There are many top culinary schools in Florida that offer an array of practical classes as well as food history and culinary theory. Most culinary arts programs mix hands on experience with laboratory classes with professional chefs. All schools are accredited through the American Culinary Federation (ACF), and are structured so students leave the program ready to step into an exciting career in the restaurant and hospitality industry.
Florida Culinary Institute
Located in West Palm Beach, the Florida Culinary Institute has been teaching fine cooking skills since 1987. This program is ranked as one of the best in the United States, and trains students alongside professional chefs in a production kitchen. Coursework includes practical learning, cooking theory and the restaurant business, so graduates have the best chance of gaining employment after their courses are completed. Culinary degrees focus on classic French technique, Asian cookery, Mediterranean, Latin and basic American cooking. There is also extensive coverage of professional baking and pastry making. Other degrees offered at this school are culinary arts management and a pastry and baking master class.
International Culinary Schools at the Arts Institutes
The cooking program at the Arts Institute is on the top ranked culinary schools in Florida. In this program, they emphasize international and American cuisines, but also give students the chance to specialize in a certain food niche such as baking, pastry making, candy making and classic French techniques. At this school one can prepare to be a chef or focus on other kitchen positions such as garde manager, grillardin, line cook, prep cook or assistant baker. The Arts Institutes also offer a degree in culinary management for those looking to get into professional catering, hotel or restaurant management and have a career services group that will help in placing students with jobs upon completion of their program.
Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Art
This culinary schools with several locations offers two main programs at their school, culinary arts and patisserie and baking. They also offer three online programs
- Associates Degree in Culinary Operations
- Associates Degree in Hospitality & Restaurant Management
- Bachelors Degree in Culinary Management
They have a reputable staff to lend guidance about financial aid, work programs and offer full service career placement counseling upon completion of a program.
Johnson and Wales University College of Culinary Arts
People looking for culinary schools in Florida may want to consider Johnson and Wales University. Here they focus on mastering all facets of becoming a professional chef. They work with cooks on developing finely tuned kitchen skills, developing creativity and fostering leadership skills that will help chefs run a complicated and busy kitchen later in their careers. J&W offers expert instructors, real life lab kitchens that use commercial grade equipment and work-study classes. Students will have the chance to gain practical experience in kitchens at America’s Test Kitchens, Walt Disney World, Marriott International and Nobu. This school has one Florida campus, in North Miami, and also has three other locations – Denver, CO, Providence, RI and Charlotte, NC.
Choosing a culinary school in Florida will get people serious about making cooking a career well on their way to being able to keep a professional kitchen cooking at full speed. Culinary programs help cooks fine tune their skill set and learn new and exciting techniques that will bring depth and flavor to dishes. Programs will also help in sharpening basic skills and teach students how to develop their own recipes and signature dishes. A good culinary arts education is the first step to a lasting career in the food industry.
Additional Schools in The Miami Area
Miami Dade College
The Miami Dade College School of Culinary Arts Management is one of the prestigious culinary schools in Florida (Miami) offering a program on Associate Degree in Culinary Arts Management. In this course, students are required to master all the fundamentals of culinary management – from basic culinary production to food service, preparation and artistic presentation. Students are also required to undergo leadership training, personality development, employability and human relations program. The Miami Dade College is reputed for offering a variety of courses related to the culinary industry, including supervisory and culinary teaching programs.
The Don Ignacio Culinary Arts School
The Don Ignacio Culinary Arts School is located along the busy streets of Doral, Miami. It is one of the few culinary schools in Florida offering special courses in Peruvian and French cuisine preparation. The school’s Associate Degree in Culinary Arts program can be completed in four semesters (60 weeks). The Tri-Semester Certificate in Peruvian Pastry-Making & Culinary Arts is a graduate program with a 45-week completion. Graduates of the Don Ignacio Culinary Arts School are provided with financial aid packages and free scholarship programs. The school’s Career Placement Office is affiliated with the prestigious Institut Paul Bocuse in France and Disney World.
Chef Jean Pierre’s Cooking School
The Chef Jean Pierre’s Cooking School is an exclusive institution for experienced chefs and novices in the culinary arts. Located at the city’s Fort Lauderdale area, the students enrolled in the school are required to take advanced training courses in French, Italian and Southwest American cuisine once they already completed the “Basic Skills” subject. Owned by Chef Jean Pierre, a Frenchman currently based in Miami, the school specializes in conducting seasonal workshops on European wine pairings, seafood preparation and knife maintenance. The Chef Jean Pierre’s Cooking School often hosts occasional parties such as birthdays, wedding receptions and dinner party for elite groups.
Chef Aliza Culinary Arts School
The Chef Aliza Culinary Arts School offers special courses for both kids and adults. The school’s “Future Chef’s Club” is a one-day course offered to kids ages 7 and below. The course focuses on teaching kids the basics of cooking and food preparation. Owned by Chef Aliza Stern, the Chef Aliza Culinary Arts School also offers a free course for any culinary arts graduate. Often referred to as the “Gourmet Club”, graduates (and students of Chef Aliza) can participate in organizing team building activities and host private parties. The course also entitles them to advance their skills in Mexican and Mediterranean cuisine – something that cannot be found in most of the culinary schools in Florida.