If you love food and are interested in creating healthy delicious dishes, consider becoming a Natural Chef. Whether it be to change careers, get inspiration in the kitchen or learn how to nourish yourself and your family, the skills you learn as a Natural Chef will enrich your life in many ways.
Discover 7 inspiring jobs you can do as a Natural Chef graduate and learn how to turn your passion for food into a rewarding career.
What is a Natural Chef?
A Natural Chef prepares delicious, healthy food using nutritious and minimally processed ingredients which are fresh, in season, organic and locally-sourced. The focus is on nutritional value and cooking wholesome food that nourishes the body. The Natural Chef diploma offered by CNM is unique in the industry. Students first learn how the body works and gain knowledge in nutrition. They have a good understanding of how food affects the body, what comprises a healthy diet and how to select food based on its nutritional properties.
Natural Chef graduates know how to use food as medicine, combine and pair foods appropriately and devise menu plans and recipes to support different health conditions such as diabetes and food intolerances. The demand for therapeutic menu planning (creating dishes for a specific health condition) has increased exponentially in recent years, so it’s a great time to become a Natural Chef.
Where can you work as a Natural Chef?
Becoming a Natural Chef opens up many opportunities in the industry. You can either work for a company or yourself in a variety of settings.
Here are 7 interesting Natural Chef jobs you can do when you graduate:
1. Private Personal Chef
For a household, on a yacht or for dinner parties. Becoming a personal chef not only offers variety, sometimes in luxurious locations, it can also be lucrative work. Your responsibilities may include food shopping, menu planning, preparing and cooking meals, organising special events and functions. Some personal chef positions are live-in, offering free accommodation in addition to a salary.
2. Recipe Writer
For a magazine, food brand or cooking website. If you’re bursting with recipe ideas or you love creating new dishes, becoming a recipe writer could be the perfect job for you. You’ll get to design and test out new recipes, research new techniques and learn from other professionals in the industry such as nutritionists and food brand marketers.
3. Start a Supper Club
Many leading chefs started a supper club as a way to launch their careers. A supper club is like a “pop-up” restaurant that is held at someone’s home or a temporary venue. Hosting a supper club is a great way to network, try out new dishes or cooking styles and see what it’s like to run a restaurant. It’s also a cost-efficient way to get your food in front of an audience, without the hefty overheads that come with running a full-time restaurant or café.
4. Product Development
Is there a food brand you’d love to work for? Or perhaps you have an idea for a new food product? Working in product development, you get to research and develop innovative food ideas, create food development plans and work with various teams to cost, market and sell the product.
5. Cookery Author
so you can share your food inspiration with the world. Many CNM Natural Chef graduates have written their own cookbooks whilst studying or shortly after graduating. With self-publishing being so accessible these days, publishing your own book is easier than you think. Natural Chef graduate Camille Knowles and Ursula Lake have both fulfilled their dream of writing their own book to inspire others.
6. Run a Restaurant
With more people looking for healthy alternatives, the demand for establishments which sell healthy, wholesome food has never been greater. From vegan and raw food cafes to gluten-free restaurants, CNM Natural Chefs have all the skills they need to create a thriving, healthy dining experience that customers will enjoy. Learn how Natural Chef graduate Olivia Nottin started her own speciality café, Matcha & Beyond.
7. Teach Classes
Passing on your knowledge and inspiring others can be so rewarding. Teaming up with other wellbeing practitioners to create a health retreat is another great way to use your skills. Most health and yoga retreats include healthy meals and snacks which are prepared by an in-retreat chef.
Create your dream job
With so many career opportunities available, it’s never been a better time to become a Natural Chef. People are looking for healthier ways to eat and the demand for Natural Chefs has increased dramatically in recent years. Whatever your passion, whether that be recipe writing, teaching cooking or making gourmet food for a café or boutique event, you can create your dream job as a Natural Chef.
