How Online Schooling Transformed and Created Access to Culinary Education

December 21, 2022
Barbara Castiglia

 
Online schooling has been around since the late ‘80s but didn’t become more common until the early ‘90s. Today, all types of educational courses can be accessed and completed solely online — even hands-on disciplines, such as culinary schooling and experiential trades. In addition, even though predominantly higher education or certain trades offered online courses, the COVID-19 pandemic compelled all grade levels to move to an online format, further increasing enrollment numbers and interest in pre-existing online schools.

But in terms of culinary arts, how does the online schooling format work when it comes to such a hands-on skill? What are the benefits of it?

In the latest episode of “The Main Course,” host Barbara Castiglia talked to Ken Rubin, the Chief Culinary Officer at Rouxbe — an online culinary school. The pair discussed how culinary education has transformed with online access, the current trends in the field and the ways the pandemic impacted it, along with the current state of online culinary schools.

They also explored the ways in which online culinary schooling works. Just like other types of educational courses, culinary arts is no different and a lot of culinary education often comes from instruction via live videos or recorded ones, said All Culinary Schools. Rubin added that the people behind these culinary programs are usually very seasoned experts themselves. Even restaurants are getting behind programs to boost their workers’ experience.

“The skills we can offer through that employer-led program not only help that person at that job, but because the Rouxbe learning, and the certification, and the credential that you receive is transferable, it gives that person currency. It gives that person something they can take with them, if and when they leave that job,” said Rubin.

Castiglia and Rubin further discussed culinary education …

● How online culinary schooling helps level the playing field for aspiring cooks

● Rubin’s background in the culinary field and the shift in culinary education through
online access

● Rouxbe’s approach to creating professional cooks

“We kind of took this approach where we knew what worked in the industry from a training point of view. We know really deeply what worked in professional chef schools … and was really this idea of taking online as a platform but still empowering those learners, those aspiring cooks, to create a context where they’re still cooking and practicing and doing all those skills — just in their own home kitchen,” said Rubin.

Ken Rubin is the Chief Culinary Officer at Rouxbe. He started working with the company a decade ago and is an experienced chef and culinary educator. Rubin is also a food anthropologist and a speaker with more than two decades of culinary experience. He is a graduate of Colorado College and the University of Texas at Austin. In addition to his role with Rouxbe, he is also a chair for the James Beard Foundation’s Broadcast Media Awards Committee.

Recent Episodes

View episode

  The art of cocktail-making has evolved with technology at its side and it’s shaping a new frontier in mixology. Gone are the days of cumbersome processes and the labor-intensive nature of preparing exquisite frozen cocktails. The world is in a modern age where efficiency meets innovation. Businesses now have the opportunity to elevate their […]

77X Series
View episode

What makes 77X Series a good fit for your business? You can pour a wide range of frozen beverages and maximize your cocktail menu options all from a minimal footprint! The close sealed system with BIB technology eliminates daily cleaning and product preparation. You don’t even need a water line input! Compared to many competitors, […]

food traceability
View episode

  Thanks to new regulations in Europe and the United States, a spotlight on food traceability is intensifying. Food traceability systems track food products throughout the supply chain, which reduces waste and helps authorities respond swiftly to safety incidents. How should companies invest in food tracing technology to build consumer trust? The new regulations out […]