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First and foremost, we look for smart, diligent learners. The majority of our students have some form of post-secondary education and a penchant for learning and research, are intellectually disciplined, come to class mentally ready, take good notes, and are prepared to undertake theory work on their own time. That said, post-secondary education is not a requirement. But being a mature, focused, and keen learner certainly is. We also look for a solid work ethic. This is a demanding field and we expect you to be self-disciplined and focused for long periods of time. We take attendance seriously (please read application)…just as our industry colleagues do. Missing a day in a professional kitchen puts you and your team at a distinct disadvantage. It’s no different here. And perhaps just as important, we look for mature, considerate human beings. Everyone is different, coming from various backgrounds and experience levels. We will not tolerate harassment of any kind and such actions will be dealt with quickly and severely. Remember, not every day will be perfect. Sometimes you’ll need to dust yourself off and start again. But we try to foster an environment that embodies the virtues of patience and mindful communication, something this industry can use more of. We’re not a “Yes Chef!” school. We earn respect. We don’t demand it.

No, we are a school after all, not a restaurant. We cater to career changers as well as those working currently in the industry looking to up their game. We can do a lot with your obvious passion for food, but we do expect you to fully understand and appreciate the intensity and work ethic of this profession. If you do have industry experience, that’s great, but we expect you to clean your slate and learn with a completely open mind.

Foremost, we are committed to the most important part of your education: our attention and support. Our low student-teacher ratio affords that. Being owners as well, it affords us the opportunity to go the extra mile, and this is what separates us from any school model. We don’t just punch a clock. We talk to you as an adult and peer, never down to you. This allows us to best support you through your inevitable challenges. Some other chef-instructors emphasize the “chef” in their title. We emphasize the “instructor” in ours. Finally, Northwest is a student-driven school. We elicit your feedback and use the information to stay ahead of the curve. It’s a practice many smart chefs are adopting in their industry kitchens to maximize intellectual and creative output. It’s also what smart businesses do.

Average student age = 26.5

% of international students = 25%

% of students with some post-secondary education = 75%

% of career changers = 65%

% of curriculum that changes term to term = 10%

% of attrition = 4% historically (usually due to personal reasons)

% of students who successfully graduate = 95%

% who find work in the industry = this industry is always looking for quality cooks. And our grads are always sought after.

% who still work in the industry years after graduation = this is a legitimate question. But as this is an industry that provides plenty of opportunity but does not do a great job sustaining its own people, it is often very specific to the individual. This is why we encourage our students to take an entrepreneurial approach to their career, and this has proven to be effective in encouraging our grads to take advantage of their first few years in the industry and always plan for “owning” their craft one day. The other thing to consider is how to define “the industry”. We have had students who work as farmers, in education, health and nutrition, in wineries, bed and breakfasts, as well as those who have run their own successful food photography/social media businesses. To us, the industry of food is changing – even though it may not fit under a “traditional” model.

Yes, we formally teach the fundamental math of a food business, and throughout the course we do creative exercises which address the parts and mechanisms of smart business sustainability. In fact, we also have the opportunity to practically showcase those skills through a food truck exercise during mid-term week. Moreover, we examine the school itself as a solid and forward-thinking business model, from inception to evolution, often referring to our in-house business practices. We formally discuss how to plan and execute your business idea one day, bringing to your attention things books don’t talk about, like mechanical engineers, city hall codes, social media, and what connections to make before signing a lease. As owners, we make such information more transparent and digestible. Most importantly we make ourselves available, at any point (even years after graduation), to discuss your ideas. Many of our successful grads with their own businesses have done just that.

Firstly, our kitchen design allows us to get more performed in a day than most schools, and we put more instructor bodies on the floor to achieve this. Second, we put our students to work on Day 1 and treat them as highly-focused mature adults – not “kids” – who can absorb and achieve at an intensive pace. The reality is that this profession IS intensive, requiring the ability to absorb, adjust, and integrate quickly. In other words, we reflect this intensity, which is why focus, attendance, and commitment to your education is vital to your success moving forward.

Yes. Culinary students qualify for Level I of their Red Seal after completing both a practical and theory exam. The practical exam is undertaken as one of our in-class midterms, while the theory exam is written at our school AFTER graduation at an assigned date. You will achieve Level I after completing your required industry work hours. You will receive 300 of your required 1000 industry hours from the culinary program. As well, we act as a consistent sponsor for our grads in the industry (anywhere in the world) as they move towards their Level II & III.

Simple. Our industry colleagues and grads do. Why pay full tuition to work for us? To be honest you can and ought to be learning in real industry surroundings from our industry partners. We connect our students in various professional kitchens for after-class work observations (on a volunteer basis). This begins your networking, your understanding of various styles of industry kitchens, and these observations count towards Red Seal hours. We do, however, convert our school into a “restaurant” setting for the practical final exams, where students create and serve a 12-course tasting menu (YES, 12!) served to their guests and our colleagues.

A lot of our produce is organic and we source local whenever possible, and often purchase the old-fashioned way: by shopping ourselves. However, it is important to recognize that with the impact of inflation and the fact we have frozen tuition increases since 2019, we have to be conscious of the cost of ingredients. We also apply a strict total utilization and waste management program to maximize our privilege with these ingredients. Any food leftover from our daily practice is used in house for our other programming or donated to our neighbours in Mount Pleasant.

The range is quite global: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Latino, Asian, classical French, Indian, etc.. The common language is techniques, but we also delve into modern and ancient practices. What characterizes Northwest cuisine, and its approach to food, is its open-mindedness to regularly seek, learn and execute new styles.

Yes, but only at an introductory level. We do taste a few throughout the term. And we taste some local beer too.

Over the years our students have initiated practices which we as culinary instructors had not considered, let alone been taught by our past. Fermentation has become a big topic of interest, Sandor Katz, the fermentation guru, spoke and demonstrated at our school years ago and we still make his kimchi and many of our own fermented and preserved products. As well, there are skills we have discovered which give students a greater advantage moving forward. For example, encouraging more precise drawing to express ideas, use of media to expedite demos, open discussion of less-than-fair industry practices, video projects, how to stay healthy in a profession that taxes the body, and discussing the food experience after it is swallowed (over 40 nutrition practitioners have graduated from Northwest over the years).

Yes, but due to the intensive nature of the program we HIGHLY recommend no more than 20 hours per week, or depending on our assessment of your application, potentially none at all. Leaving learning behind makes no sense to your educational investment. The last thing we want is for you to express regret years later, because you lost some of your experience due to working too much.

We are very centrally located in a residential area (known as Mount Pleasant) where many students and grads live. We are also very easily accessible from any point in the city. For those coming out of town, we recommend finding an apartment to live nearby the school. Keep in mind Vancouver is considered an expensive city for rent so, depending on the time of year, this could impact where you live.

Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver is a designated institution, certified by the Private Training Institutions Branch.