Commercial cooking is the art, science, and craft of preparing food for consumption and creating something delectable for someone else. Given Australia’s sophisticated restaurants and thriving culinary scene, learning commercial cookery is a popular choice among overseas students.
The hospitality business in Australia is expanding rapidly and is anticipated to rise by 12 per cent over the next five years. Furthermore, it is anticipated that approximately 91,000 people (about the seating capacity of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum) will be engaged in various employment roles.
If you are genuinely interested in experimenting with cuisine, commercial cooking in Australia is the finest option. Look into the many chefs’ culinary degrees available in Australian institutions. These courses are extremely productive.
Meanwhile, they also provide numerous professional options for graduates. Commercial cooks are professional chefs who use their diverse technical talents and extensive knowledge to create delectable cuisine and menu items.
When you study cooking courses, you may hone these talents and turn your passion into a career. Let’s find out on detailed why we study cookery in Australia.
Reasons that make Commercial cooking beneficial
The hotel business in Australia is predicted to exceed $108 billion by 2023, creating several career opportunities for chefs, cooks, and chefs de partie.
Professional cooks who can manage a large kitchen, supervise and teach personnel, and create precise plans to create new recipes are in high demand in Australia.
Aside from that, professional cooks must maintain exceptionally high levels of food cleanliness by closely adhering to the norms and regulations.
Employees in the hotel industry in Australia make a good wage even at the entry-level, and they can advance swiftly up the professional ladder.
A kitchen or restaurant is a fast-paced environment that requires workers to think on their feet and collaborate effectively, therefore, solid communication and intrapersonal skills are required to succeed in this dynamic atmosphere.
Understanding commercial cookery
Commercial cookery is cooking in a professional setting in large quantities as a service. The cooking is performed with higher and quite strict regulations by a chef or a kitchen hand.
Planning, organizing, preparing, and presenting cuisines such as appetizers, broths, meat, seafood, poultry, sweets, and cakes are among the topics covered in the course. It also maintains kitchen facilities, develops knowledge of the hospitality industry and creates cost-effective menus.
In addition, you also learn to prepare food as per dietary and cultural needs. You will learn how to properly run a restaurant as well as create and serve a variety of meals from various cultures around the world.
Large-scale cooking frequently involves the use of high-tech appliances such as steam ovens and blast chillers. However, commercial cooking also necessitates soft skills that will allow you to collaborate with the rest of the team.
The top priority skills for the hospitality sector, according to the Tourism, Travel, and Hospitality IRC’s 2018 Skills Forecast, are active listening, service orientation, coordination, speaking, and social perceptiveness.
It is a fast-paced, detail-oriented, and creative job. If you picture yourself as a future master chef, studying a cooking course could be a wise decision.
Australia is becoming a popular choice for commercial cookery
Australia is a popular destination for overseas students. The key reason for this is that the subject that requires practical abilities is properly taught here.
Commercial Cookery, a one-year full-time program, has become a popular choice among students. Here is why Australia is one of the popular choices amongst international students. There are several benefits of commercial cookery in Australia.
Increase in the number of food places.
Food and beverage services are one of Australia’s most labour-intensive industries. The increase in the number of restaurants because of social expansion and a hectic lifestyle has also raised the demand for competent cooks.
So, if you envision yourself working with food and being creative with it, a cookery course is the greatest subject to pursue.
Networking
This course does not only make you learn about food and cooking, but you also get a lot of networking opportunities in the food industry.
You must complete an obligatory work placement as part of your commercial cooking study. You will also have to go through the job search procedure after that. As a result, interacting with the proper people is a wise decision.
If you are looking for these opportunities. Fortunately, if you live in a city with a vibrant hospitality sector, this becomes much easier.
Higher Job Prospect
Being in the hospitality business is directly proportional to more job opportunities. As you complete your course, you will be getting a lot of good opportunities to begin your first professional work in the kitchen.
Furthermore, you will also get a variety of options within the industry. In addition to that, you can make your entry from a small restaurant to make it all the way up to 5-star hotels, as there will not be any limitation on your growth.
Good Income
No doubt, people look for higher-paying jobs as they qualify for a certain field. One of the best parts about the hospitality industry is you will land yourself in higher-paying jobs.
In Australia, the average annual salary for a cook is $57,250, or $29.36 per hour. The starting wage for new employees is $48,757 per year, with most seasoned staff earning up to $68,250 per year. Chefs make an average weekly full-time income of $1250, while other jobs pay $1460.
Minimum requirements
If you are looking forward to pursuing your education in commercial cookery in Australia as an international student, you just must meet the minimum requirements of an overall 5.5 (academic) in IIELTS result.
