches a corner of New Mexico in the southeast.
Utah is famous for varieties of food and drinks among them are; Aggiano, Irish Whiskey, Farnell, Barely Buzzed, Apple Beer, Pastrami Burger, Amis Chicken, Frog Eye Salad, Fry Sauce, Funeral Potatoes, and Jell – O.
The famous eateries scattered all over the state are; SLC Eatery. The Dodo Restaurant, Red Iguana, Oquirrh Restaurant, Takashi, The Roof, Valter’s Osteria, Ruth’s Diner, Current Fish and Oyster, The Copper Onion, Log Haven, Pago, Communal, Franck’s Restaurant, and a lot of others.
These alone prove that Utah is a place of Culinary delight.
You can also check out our other articles on other culinary schools all around the world such as; Culinary schools in Toronto, culinary schools in Michigan, and culinary schools in Chicago
Pursuing a bachelor’s or an associate degree in culinary arts is the best way to enter the world of fine cuisine. You get to maximize your skills and knowledge of cooking, learn about the management and business aspects of running a restaurant, and gain exposure to various cuisines from around the world!
While your syllabus and the subjects you’ll learn will depend on the specialization you choose, here are some of the common topics you might learn during your culinary education:
- Table service
- Menu planning
- International cuisine
- Baking
- Food science
- Food safety management
- Finance
- Introduction to marketing
- Brand management
- Entrepreneurship
As you can see, your classes will be equally divided into learning how to cook and how to manage a restaurant.
Pursuing a degree in culinary arts will give you a holistic view of everything to do with cooking and selling your food. The skills and the knowledge you gain at a culinary school will be extremely valuable.
Becoming a chef is not easy.
You don’t just have to love food and cooking. You also have to focus on picking up the skills, knowledge, and stamina necessary to survive the constant hustle and bustle inside a kitchen.
To become a culinary expert, there are important skills to be acquired. They are listed below:
Creativity
Being a chef isn’t just about cooking fast but also about devising new recipes and finding new methods of presentation. Without creativity, it’s near impossible to make it as a chef.
Strong work ethic: Doing double shifts at the restaurant, preparing food on time, and sacrificing the hours you would have otherwise spent with friends and family is a rite of passage to becoming a chef.
Physical endurance
When in the kitchen, you will be expected to work for long periods without taking any breaks. And you’ll have to do all of that in the heat of the kitchen. Naturally, you’ll have to build physical endurance to be able to do it.
Manual dexterity
As a chef, you’ll have to be mixing, slice, assembling, chopping, squeezing, washing, and doing all sorts of manual things while also keeping your table and your sleeves clean.
Attention to detail
One mistake, and your dish won’t taste as good, the customers will be dissatisfied, and your reputation will go down. If you don’t learn how to be perfect at cooking, things can easily fall apart.
What are the Application Requirements?
While you need to satisfy a few prerequisites (like secondary education) to be able to attend culinary school, it’s not the only document that should be a part of your application.
Let’s take a look at all the things culinary schools look for in their candidates:
- High school diploma
- Experience working in a professional kitchen (1.5 to 2 years, at least)
- TOEFL/IELTS scores
- Statement of Purpose
- Resume
- Recommendations from your mentors or teachers
Some schools also conduct a series of assessment tests that you might have to take. Some colleges also allow students to directly join the 2nd or the 3rd year of college. For this, you will need a higher degree than a high school diploma along with your English proficiency test scores.
The western state of Utah is a diverse culinary state. With over 2.9 million residents, there are plenty of potential clients for you to serve as a chef. Many people live in Utah’s largest cities, which include Salt Lake City, West Valley City, and Provo.
These cities are also home to some of Utah’s best restaurants, like Forage, the Copper Onion, and Bambara Salt Lake City.
There are eight excellent culinary schools in Utah, most of which are in the upper half of the state. While most schools here offer Associate’s degree programs and certificate programs, some schools have Bachelor’s degree programs. The average cost of tuition here is $7,183, which is offset by the average scholarship award of $1,653.
- Average Tuition Cost:$7,183
- Average Loan Amount:$5,482
- Average Scholarship Award:$1,653
- The Duration of study for Culinary Schools in Utah is 12 weeks
Best Culinary Schools in Utah
1. The Art Institute of Salt Lake City
This is one of the Culinary Schools in Utah. The location of the school in Draper. The school offers students a culinary arts program and chef training program. It also offers Baking and Pastry Art.
The school’s tuition fee costs $17,388 while its Scholarship and financial aid award cost $1,588.
2. Snow College
This is one of the Culinary Schools in Utah. The location of the school is Ephraim. The school offers students a culinary arts program and chef training program. The school’s tuition fee costs $2,696 while its Scholarship and financial aid award cost $2,387.
3. Davis Applied Technology College
This is one of the Culinary Schools in Utah. Culinary Arts requires taste and creativity as well as mastery of technique. The Davis Tech program teaches students about proper cooking, baking, knife skills, and the use of professional equipment.
Students learn culinary principles and techniques and have an opportunity to work in a modern, well-equipped production kitchen. The Culinary Arts program prepares students for numerous career opportunities. The school’s main campus is located in Kaysville.
4. Mountainland Applied Technology College
This is one of the Culinary Schools in Utah. The school’s location is in Lehi. The school offers Culinary Food Preparation Programs. Its Scholarship and financial aid awards are $659.
5. Bridgerland Applied Technology College
This is one of the Culinary Schools in Utah. The school’s location is in Logan. The school offers Culinary Food Preparation Programs. Its Scholarship and financial aid awards are $1,543.
6. Ogden Weber Applied Technology College
The Ogden-Weber Technical College which is one of the Culinary Schools in Utah offers students a Culinary Arts program and a Baking & Pastry program designed to provide a broad base of classical and contemporary cooking knowledge combined with hands-on experience, giving each student confidence in attained skills and preparing the student to move successfully into a career in foodservice and hospitality.
The location of the school is in Ogden.
7. Utah Valley University
This is one of the Culinary Schools in Utah. The location of the school in Orem. The school offers students a culinary arts program and chef training program.
The school’s tuition fee costs $4,122, while its Scholarship and financial aid award cost $3,959.
8. Salt Lake Community College
This is one of the Culinary Schools in Utah. The location of the school in Salt Lake City. The school offers students a culinary arts program and chef training program.
The school’s tuition fee costs $2,759 while its scholarship and financial aid award is up to $1,612.
8 Best Culinary Schools in Utah | Fees & Details-FAQs
What is the age requirement for culinary schools in Utah?
The average age of the school’s students is 28, and its yearlong programs in culinary or pastry arts are tight, focused, and fast-paced.