Tag Archives: culinary arts

Changes in the Kitchen

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CUNY CareerPATH Culinary Arts Program, in the kitchen

A recent New York Times article, A Change in the Kitchen, digs deep into the changing roles of women in professional kitchens. For decades, thanks to low-pay, long hours and general high turnover, the food industry has largely been one for transient workers—oftentimes with more qualified workers leaving both jobs and the larger industry after a relatively short period of time. In the last few decades, in part due to the acknowledgement of basic worker rights, there’s been a move towards supporting employee satisfaction, with kitchens offering benefits, sick time and the possibility for promotion. Add to this to growing prestige of the culinary world, due partially to evolving food fads, the opening of specialized restaurants, and the glitz and glam of the industry via reality cooking shows.

While these factors have changed the industry as a whole, one of the more pronounced developments has been the role of women in the kitchen.

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Restaurant Machine

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img via TripAdvisor

To get a glimpse at an extreme example of efficient restaurant management, take a look at Willy Staley’s recent article in NY Times Magazine, “22 Hours in Balthazar.” Balthazar, one of Soho’s hottest spots for fine dining and ultimate star-gazing, churns out high quality meals for 1,500 diners a day, spending close to $90,000 a week on food. To keep patrons fed, the restaurant has become a factory—“raw materials enter through one side early each morning, moving through various stations, where 150 to 200 employees, each playing a narrowly defined role, produce finished, value-added and marked-up goods and serve them directly to end users.” Because of this extreme efficiency, the machine shines. Every role is just as important as the next, from the stewards who bring in and catalog deliveries at 6:00 each morning to head chef Shane McBride who makes important decisions about suppliers, recipes and menus. This New York location has such a well-run system, it recently flew a team of busboys to train staff at their new London location.

Does this spark your interest? If you’re curious to learn more about the New York restaurant industry, the Food and Beverage or Culinary Arts paths in CUNY CareerPATH at Kingsborough might be your first step towards a career in this fast-paced field. Eligibility restrictions apply, so we encourage you to speak with a representative about your options. We have information sessions scheduled through December, so get in touch with us today!

Jobs for a Healthier Diet and a Stronger Economy

The New York City Food Policy Center at Hunter College just released “Jobs for a Healthier Diet and a Stronger Economy” which cites KCC as an institution that supports the creation of valuable food jobs. Our own Babette Audant, Executive Director of CEWD and Assistant Professor of Culinary Arts at KCC was part of this research team. The report looks to the food sector to answer questions about creating fair and safe jobs, promoting economic development, and making food healther and accessible to all New Yorkers.

You can read the full report here:

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