Do you need a culinary degree to be a successful personal chef?

I'm looking at a career change. I don't have a culinary degree nor do I have the money to run out and get one. What do you need to be successful as a personal chef?

Public Comments

1. Nope. To be a successful business owner, you need a sound business plan. Read a few books on how to start your own business.
2. I don't think so but it might help you to get business. You might need to work a bit harder to win the business or use different strategies such as preparing samples on sales calls.
3. it would help, I would want MY personal chef to have a degree. But if you can find your first client, and they like you, then experience goes a lot futher than a degree. If I could afford such a wonderful luxery I would look at references more than degrees, but if you have no references, then I would want to know you had some sort of experience. In other words, as long as you can PROVE yourself, no you don't need a degree, but a degree opens up a lot more oppurtunities You can take out student loans and not have to pay them back for like a year after you graduate. People who go get culinary degrees get to do amazing things, they get a lot of experience, it would be worth the money.