Culinary Training Abroad in Spain

Spain is surrounded by such eclectic culinary influences as France, Morocco, Africa, and the Mediterranean. Along the coast, regional specialties highlight fish and shellfish, while inland dishes focus more on creative, snack-like tapas dishes of meats, cheeses, and vegetables. Whatever your culinary appetite, it all goes down well with Spain’s famed fruit-filled wine, sangria. High tourist areas like Barcelona and Madrid have their fair share of restaurants and hotels serving delicious meals, but you’ll also find quaint towns and villages scattered throughout the country that have their own special ingredients, dishes, and culinary following.

There are a handful of culinary schools in Spain offering different levels of education for those who dream of a career in the culinary world. In the larger schools, educational levels somewhat mirror schools in the U.S., offering technical and higher educational options. When it comes to how classes are structured, students in these classes (just like in American cooking classes) will learn kitchen procedures, cooking techniques, pastry, food preparation, food storage, and business practices in the hospitality industry.

In-depth Training

Escuela Universitaria de Hosteleria y Turismo (University of Hospitality and Tourism) in Sant Pol, Barcelona is in a small fishing village near Barcelona. This school’s educational levels are divided into Technical, University, Postgraduate and Specialization, and Professional Courses.

Technical courses are three year programs that give an in-depth overview of both cooking and hospitality. The University program adds a fourth year to the Technical program, and qualified students to enter Postgraduate and Specialization programs. These are each one year programs that offer specialty courses in restaurant management, cooking, food and beverage and catering.

Professional, continuing education courses offer courses in marketing for hospitality managers and owners. In some programs, students are required to take English and French language classes to enhance ability to work in the international culinary and hospitality scene.

Medium-length Courses

For a shorter, but equally educational program, Escuela Bell Art (Bell Art School) in Barcelona offers a Professional Chef program lasting 18 months. The program consists of two nine-month courses that cover culinary basics, creative cooking, Mediterranean cuisine, and desserts. After this initial program, students may continue on with nine-month intensive courses in pastries, hospitality, appetizers, and desserts. Bell Art also offers two-week continuing education or personal interest courses that are not part of any degree program.

Day Classes

Coquus Cooking School is an example of a smaller cooking school in Spain. Instead of degrees and graduate programs, it offers single classes for professional or hobbyist chefs. This option requires a much lower level of commitment of time and resources, which may suit some culinary types better than the long-term educational path. Coquus offers one-day classes in a variety of styles of cooking, from Japanese to traditional Spanish meals like Paella, Chinese and Mediterranean. Classes are offered in Spanish only. Class fees are generally around €65 per person.

Once you have graduated from a culinary or hospitality program in Spain, you will be qualified to work in restaurants, hotels, or pensions throughout the country and even the world.

On-campus Programs

Escuela Universitaria de Hosteleria y Turismo de Sant Pol, Barcelona
Carretera Nacional II s/n km 644
Sant Pol de Mar 8395
Spain
(+34) 93 760 0212
santpol.edu.es
Culinary Arts
EFAH Accredited

Coquus Escuela de Cocina
Ferrer de Blanes 7
Barcelona 8012
Spain
(+34) 93 368 02 29
coquus.es
International Cuisine

Escuela Bell Art
c/ Aribau, 83.
Barcelona 08036
( 34) 93 451 79 65
escuelabellart.com
Cooking and Hospitality

Online-based programs

The Art Institutes of Pittsburgh – Online Division
www.aionline.edu/
Hotel and Restaurant Management
MSCHE Accredited

Johnson and Wales University
www.jwu.edu/campus.aspx?id=25934
Baking & Pastry Arts and Food Service Management
Culinary Arts & Food Service Management
NEASC Accredited

Penn Foster Career School
www.pennfoster.edu/
Hotel and Restaurant Management
DETC & CHEA Accredited

Sullivan College
www.sullivan.edu/
Beverage Management
CCSACS & ACF Accredited