For chefs, apprenticeship programs that pair an established chef mentor with fresh-from-school chefs can create valuable and lasting relationships.
For up-and-coming professionals in most industries, hands-on training is often the most valuable part of cultivating the skills needed for success. For chefs, apprenticeship programs that pair an established chef mentor with fresh-from-school or still-in-school chefs can create valuable and lasting relationships, while also giving young chefs a taste of the rigors to come.
Keith Coughenour, Executive Chef of The Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh, Pa., earned his salt through a formal, three-year apprenticeship from Westmoreland County (Pa.) Community College and the American Culinary Federation (ACF). He was then accepted into the two-year apprenticeship program at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.
“I personally enjoyed the apprenticeship format,” Coughenour says. “I had already graduated from Penn State with a business degree, so I was ready to get into the kitchen and begin to work to generate an income.
“I strongly believed—and still do—that working in the kitchen is the best and quickest way to learn how to cook and how to manage a kitchen,” he adds. “I saw my supervising chefs in action: cooking, scheduling, disciplining, researching, and teaching.”
Coughenour’s apprenticeships ran concurrently with the culinary academic curriculum. For the ACF apprenticeship, he attended classes on Mondays and was scheduled to work Tuesday through Sunday, for at least 40 hours per week, and often more. The apprenticeship at The Greenbrier was set up similarly, with one class on Wednesdays and a work schedule for the rest of the week.
During his apprenticeships, Coughenour worked under and developed relationships with Gary McKaveney, Executive Chef of Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, and Hartmut Handke, CMC, and Walter Scheib, both Executive Chefs of The Greenbrier.
“I saw them at their highs and their lows,” Coughenour says. “I learned a lot from observation. I feel that [The Duquesne Club’s] kitchen upholds all of the skills, values and traditions bestowed upon me by my mentors. They set the example that I still follow today. Our kitchen is super-organized, and spotless, just like theirs were.”
As Coughenour has transitioned into a mentor himself, he’s passing on a few of the lessons he’s learned.
“Be prepared, stay calm, and have a sense of humor,” he advises. “Always execute proper cooking technique—no short cuts! Work cleanly and quietly, and be as organized as possible. Communicate to each other as distinguished ladies and gentlemen. Stay current—read, research, and dine out.”
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