Vegchef is a 12 week (plus eight-week internship) plant-based chef school developed in order to meet the growing demand for skilled plant-based chefs who want to impact their community, families and friends with the power of the healthiest and most delicious food on the planet.
About Vegchef
Vegchef is owned and operated in partnership with the health department of the Adventist Church in Sweden https://www.adventist.se, one of the worlds largest private healthcare providers and pioneers in the plant-based industry since the 1860s. Vegchef operates at the educational institution Ekebyholmskolan (http://www.ekebyholm.se).
Vegchef is partnered with some of the world's leading online culinary educators - to deliver a hybridised, cutting-edge, professional qualification. Our program is recognized by the American Culinary Federation and the World Association of Chefs Services giving it world-wide recognition as a quality program and as an entry level to the chef industry.
What will you learn?
During the months at Vegchef in Sweden you will not only study essential nutrition science and small business management, but also gain practical culinary skills and experience that will prepare you for the eight-week internship placement at a leading plant-based restaurant. Our program is ideally suited for a career in plant-based cookery, as a professional chef (USA) or commi chef (rest of the world), but will also appeal to those who want to complement their skills as a nutritionist, home cook or medical missionary.
We have partnered with leading vegetarian restaurants around the world (from Bali, England, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Austria and Sweden to mention a few) to make sure our students get proper exposure in the field. During the 8-weeks of internship you will receive training in meal prep, managing different stations, plating and working with a set-menu. You will be under supervision by the partnering restaurant to maximize your learning outcome so that when you finish you will be able to enter the industry with confidence.
Where is it?
Vegchef is located at Ekebyholm Castle, in 50 min driving distance from Stockholm Central, 30 min from Arlanda International Airport. Built as a castle estate in the 17th century by Swedish noblemen, it has been functioning for many years as a thriving school. Vegchef students stay in their own individual room on campus with shared kitchens and bathroom facilities. Practical training on the premises will be conducted in the well-equipped, purpose-built and state-of-the-art Vegchef kitchens.
When does it happen?
We do two cohorts twice a year. One group of 16 students start at the end of August and the second starts in February. At the end of the course our students will embark on an eight-week internship at a plant-based restaurant/institution of their choosing in Europe or farther abroad. We have partnered with institutions from Europe to Australia to give you a wide range of options.
Cost?
Full cost of the program is €7000. This covers:
Content:
During the course you will learn everything from how to set up your kitchen properly, the map of cooking, professional knife cutting skills, a wide range of plant-based international recipies, vegan desserts, how to cook raw and gluten free as well as how to use foods for treating lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
See course syllabus for all units and modules.
Daily life
Vegchef is a hybridized program providing an intuitive on-site, on-line training platform with lifetime access. From 9-12 am you will be studying theory using our online platform: researching, completing tasks and tests. From 13-17:30 you will be in the kitchen with our local chef and facilitator working in teams and putting the theory into practice. During the short intensives courses we will also be visited by several inspiring guest lecturers and plant-based culinary talents who add tremendous value to the program. The whole program comprises 447 tasks and will terminate in a final assessment and Masterchef challenge where we bring in renowned chefs from restaurants in the Stockholm region to asses your progress using certain KPIs.
And afterwards?
The Vegchef certificate is equivalent of a Commi-chef (Europe) or Professional chef (USA). A completed program also makes your eligable for a commi-chef certificate from the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS diploma does incur an issuing fee).
We are currently one of the only on-site hybridized plant-based chef programs in the world recognized as an entry level to the chef's industry. With the specialty skills acquired at Vegchef, you will be employable anywhere in the restaurant industry. You may even be offered a job at your internship restaurant after the completion of the eight weeks there. We believe that the demand for plant-based food will explode over the next few years all around the world: with a qualification like the one gained at Vegchef, bright career prospects await you!