The Future of Employment: Culinary Excellence

By Sanjay Sharma

With the dynamics of culinary industry changing more than ever, career opportunities for deserving candidates in the sector are immense.

‘Hello chef’ or ‘Could I please have a selfie with you chef?’ - This is typically how a chef is addressed in the modern times. Gone are the days when the professionals were restricted to hotel kitchen busy preparing gourmet meals. There is a paradigm shift and chefs are progressively becoming the face of the changing hospitality sector. Historically, destinations were known for its tranquillity, but today, places are more cherished for the meals served during the stay; it is the chef, the gourmet and the connoisseur that make the journey more memorable.

With time, the preferences and taste of the people is changing and so is the cuisine. The induction of technology and modern equipment has taken food to a very different level.  Who ever imagined that popcorn could be relished in liquid form or olive oil foam will be served with breads without altering the real taste? Food today is garnished with edible dust, microgreens and is literally served on the clouds (liquid nitrogen). In this ever changing world of food, the dynamics of culinary industry is changing more than ever, so, we as individuals who wish to excel in life also need to be at pace with the changing environment.

Career Opportunities in Culinary Industry

The world is becoming smaller and global distances are shrinking, but, the opportunities for deserving candidates are increasing by the day. Traditionally, chef’s employment was limited to reputed hotels or cruise liners, but, today there is no limit; imagination, creativity, self-belief and positive attitude is the key to success. Let us look at some of the names of those who have changed the future of culinary trends and have given strength, courage and motivation to think out of the box; Atul Kochhar, Gordon Ramsay, Kunal Kapur, Madhur Jaffrey, Manjit Singh Gill, Ranveer Brar, Sanjeev Kapoor,  Vikas Khanna, Vineet Bhatia and on and on the list is endless. But, as the tag line of Cadbury’s Bournville says “you don't just buy a Bournville; you earn it”, similarly, you don’t buy to be a celebrity, you earn it.

In the era of dot com, it is only your imagination that can restrict you from being a celebrity; Chefs or people with inclination towards food are increasingly becoming TV anchors, food connoisseur, column writers and critique; Nigella Lawson, Pushpesh Pant and Vir Sanghvi are three of the biggest examples. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media websites have not only made the information available at a click away but have also given opportunities to share your skills and become famous overnight. There were times when business meant huge capital and large infrastructure, but, today “an idea can change your life”, the online opportunities are immense; a potential chef could look at starting a food blog or having a YouTube channel.

Food retailers like Hindustan Unilever or Nestle are hiring chefs for their product research and development. Professionals with entrepreneurial acumen have successfully ventured into setting up food related businesses; Diva, Indego, Indian Accent, Junoon, Rasoi are some of the finest examples, even the likes of Zomato, Food Panda, Yumist, Swiggy etc with little or no food background have made successful food related businesses.   

In a developing country like India the hospitality industry is becoming more and more competitive and demand for the skilled professionals is at peak. Gaining hands-on experience and getting a professional culinary degree will not only increase the chances of getting employed, but, will also open doors for a successful entrepreneurial journey; the examples to discuss on both the opportunities are endless. So, in a scenario where the external environmental factors are positively impacting the growth of an individual, we need to keep up with the pace to be a better professional.

About the Author:

Sanjay Sharma

Sanjay Sharma is Associate Professor and Head at School of Culinary Excellence, Vedatya Institute, Gurugram.