How to become a restaurant critic: features of the profession, an overview of educational institutions, job descriptions

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

There are many interesting professions in the world and, probably, many would dream of becoming a person whose work would be related to delicious food, besides, if they were still paid for it. Indeed, there is such a profession called "restaurant critic". However, you should not compare such a speci alty with a taster, a food critic is a broader concept and requires a fairly high level of professional training.

Features of the profession

An interesting question: "How to become a restaurant critic and what skills do you need for this?" First of all, a person of such a speci alty must have an aesthetic taste in order to determine all the halftones of the dish that the chef has put into him. In addition, a professional gives a comprehensive assessment of the entire establishment: service, appearance of waiters, wine list, dishes, notices and describes the little things.

The profession of a restaurant critic implies that a person must be excellent at cooking and write reviews well. Also, the critic must be impartial and incorruptible. None relatedor close ties to the owner should not reflect on the opinion of a professional.

Today, in reality, there are few such people.

Where to start?

Alas, but specialized training courses called "Restaurant Critic" in our country can not be found. But to become a professional, it is recommended to study as a journalist or a cook. The first profession will allow you to learn how to create professional content, and the second will introduce you to the restaurant business. Although the basics of the latter profession can be mastered by directly starting to work in a restaurant.

However, if possible, you can study in European schools.

Le Cordon Blue

Since the 16th century, this name has been synonymous with art in cooking. Today it is the most prestigious culinary academy on the planet with branches in many countries of the world. At school, you can get education at different levels depending on the period of study (from 3 to 9 months): a certificate of completed courses or a diploma, a higher professional diploma.

Education will allow not only to get a "crust" about culinary education, but also to learn how to cook well, surprise your loved ones or clients with extravagant dishes and, of course, understand the intricacies of the restaurant business and the cooking process.

Teaching takes place in English or French. The cost is from 8.5 to 49 thousand euros per course (from 680 thousand rubles).

Business and Hotel Management School

How to becomerestaurant critic? You can take a course of study at BHMS. This is a university in Switzerland, which is recognized as a leader in the field of training in the restaurant and hotel business. Some of the most famous chain restaurants and hotels in the world cooperate with this educational institution: Sheraton, Hilton, Ritz-Carlton and others.

Here you can get a diploma of different levels:

• bachelor;
• master;
• MBA diploma.

However, for only one year of study, you will have to pay about 25 thousand euros (2 million rubles). But the most important thing is that the university provides not only a theoretical base, but also sends its students on paid internships in the most famous and respectable restaurants and hotels.

International Culinary Institute Switzerland

Where to learn to be a restaurant critic? Above is another Swiss school, known throughout the world and producing the most qualified specialists in the field of hotel and restaurant business. At the university, education is conducted in English, but students who have completed the full course of study know at least 2 languages.

The educational institution offers three courses, different in duration of study:

• short-term (6 months);
• degree program (1-2 years);
• undergraduate (up to 3 years).

Tuition from 25 thousand euros per course.

Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland

How to become a restaurant critic? Another Swiss university allows you to get an education in the field of restaurant business. Training involvesa busy schedule of internships, so students receive not only the theoretical foundations.

The institution also offers short courses with a certificate, a diploma course and a bachelor's degree.

Tuition from 2,200 Swiss francs for one month (155 thousand rubles).

These are not all famous and prestigious educational institutions in Europe, but they only provide knowledge about the culinary business and how the process is organized in a restaurant. Therefore, further training will have to be carried out independently.

Self-education, where to start?

How to become a restaurant critic from scratch? In addition to specialized culinary education or in the field of journalism, you will have to constantly study yourself.

If you have a basic knowledge of writing articles, then improve in the culinary arts, even if there is no opportunity to take a prestigious course outside the country. Read books on the culinary arts of the most eminent experts in this field and written by culinary critics of the world. It is recommended to start with books by M. F. K. Fisher, Calvin Trillin, Robert Courtine, A. J. Liebling. Reading books will allow you not only to learn about the intricacies of the case, but also to develop a culinary vocabulary.

Take cooking classes, attend master classes and tastings, including wine, cognac and others. Be sure to attend themed festivals, even if they are held at the regional level. If possible, go to wine production, because the quality of wine and the correct combination with dishes is very important inprofession of a restaurant critic. Constantly look for new trends and be sure to try everything, even if you are looked at as a strange person. By the way, such events are not only interesting, but also allow you to develop your taste.

It would be useful to read about the history of the development of culinary arts in different countries of the world. It will be great if you learn at least one “food language”: Italian, French or Spanish.

Start writing reviews

How to become a restaurant critic? In addition to self-education, start writing reviews.

Inspiration can be found in nearby restaurants. This is a nice opportunity to test the limits of your own taste.

If you're going to a brand new restaurant, take your friends along and ask them all to order completely different dishes. And of course, try each one. If you are on vacation or on an excursion in another country, it is better to take a local resident to a restaurant and go to the place that serves ethnic dishes. Thus, you can “kill two birds with one stone”: taste traditional dishes and hear the stories of their appearance.

The main thing in this process is not to get carried away, if you try all the dishes of your friends, then do not finish at least everything on your plate, it's better to take the leftovers home.

Never take notes in a restaurant, you should mentally take a picture of everything and remember the whole range of dishes you tried. And you can write down your impressions only after leaving the institution. In no case should the restaurant staff know that you have come to evaluate the food and the institution itself. And notforget that the restaurant critic evaluates how things are in the institution. Therefore, inspect the interior, cutlery and crockery, study the wine list. Watch how waiters serve customers. And most importantly, do not be discouraged if you didn’t manage to remember everything the first time, this is just an excuse to visit the restaurant with friends a second time and try new dishes that were not ordered during the previous visit.

Incognito

How do you become a restaurant critic? Until at least minimal professionalism is achieved, complete anonymity will have to be maintained.

If you write reviews under a certain name on the Internet, then book a table in a restaurant under a different name. After all, a person who writes reviews will be served completely differently than other customers, and a critic should give an objective assessment. In addition, provocative articles about your reviews may appear on the same Internet, so only complete anonymity.

Do not write about attending special dinners and receptions, this is an excuse to impersonate. Refuse to participate in television shows. If you attend master classes from eminent chefs, then it is better to refuse tasting their dishes, especially their evaluation.

If you have the skills to work on the Internet, then start your own thematic blog, of course, under an assumed name.

Portfolio

To become a famous restaurant critic, it is imperative to create your own portfolio. It is recommended that it contains at least 40articles. Even if you write only one article in one week, you can create a portfolio in a fairly short time. With this document, you can already come to the editor of a newspaper or magazine and offer yourself as a restaurant critic.

It is clear that at the beginning of your career you should not count on high fees, it is possible that at first you will be taken to the print media, but not to write a column about food. In any case, you should start somewhere.

The most popular professionals in Russia

Don't forget to read reviews of Russian and European restaurant critics. We have such people, for example, Boris, whose last name is still unknown to anyone. By the way, no one knows what this Boris looks like either, but he has already entered the international level. He visited restaurants not only in large cities of our country, but also wrote reviews about restaurants in Milan, Helsinki, Rome and others. His reviews can be found on his website, and Boris also has his own author's program on the Business.fm radio station.

There is a popular blogger Mikhail Kostin, who has been working in Moscow restaurants since 2003, Mikhail's main credo is to eat delicious food, and his service is in second place.

Svetlana Kesoyan is called the legend of gastronomic journalism. In addition to going to restaurants and writing reviews, she has published a book called "Cake", is the editor of a gastronomy magazine.