Appearance and hygiene.

[paulgreen3]

I deplore relaxed standards in culinary schools. Some are stricter than others. A key point is that culinary schools are a BUSINESS in a FOR PROFIT arena. If they reject too many students the profit drops and the accountants go beserk.

If you apply high standards to yourself in your appearance and devotion to learning you become a leader by example.

Good Luck

[JulieS]

Paul is right. I started school 6 months ago and was appalled at the number of students in my class who came to school in wrinkled up, stained uniforms. I let it annoy and distract me for almost a month before I let it go and focused on what was really important...learning!
My class started with 34 students, as of yesterday we were down to 14 of us left. Guess who is gone, all those people who came in wrinkled and dirty, and the ones that always slept through lecture. Hang in there, those of you in your class who are serious will be there all the way to graduation.

[FNG]

It is a critical control point in food safety and anything less than the standard is unacceptable. A surgeon doesn't operate without being completely clean and neither should anyone in the food service industry.

[the_seraphim]

i agree... yesterday one of the cooks where i work who persistantly refuses to wash his whites (a washing machine and washing powder is provided) left them next to the washing machine...

a quick dip in a dirty mop bucket and he soon realised the importance of caring for your whites., they arent even his to keep dirty, we got some in, because we cant expect everyone (at this level anyway) to own their own.

the facial hair thing bothers me... i myself maintain a goatee with a moustache... of course the hairs on my face are trimmed with a wilkinson sword quattro titanium precision (blatant product pushing there, but it is a great razor... it has blades, i use it to cut, it belongs here!! ) on the number 1 setting and the rest are shaved with the 4 titanium blades twice a day... my head hair is kept short and under a hat. (even my other hairs are kepts trimmed... just in case)

this same cook who wont wash, also has long hair (longer than his ears, therefore its long, hippie.) and an unkept facial hair thing....

once we made him shave... he cut himself quite badly so now he keeps it trimmed with an electric razor... also, he washes his whites would you believe... and if not... theres the oven that needs a wipe out hehe


as to needing quals... i have no formal training, not one to my name (in this field anyway, im a qualified network engineer lol!) and it hasnt stopped me yet, my sous has no formal training in this field (a few vocational quals though)

i never did understand the need for a degree in cooking... i mean, anyone can follow a recipe... eventually you pick things up... i guess if i applied though with say (and this isnt what i have so dont think too highly of me) 2 years exp prep cook, 4 years exp line cook, 4 years sous, 6 years head chef, 3 years exec chef i dont reckon they would turn me down out of hand...

[tsblo]

When I was in culinary school, anyone who came to class without their whites immaculate lost marks. So much as a wrinkle in the sleeve could mean 3% from your final mark.

Also if you couldn't leave the kitchen in your whites for the 15 minute walk back to the class, because they were too dirty, you lost marks.

All of us really learned to appreciate working clean. Dirty whites, facial hair and and hair longer than 2 finger widths under the chef I'm with right now, and you will be sent home, may not be coming back.
Tough, but tough rules keep the food coming out healthy and clean.

[JonPCooks]

Originally Posted by ALynch

Johnson and Wales had a very strict dress code when I was there.

I go there now, and it hasn't changed, though some chef instructors are less strict.
There is a huge portion of the student handbook dedicated to what is considered proper hygiene and appearance.
I've seen kids sent back because of improper ironing, not being freshly shaven, and most frequently unshined shoes.
I think working so closely with food and product that will be consumed by the public, you need to pay great attention to detail in appearance and hygiene. If I'm going out to eat somewhere and I see sketchy looking people in the kitchen I won't hesitate to leave.

[tastygourmet]

I went to Scottsdale Culinary, Cordon Bleu......Very Strict....3 years ago. But then there always seems to be someone who pushes the limits.
In the kitchen cleanliness IS next to godliness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't want someone in day old dirty clothes near my food, nor do I want anyone who can't take pride in a clean appearance near my food......I don't want to imagine what they were doing before they made my salad or sauteed my fish.

[ChefRAZ]

I can tell you this in the real workforce coming to work dirty can and will cost you a job. I do not clock workers in if: not shaven, clean or smell wierd. its a health issue. so you have a couple minutes to fix whatever clean up problem you might have before your late. being late is 1/2 a point you get 9 points untill you are in unreversable trouble. 11 points is a byebye.

[m brown]

Keep it clean. Dress for the job you aspire to.

In my class, you need to come dressed in full uniform, no jewelry-save for a wedding band, shaved and clean. (minimal make-up~forget about the press on nails.)

Kitchen shoes are a must. I've had students fall with sneakers on ~ bad scene.

just because I'm at a community college, does not mean we can't run with the big boys.

Wanna be a slob? Stay out of the kitchen.

that's all i have to say about that.

[Blagueur]

Is it okay for your employees to show up in dirty uniforms, unshaven, and just generally unkempt?

Where I'm currently studying (one day a week - the rest of the week is spent in a kitchen), it's a big no and people have been kicked out for showing up unkempt. Baseball caps, sneakers, no neckties, rings on fingers and in noses - another big no. Thankfully, our head teacher has balls and has no problem pulling you up if you turn up looking like a hobo and giving you a shirtfronting in front of everyone. If a school does not uphold its own standards then it's not a school worth attending (IMHO).

Given this day and age where rights seem to count more than responsibility this has been challenged by one or two students but it's the class that has shipped them into line. Too many expect an easy street and I have no time for that.

I respectfully disagree with the comment regarding getting into this profession and not getting a good pay cheque, though. The pay and the rewards are there if you want them and are prepared to work hard and present yourself well.

[ED BUCHANAN]

First many local health departments rulings state street clothes are not permitted in the kitchen. Dress into clean uniform at school. If they look sloppy and unkept, thats the way they will work. I would not permit them in kitchen. The main thing to note is if you dont have pride in yourself, how can one expect you to take any pride in what you do.

[yorvo]

Originally Posted by LogghiB

This isn't really a good profession to get into if you want a reasonable paycheck in the near future.

That's what I was thinking. The money and stability is in health care. But if all you want to do is teach go for it.

[SweetJames]

the executive chef where i work is a 28 year old CIA grad, and is very strict about the dress code.
only whites under your whites, clean shaven everyday, etc.
i'm 25, and have really fast growing facial hair, so having to shave everyday at 6am before work absolutly SUCKS, but i do it not only out of respect for him and his rules.
i don't want to loose my job, or get on his bad side over something as trivial as shaving.

all the other cooks there seem to have no problem complying either, and we're a pretty young kitchen.
the only people over 30 are 2 of the 3 sous chefs.