This can be a significant help to those who are unable to meet the higher numbers in the test. Gain work experience as a chef apprentice while studying this course.
After about three years of training, you will be promoted from apprentice to qualified chef. This training normally entails working four days a week in a restaurant and attending class one day a week.
Challenge your creativity
Cooking is all about your creativity and passion in the kitchen. Though it is a precise art, as a chef, you get to experiment with different food combinations and flavours.
You should have a proper understanding of when and how to push culinary boundaries after learning and working in a kitchen. If you enjoy brainstorming innovative ideas and receiving immediate feedback, you will be able to develop a unique ingredient and create new menu items for your consumers.
The learning process in the workplace
There are only a few or none of the workplaces where you get to learn while you work, except for the hospitality industry. If you are a kinesthetic learner, a cookery course is a great platform.
You get to ace your technical skills will need to be acquired through real-life practice. Cooking is a never-ending learning process because there is always room for new recipes.
This hands-on approach also ensures that you are always up to date on the latest kitchen advancements, as many organizations have frequent staff training days.
No Boundaries
When you pursue your career in a cookery course in Australia, there will be no boundaries on showing your innovation skills. You are committed to what you are doing, it will take you no time to make your way up in a brief period.
Or else you can create your own special menu and even start your own business in no time. After graduation, you may ascend to the top of the kitchen in a few years.
After gaining enough experience, you may even branch out on your own, as there is a great need in Australia for inventive new cafés and restaurants.
Furthermore, cooking is a highly transferable ability, which means you may take your qualifications and work in restaurants or hotels all around the world.
Details of Commercial cookery course
To get started in cooking, enrol in a course that combines classroom and hands-on training. In Australia, there are several specialist cooking schools, as well as credentials at TAFE and other technical institutes.
It would also be beneficial to work part-time at a restaurant or cafe during your studies to ensure you have a good chance of landing a full-time job when you finish. Courses that are relevant include:
CERTIFICATE III IN COMMERCIAL COOKERY
Begin your commercial cooking career by honing vital practical cooking skills and knowledge. A Certificate in Commercial Cookery III gives you the theoretical and practical knowledge and skills you’ll need throughout your career.
It serves as the foundation for your career, which is why it is critical to select the correct school. The course prepares you for the rigorous standards that come with working in commercial kitchens by combining theory-based classroom lectures with hands-on training.
Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery
Certificate IV, on the other hand, is an advanced-level course in which you can learn about personnel management, inventory management, and budget planning.
The authorities may assign you to additional training. Certificate IV in commercial cooking is an excellent course for people interested in management courses and related skills.
It will teach you the art of managing employees and inventories, as well as fulfil your desire to work in the food sector.
Diploma of Hospitality Management
You can pursue the Diploma if you have finished the Certificate Courses in Cookery. It will help students to develop the skills needed to open their own cafe or restaurant.
The course’s biggest feature is that it will also train you for the career path, where you can develop a successful career in the hotel business.
Certificate III in Hospitality
The nationally recognized Certificate III in Hospitality prepares you for a career in the fast-paced hospitality industry by providing a solid foundation of operational skills.
This program will train you to work as a function host, food and beverage attendant, barista, or gaming attendant.
Certificate IV in Hospitality
The globally recognized Certificate IV in Hospitality enhances your hospitality skills while emphasizing leadership and customer service. You will be ready to manage with confidence and advance to the post of supervisor or team leader in the fast-paced and fascinating world of hospitality.
Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management
The Advanced Diploma in Hospitality Management qualification equips students with the skills and information needed to act as senior managers in any hospitality functional area (except the kitchen).
You will have to analyze, design, and implement decisions using a wide range of technical, artistic, conceptual, or management skills. Their knowledge base might be specialized or wide, and they are frequently held responsible for collective outcomes.
After completing the course, you will be working in the food industry, like restaurants, hotels, catering enterprises, motels, clubs, bars, cafes, and coffee shops, among other places.
Different Types of careers available in the hospitality industry
The hospitality industry has much to offer and has most-in demand professions within the hospitality industry.
If you decide to pursue a career in fine dining, you may begin as a kitchen brigade within the kitchen hierarchy. You can advance from commis chef to chef de partie to sous chef to chef de cuisine in this method.
Each position has its own set of responsibilities and provides opportunities to learn from people further up the ladder.
Here are a few types of jobs you may or can land while you pursue your career in the hospitality industry.
1. Chef
A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is skilled in all elements of food preparation and often specializes in one cuisine.
The name “chef” is derived from the French term chef de cuisine, which means “director or head of a kitchen.” Chefs might acquire professional instruction from an institution or by shadowing an experienced chef.
