catering degrees

Real World Cooking
"The most valuable advice I can give is to work for a caterer and get real life experience," says Dupar. "Try to do as many aspects in the business as you can -- operations, cooking, bartending, serving, sales, business, accounting, etc. Hands-on experience is truly what it takes in this business. You will need the knowledge to pull from in order to be successful."

Among other things, Dupar spent some time cooking in Switzerland to enhance her real world catering education. "I think it made me realize that each culture has things that are unique to their region -- food, wine, cheeses. This gave me a great appreciation for cultural differences," she says of her overseas experience. "I remember being completely amazed that the pastry chef in Switzerland had never seen a pecan before, and I had to try and explain to him what it was."

Are You Willing?
One of the worst things anyone pursuing catering degrees can do is have a bad attitude. "You must be willing to put in the work required to be successful in your profession," Dupar advises. "I actually had a pastry chef who went to culinary school for two years come and cook for me during our busy season. Her task was to bake 1500 cookies one day, and at the end of the day she came to me and actually stated, 'I did not go to pastry school to bake cookies all day.'" Needless to say, Dupar was less than impressed.

Earning catering degrees shouldn't mark the end of your culinary education, she insists. "I would say it takes at least 10 years of experience to be a true leader in this industry. You can have the talent, but not have the necessary experience to learn the business end and how to actually run a kitchen." So don't get a big head once you've graduated -- be prepared to work hard and continue learning from those with more experience than you. "TV has done good and bad things for the catering industry," says Dupar. "It has sparked interest in an industry that needed attention, but it isn't as easy as it looks. You must love paying the price of peeling carrots all day long."

The Inside Scoop
To truly succeed in the catering industry, you must be able to face challenges head on. The food part is easy, admits Dupar, but you'll also need to think on your toes when problems arise. This culinary success has had to solve last minute dilemmas ranging from no running water or electricity and blizzards on wedding days, to having to get all her food and supplies up in small -- and very slow -- elevators.

With all the hard work, what are the perks of being involved in the catering industry? "Constant change. You don't do the same thing every day, and each event brings new challenges so you're never bored," says Dupar. "I love the opportunity to create new dishes and menus. If someone needs an authentic Maryland clam bake or an authentic Hawaiian Luau, I enjoy finding creative solutions to difficult issues that arise."

Above all, quality is key in the catering industry -- from the quality of the school where you earn your catering degrees to how well you use your talents once you've graduated, success will only come with hard work, dedication, and the constant willingness to learn, grow and change.

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