Gaining an Advanced Edge

As more practicing culinologists continue to demonstrate, adding the clout of an advanced degree, in tandem with certification as a Certified Research Chef (CRC) and/or Certified Culinary Scientist (CCS), can further careers and incrementally raise the bar for those in the food industry.

PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS

For some chefs, a lifelong passion compels them. “I’ve had a passion for food and a desire to be a chef since I was 7 years old,” explained Tom Beagle, CRC, senior research chef, Park 100 Foods, Inc., Tipton, IN. “Through years of determination, sacrifice and hard work, I can truly say: Every day, I’m living my dream.”

Jonathan Griebel, scientist 2, senior culinologist, international R&D, General Mills, Minneapolis, echoed Beagles sentiments, “I’ve always had a passion for food, and the food business just seemed like a natural fit.” Griebel recently took the CCS and CRC exams and is awaiting results.

For others, they start down a different path of life, only to find themselves directed toward the path of a chef. “After being a starving musician for several years, I wound up supporting myself by working in restaurants and fell in love with the business,” says Craig “Skip” Julius, CEC, CRC, CCS, product development leader, Gordon Food Service, Grand Rapids, MI. “I’ve always had an insatiable thirst for knowledge, and food fascinated me because there are so many aspects to it: foodservice, manufacturing, distribution, culinary, concept design, food history, food science, food anthropology and much more.”

The multiple aspects of the food industry often open doors for opportunities at each stage of a chef’s career, as Mark Crowell, CRC, principal culinologist, CuliNex, LLC, Bainbridge Island, WA, explained: “Initially, I wanted to cook for a living, but I changed my mind even before I left culinary school. After the Culinary Institute of America, I decided to get my undergraduate degree in hotel-restaurant management and wound up in Florida at Florida International University. I hoped a degree from FIU would open doors for me into restaurant management, and it did.” Mark went on to run nine restaurants for a popular department store company and ultimately opened his own restaurant.

For Beagle, who started his career as a chef, there were too many time demands and sacrifices, leading to an exploration of a career in a different facet of the food industry. “I saw an opportunity to explore and transfer my skills into product development and process manufacturing,” he says. “I haven’t looked back since, but do continue to have the utmost respect and admiration for those who daily and nightly grind it out behind the lines and in the heat of all the action.”

PAYING REQUISITE DUES

Career changes are not made overnight, and go hand in hand with dues that must be paid. There is a fair amount of work involved, and many people find that going back to school and/or working toward certification is a must to further their career. “I believe that in order to grow one must continually challenge themselves... Earning the food-science degree opened doors of opportunity to me that simply would not have been attainable otherwise,” says Julius. He added that achieving any level of certification takes two things: commitment and planning.