There are distinct levels that are needed to ace your chef goals.
Commis (chef) / Range chef
A commis is a basic chef in bigger kitchens who works under a chef de partie to learn the responsibilities and operation of a station or range. This could be a chef who has recently completed formal culinary training or is currently in the process.
Chef de partie
A chef de partie, often known as a “station chef” or “line cook,” oversees a specific sector of production. Each chef de partie may have multiple chefs or assistants in large kitchens.
However, in most kitchens, they are the only employee in that section. Line cooks frequently form their own hierarchy, beginning with “first cook,” then “second cook,” and so on as needed.
Sous-chef
The sous-chef de cuisine is the chef de cuisine’s or head chef’s second-in-command and direct assistant. This person may oversee scheduling the kitchen crew or filling in for the head chef when he or she is unavailable.
He or she will also cover for or help a chef de partie (line cook) when needed. This individual looks after the kitchen’s inventory, cleanliness, organization, and the ongoing training of the entire workforce.
A sous-responsibilities chefs may also include following out the head chef’s directions, doing line checks, and ensuring that all food products are rotated on time. Smaller businesses may not have a sous-chef, whilst larger businesses may have more than one.
Chef de cuisine
Executive chef, chef manager, chief chef, and head chef are some other titles. This person is the head of all kitchen-related tasks. The tasks include menu creation, kitchen staff management, ordering and purchasing inventory, controlling raw material costs, and plating design. The English word chef is derived from the classical French term chef de cuisine.
The term “head chef” is frequently used to refer to someone who performs the same functions as an executive chef, although there is normally someone in charge of a head chef. Meanwhile, sometimes making broader executive choices such as menu direction, the final authority in staff management decisions, and so on.
This is frequently the case with executive chefs who manage many restaurants. They are involved in the sensory evaluation of dishes after they have been prepared, and they are fully aware of each sensory attribute of those specific dishes.
2. Kitchenhand
In commercial kitchens, Kitchen Hands do things like wash dishes and utensils, clean, and restock. They may also help Chefs, Line Cooks, and other service personnel with food preparation and storage.
As a kitchen hand, you will have to clean and maintain cooking utensils, dishes, cutlery, and other equipment. Followingly, you will also have to assist with the food prep and storing food, as per the requirements.
On the other hand, you must make sure you are maintained safe and hygiene while performing general cleaning in the kitchen.
As training is done on the job, there are no official qualifications required to work as a Kitchen Hand. A vocational qualification in kitchen operations may be beneficial and will provide a solid basis in safe kitchen practices.
3. Waiters
The definition of the waiter is simple, yet the duty of a server is vast. They are primarily liable if a guest complains, is late for meal service, is late receiving food orders, and so on. A waiter accepts meal orders from customers and passes them on to kitchen personnel.
Once the food has been cooked, the waiter distributes it to the diners. A good waiter, on the other hand, is always useful to any Hotel or Restaurant.
Because a waiter accounts for 80% of a guest’s happiness, while the remaining 20% is made up of 10% for cooking meals, 10% for food testing, and 10% for the hotel or restaurant environment.
4. Barista
Baristas typically operate commercial espresso machines. Their function is to prepare and pull the shot, the degree to which this is automated or done manually varies. The work of a barista ranges from simple push-button control to a complex manual procedure.
Espresso is a notoriously fussy beverage, and producing good manual espresso is regarded as a skilled task. Furthermore, prepare other beverages, particularly milk-based drinks like cappuccinos and lattes, but also non-espresso coffee like drip or press pot.
It necessitates extra effort and skill for proper foaming, pouring, and, most typically, latte art. Although the preparation process is automated, Starbucks personnel working behind the counter are referred to as “baristas.”
5. Pastry chef
The pastry chef is the station chef of the pastry department and a member of the classic brigade de cuisine in a professional kitchen.
Day-to-day operations may also necessitate the pastry chef to research recipe concepts as well as develop and test new recipes. Before dinner seating, the pastry chef usually undertakes all the necessary preparation of the numerous sweets.
Desserts are frequently plated by another station cook, the grade manager, at the time of order. The pastry chef is often in charge of the dessert menu, which may include dessert wines, specialty dessert beverages, and gourmet cheese platters in addition to classic sweets.
Conclusion
In general, the Australian employment environment is quite easygoing and laid-back. Working as a commercial cook here will put you in touch with simple colleagues who address one other and even their employers by their first names.
You will always have ample space to express yourself, regardless of your position. Because there is no structure in the workplace, managers will have little power. Australians are affable and eager to socialize at work. At the same time, they exhibit no interest in a person’s personal space.