Vegan Culinary Schools?

I am a vegan interested in studying to become a professional chef. I would really like to complete a respected culinary program. However, I cannot find any programs that offer certificates/degrees for chefs who do not want to work with animal products. Are there any vegan chef programs? If not, what other steps can I take to gain the knowledge to start my career? Internet links for culinary programs would be greatly appreciated as well.

Public Comments

1. because there are no suck thing. there are not enough vegan resturaunts to need to train people to cook in them.
2. Try in Portland Oregon or New York. I think alot of vegan chefs specialize after they graduate.
3. Culinary Arts is the art of preparing food, based on basic french cooking techniques. Try this link http://www.naturalepicurean.com/
4. Hi there - I'm pretty sure the culinary program for you is the Natural Gourmet Institute (http://www.naturalgourmetschool.com/), which is the only accredited vegetarian/vegan cooking school that I know of. I graduated from their Chef's Training program in 2003, and am definitely appreciative of the culinary education I received from them (attending school in the culinary mecca that is New York City was amazing as well). When I attended, the program was 95% vegan. There was one week in which animal foods were focused on (really just fish, eggs, and poultry - we didn't focus on red meat or pork). There were four students in our class who decided to take that week off to avoid working with the animal foods. (I decided to stay...I wanted to broaden my experience with cooking foods, even if I choose not to eat them). The program covers lots of techniques, whole-foods nutrition, business training (if you want to go into biz on your own), lectures in ayurveda, Chinese medicine, healing with food, etc. Some days are spent entirely cooking, where other days might be split between lecture and cooking. The school will also help you secure an internship at the end of the program, which is compulsory for completing the program. It's a great opportunity to work in a professional kitchen using the skills that you've just learned in school, and also a chance to network with other culinary professionals. There are plenty of vegetarian/vegan/natural restaurants in NYC and around the country that the Natural Gourmet has sent interns - my classmates went to work in NYC, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Portland, Washington DC. The school has some well-known alumni...Eric Tucker, who founded the Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco (very well known gourmet vegan restaurant), for one. You might have seen the movie Supersize Me, about the fellow who decided to eat only McDonalds for a month to see what it would do to his health? Well his girlfriend (who's collecting some celebrity because of her connection to Morgan Spulock, the star of the film, and because she's a vegan chef) is also a graduate of the Natural Gourmet. Feel free to email me if you want to talk more in depth about the program! Good luck!
5. It may be harder to find strictly vegan schools , but here are some vegetarian , First: professional : home cook : specialty classes : resources : about us Where Culinary Art and Healing Food Meet.... Plant based cooking and beyond, in a unique curriculum where students learn to cook without recipes. We call it the 'Language of Cooking ™ ,' only available at SNC. Cook intuitively with whatever ingredients are at hand, as a professional or for yourself. 303.444.8068 Boulder, Colorado .................................. Second: also ....the Natural Gourmet Institute at: Telephone: 212-645-5170 Fax: 212-989-1493 E-mail: info@naturalgourmetschool.com Visit us Monday through Friday, 10am-8pm at: 48 W. 21st St., 2nd floor New York, NY 10010 (between 5th & 6th ave.) there teach preperation of veggie gourmet ................................................................................... ....................................... and third: The Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts 1701 Toomey Road Austin, Tx 78704 512) 476-2276 email: info@NaturalEpicurean.com ........................................... and if you can travel .......Fourth: ..............The Cordon Vert School is based at the headquarters of The Vegetarian Society at Parkdale, a Victorian mansion, set in the beautiful countryside (near Manchester, England), with easy access by road, rail and air. All Cordon Vert enquiries to: Lyn Yarwood 0161 925 2014 email:cordonvert@vegsoc.org ....................................My last suggestion is to contact a place like candle 79 in NYC phone .......Phone (212) 472-0970 ............ it is a totally vegan restaurant with great vegan gourmet food ..and ask them if they can tell you other schools ........or if you know a Vegan restuarant you go to ......... good Luck .........we need more Vegan chefs.......!!
6. There is a two year course in a Seventh Day Adventist college in Lancaster Massachusetts. http://www.auc.edu/dept/culinaryarts/cavc/index.php#AS Atlantic Union College. Other than that there is a Natural Foods cooking school in New York City that's mostly vegetarian, whole food, and macrobiotic. There may be some butter/egg/fish use- I know the founder's cookbook used those ingredients, but sparingly. www.naturalgourmetschool.com Go and make me green with envy!!!