Chefs: Local talent harder to find

Published August 15, 2008 at 2:21 pm by Chris Giganti.

Filed in: Business, Food, culinary school, Johnson & Wales University, Culinary Institute of Charleston, Trident Tech, chefs. References: Charleston Regional Business Journal.

Chefs: Local talent harder to find

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It can get pretty hectic in the kitchen, and some local chefs say they just aren’t seeing the same amount of talent coming out to town as when Johnson & Wales was still here.

Johnson & Wales University left Charleston for Charlotte about six years ago, but some local chefs say the effects are still being felt, despite Trident Tech stepping up its own culinary education efforts, the Charleston Regional Business Journal reports.

From the Business Journal:

But the two schools combined have less than half the 1,497 students Johnson & Wales had in 2002. As a result, most chefs say they pay higher wages now because the labor pool is smaller.

Chefs also say it’s harder to find skilled, committed cooks locally.

The Business Journal also has a more extensive article on the local culinary employment scene coming out next week, which should be worth checking out.