Have you ever dreamed of being a famous chef with your own books, TV shows and restaurant chains? Or, would you rather market your own food, that you have developed yourself? Do you see yourself on bottle labels? You might just watch Bake Off enthusiastically, wishing you baked for a living. Many of us love food. We love baking with our kids or coming up with new recipes. We enjoy coming up with meal plans and even take pleasure in doing the food shop. But, have you considered actually getting a job in the food industry?
One of the great things about working with food is that while education and qualifications can be a boost, you don’t necessarily need them. You can start your own food business or gain an entry-level job with no formal training. You can spend time learning on the job and developing your own skills and ideas as you go. But, you might have been put off by watching kitchens on TV or hearing about bad hours and high pressure. It doesn’t have to be like that, however. There are plenty of jobs in the food industry, in many different areas and specialities. There’s something for everyone and lots of reasons to work with food. Here’s a look at seven of them.
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Creativity
You don’t have to be an artist to be creative. Working with food can offer you a different way to stretch your creative muscles. You might get a chance to develop your own recipes, and you’ll spend time making sure food is well presented and appealing. If baking is your thing, there’s plenty of room for creativity with your bakes and designs and no limit to what you could create.
Team Spirit
Working in a busy kitchen can be great fun. Because of the nature of the job, and high-pressure situations, colleagues, often become firm friends. There can be a great team spirit and high morale. Kitchen teams tend to work well together; they learn about each other and form a community based on trust and respect.
Fulfilment
Working with food can be very fulfilling if you let it. You have a chance to make people happy, or to make their special event perfect. You might not change the world, but you could improve the day of many people, every day. You can also find fulfilment in your creations and who knows, through food, you could change at least your little bit of the world.
Career Options
When you work with food, you’ve got options. You don’t have to work in a restaurant. You could run your own cafe. You could work in private events catering. You could work in a school or hospital kitchen or even create your own food to sell at shows and events. Some people go on to open bakeries or create occasion cakes at home. Others make a living selling their recipes in books or online. You could even become a successful food blogger. There are lots of options, and you’ll never have to be bored.
Future Prospects
Entry-level chefs don’t earn much unless they are fortunate and get a well-paid job straight away. But there is fantastic potential. There is plenty to learn and room to grow. Promotions can come fast, and those that are eager for success and knowledge can have excellent future prospects.
Low Risk
Some jobs are popular now, but didn’t exist ten years ago, or certainly didn’t exist as profitable careers ten years ago. There are jobs that were around, but that very few people managed to make a living out of, and starting a business for yourself was much more difficult. Industries change and evolve as technology develops and the needs of the public change. There are industries that used to thrive, which no longer exist, and some jobs always seem to be at risk of redundancy.
When you work with food, the risk is low. Your restaurant or eatery might not last forever, but people will always need food, and they’ll always enjoy eating out or otherwise not having to cook. Once you’ve got the right skills, you can always search food jobs here. There will always be work available in the food industry.
Improved Diet
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Of course, this is in your hands, and not all chefs have a great diet. But, working with food gives you a great chance to learn more about nutrition and improve your own eating habits. You might also have greater access to healthy food and fresh produce.
