Wisconsin Culinary and Pastry Arts Schsool
The food industry in Wisconsin is one-of-a-kind. Traditionally the region is defined by cheese and lots of it—cheddar cheese and cheese curds. And though cheese is a major agricultural product of the state, it does not paint the whole culinary picture. In fact, Wisconsin is home to a bounty of cranberry bogs, some excellent freshwater fish, wild game, dairy and beef, morel mushrooms, and Kohler Company’s designer kitchen and bath fixtures.
Colleges and universities offering culinary arts and hospitality degrees are not in short supply in Wisconsin. So how do you choose which one’s right for you?
Tips for Choosing a WI Cooking School Program
The ultimate goal of any quality culinary school is to prepare you for the job market, which is competitive. Choose a school amply armed with the right arsenal of facilities and services, such as:
- Well-equipped, state-of-the-art even, student/teaching kitchens
- Accomplished chef/instructors that can provide you with proper guidance, instruction and industry best practices
- Chef internships, externships and/or apprenticeships that give you the chance to work/learn in top-notch restaurants and hotels regionally or nationally
- Career guidance and job placement the get you up and running smoothly in a first job with growth potential.
Four-year colleges and universities typically offer Bachelors degrees with business focus, such as hospitality and restaurant management, food technology, and food and nutrition studies. Community and technical colleges deliver the bulk of culinary arts degrees such as the very popular two-year Associates and one-year certificate and diploma programs. These are skills-based with only basic or elementary business skills included. IN some cases you may also find continuing education or standalone culinary courses often designed for working professionals.
Wisconsin Food Scene: Your Educational Mission
No culinary education is complete without a thorough survey of the local and regional food environment. Wherever you finally enroll in culinary school sample the local popular fare. Use the internet to find the best-reviewed upscale and downscale eateries, top-rated regional chefs and their bios, plunder their menus and ingredients, learn what native ingredients are used effectively to provide flavor nuances unavailable anywhere else and basically become expert in the regional culinary marketplace. Take what you learn back to the teaching kitchen and apply your own vision.
Common regional foods include walleye, cheese curds, beer, and brats. Nosh and learn.
If you’re pressed for time visit a couple regional food festivals where you’ll discover concentrations of traditional foods, samples from the best local restaurants, local wines and handcrafted beers, and even recipe and chef cook-offs. Add these to your academic calendar:
- U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, Wisconsin
- Annual Morel Mushroom Festival, Muscoda
- Warrens Cranberry Festival, Warrens
- Annual Kohler Food and Wine Experience, Kohler
- Annual Food for Thought Festival, Madison
Land a Job and Finally Get Paid to Cook
Seek out fertile job markets in larger metro areas, including Green Bay, Milwaukee, Madison, and even La Crosse. All of these locations feature exciting cuisines and dynamic restaurant cultures that deliver to an increasingly sophisticated audience.
Salaries vary greatly as you might imagine, particularly between entry-level chefs and experience executive chefs. Expect to start at the bottom of the kitchen ladder and earning minimum wage or a bit more. You will build your reputation and career cred quickly if your skills are top-notch and you’re a team player and leader. Expect salaries across the state for a sous chef to range from $29,000 to $35,000.*
Wisconsin State Colleges, Community and Technical Colleges Offering Culinary, Restaurant Management, and/or Hospitality Degrees
Blackhawk Technical College – Janesville
Bryant and Stratton College – Milwaukee
Chippewa Valley Technical College - Eau Claire
Fox Valley Technical College – Appleton
Gateway Technical College – Kenosha
Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College – Hayward
Lakeland College – Sheboygan
Madison Area Technical College – Madison
Mid-State Technical College - Wisconsin Rapids
Milwaukee Area Technical College – Milwaukee
Moraine Park Technical College - Fond Du Lac
Nicolet Area Technical College – Rhinelander
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College - Green Bay
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College – Fennimore
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay-Madison-Menomonie-River Falls-Stevens Point
Viterbo College - La Crosse
Waukesha County Technical College - Pewaukee
Western Wisconsin Technical College - La Crosse
*Indeed.com