Chef Opportunities in Seattle

So what type of opportunities can a culinary school graduate aspire to as a Seattle chef? We've gathered a list of 10 opportunities. It doesn't include all possibilities, but it's a great list that can spark your imagination to get you cooking in Washington.

• Executive Chef/Owner of Your Restaurant

Seattle has a very vibrant and diverse culinary scene. Seattle diners are often looking for new and creative culinary experiences. New restaurants are opening all of the time to meet those needs. With the right training and kitchen experience, you can help fill that demand by taking your culinary education and on the job training and create your own restaurant in this very restaurant-friendly city.

• Sushi Chef

With no shortage of fresh, delicious seafood, Seattle is a great place to learn the art of sushi. The combination of fresh seafood and a large Asian Japanese population combine to make Seattle a treat for sushi lovers. Your skills and desire may take you to notable sushi restaurants like Ototo Sushi, Kisaku, and Aoki Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar.

• Sous-Chef at One of Seattle's Quirky Dining Spots

The unique personality of the Seattle is embodied in some of it's off beat dining spots. From hole in the wall joints with barely enough room for a cook top and counter to funky themed diners and lounges, Seattle is home to some very eclectic and avant garde restaurants. With enough kitchen experience, you may find one that perfectly matches your personality.

• Pastry Chef

A pastry chef supervises and manages all aspects of pastry production in a food service establishment. Considerable knowledge of pastry techniques and a mastery of baking techniques are required. For those with years of kitchen experience, there are also Executive Pastry Chefs that manage a pastry kitchen and other pastry chefs.

• Sommelier

Pairing the correct wine with a meal is art reserved for the sommelier. This food professional not only knows the exact wine to serve with each course but is responsible for ordering and maintaining the wines sold at a restaurant.

• Barbeque Caterer
  

Feeling independent? Want to have a business of your own? Catering may be just the thing for you. But what about a barbeque caterer? Believe it or not, there is a great love of barbeque up here in the Pacific Northwest. Maybe it's because many Seattle residents come from other places or because Seattle diners just know good food when the taste it, but either way barbeque is very popular in Seattle.

• Private Chef

The ultimate chef for hire. A Personal Chef is a chef who prepares meals for a client in the client's home kitchen, based on the client's needs and personal preferences. As an independent business person, marketing and financial management skills are crucial, as well as several years of culinary experience.

• Fish Monger

You already know that Seattle has an incredible reputation for seafood so why not become part of it? Pike Place Fish Market and Port Chatham Smoked Seafood are just two examples of the opportunities available to an enterprising lover of fresh seafood.

• Culinary Educator

As a graduate of a culinary program you know the important role played by culinary educators. After all, they help create each new wave of culinary professional. Once you've mastered the culinary arts, you can give back to the culinary profession and become one of them. Through private cooking lessons or joining the staff of an established cooking school, you can help shape the minds and careers of tomorrow's chefs.

• Food Writer

Restaurant Reviews. Cookbooks. Food and Travel Guides. Food History. All of these are the domain of the food writer, a person who takes their love and knowledge of all things culinary and share them with the world.

This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Seattle. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Seattle offers Le Cordon Bleu culinary education classes and culinary training programs in Seattle, Washington. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Seattle for more information.

The jobs mentioned are examples of certain potential jobs, not a representation that these outcomes are more probable than others. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Seattle does not guarantee employment or salary.