New Hampshire Schools for Chefs, Pastry Chefs and Hospitality Managers

New Hampshire is in the heart of New England. This is ski country, lake country, Fall colors and lazy Sunday drives. You better bet the hospitality and food service industry is alive and kicking.

Here are a few very excellent colleges as well--Dartmouth and Keene State included. In fact, Keene State is one of the schools that offers a foods and nutrition studies program that trains food service professionals. Check out the list below. You’ll find a program in nearly every area of the state – from culinary arts or chef’s training to professional cooks courses and nutrition studies.

Choosing a NH Cooking School

Expect the school you choose to have the following tools and equipment to prepare you to compete in the outside world—whether you decide to pursue a job in New Hampshire or seek employment elsewhere:

• Fully-equipped, state-of-the-art teaching and demo kitchens
• Student-run restaurant catering to the public
• Internship/externship opportunities
• Career guidance and job placement

Explore the Local Culinary Scene

As part of your culinary education make certain exploration of the surrounding region is a requisite. Delve into the most well-reviewed restaurants and eclectic eateries, seek out the most talked-up chefs and sample their best fare, learn the seasonal ingredients and how and where to buy, then take your findings and your creativity back to the kitchen.

Local New Hampshire food and wine festivals into which you should plunge your senses:

• Winter Wine Festival, New Castle
• Annual Chili Challenge, Waterville Valley
• Annual Chowderfest, Waterville Valley
• Pumpkin Festival, Keene

Salaries for chefs in New Hampshire are higher in cities like Dover and Manchester, but you’ll find some good pay in seasonal hotspots like the Lake Sunapee recreational area. Average salary for a sous chef is between $30,000 and $35,000. Also check out the high-end resorts and hotels around hot ski areas like Attitash, Wildcat, Loon Mountain, and Mount Sunapee.

List of New Hampshire Schools that Offer Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Degrees

Hesser College – Manchester
Keene State College – Keene
McIntosh College – Dover
New Hampshire Community Technical College – Laconia
New Hampshire Technical Institute – Concord
Southern New Hampshire University – Manchester
University of New Hampshire – Durham