Ways to make a living

[Anneke]

Time to put your thinking caps on.

Other than cheffing, what else could a person do to earn a living in this industry?

(The more creative the better)

[lynne]

F&B Director
Catering Sales Rep
Sales reps for Sysco-like companies
Chef Manager/Manager for Food Service Companies like Sodexho/Marriott, Compass
Personal Chef
Event Planning requires strong food knowledge --or does if they are good!
B&B/Small Inn - food and hospitality related

These are what my peers from culinary school are doing besides on the line in-kitchen careers

I would like to be paid to eat. Food taster at all the best restaurants. Of course, I would look more like Paul Pruhomme than ever.

[Afra]

LOL, Crudeau, what a silly post! I want to be paid for something I really enjoy doing; cooking is one of my favorite hobbies since I have a passion for cooking. I am still thinking about that school in Denver so that this will soon be a reality. I have always cooked at home, but I want to do this in the real life as my career so I am not going to give up on this!

[Greg]

• Research/development chef- a friend of mine does this for Buffets Inc.(Old Country Buffet). He comes up with new menu items and writes standardized recipes for them.
• Food sales- who better to sell to a chef but another chef?
• Food writer.
• Food critic- I don't recommend going this route; we wouldn't like you anymore!
• Instructor- You'd have to get a good amount of real-life experience before you could do this.
• Food stylist- foodnfoto could tell you more about how to go about this.
• Retail- gourmet food shops, cooking supply stores, etc.

[coolJ]

Menu Consultant
Sales Rep

[shroomgirl]

Cook book author
editor
farmer's market master
newsletter writer
consultant for caterers
coordinator for cooking classes
Really offsite caterer
artisan cheese producer
Marketing for value added products
Farmer (don't recommend usless you have alot of money to sink into it)
Set up booths for shows
Contest coordinator
Food tour guide
Food travel agent
Kitchen design consultant
Organizational kitchen consultant
Design lesson plans for culinary demos (schools)
That's about it for now

[Anneke]

Aha! Shroomgirl, I was thinking of you when I started this thread; thanks!

[shroomgirl]

There's a food media workshop going on March 3rd so that's another venue...giving workshops to food people so that they can speaking concisely and coherently to the press!!! I signed up ages ago.

It amazes me that alot of the government (state mainly) workers that are hired to work with farmers to connect them to chefs are non-food people. They don't know the ins and outs of a commercial kitchen, nor which restaurants would be more likely to use a whole animal or fresh product....
There is a huge need for chef/cook consultants in our gov't.....

OH MAN IT IS SNOWING YET AGAIN!!! Yesterday it was 4o's-50's now it's snowing....I'm ready for SPRING!!! Enough cold already.

Sorry, just needed to vent. It's even noisy snow, how is that possible?

shroomgirl,
what are the state workers job title?what department do they work in?

Write about food.... either books or magazine articles.... it is a great living!

[foodnfoto]

Bones, contact the State Dept. of Agriculture, they may connect you to the county extension agent, but it's a start.
Anneke-- here are a few more ideas.
-director of prepared foods for a specialty food store (better hours and lots of cooking)
-test kitchen director
-associate food editor ( they do more cooking than editors, generally)
-food photographer ( the best ones have a lot of food knowledge)
-digital food photographer (everyone is moving toward digital photography, it combines food, computers, and cameras)
There is a good book titled "Careers for Gourmets and Others Who Relish Food" by Mary Donavan. She includes lots of resources and practical advice.