Famous Chefs Who Attended Cook Schools

Being a great chef requires education, dedication, and passion. It is not enough to cook delicious food; chefs must also understand restaurant operations, food safety, and nutrition. To take their skills to the next level, many of the world’s top chefs have attended cook schools to hone their craft. From celebrity chefs to Michelin-starred restaurateurs, these cooks have attended some of the most prestigious culinary programs in the world. Here are some of the famous chefs who attended cook schools.

Gordon Ramsay

One of the most celebrated TV personalities in the culinary world, Gordon Ramsay is the iconic star behind numerous award-winning restaurants and hit cooking shows. Before becoming a household name, Ramsay trained at London’s Westminster Technical College before enrolling in the culinary program at North Oxfordshire Technical College. After years of hard work and determination, he earned a Master Chef Diploma from the prestigious Thames Valley University.

Emeril Lagasse

A native of Massachusetts, Emeril Lagasse has become one of the United States’ most recognizable celebrity chefs. His culinary career began when he attended the esteemed Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. At Johnson & Wales, he honed his cooking skills and earned an associate degree in culinary arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in culinary arts and restaurant management.

Nigella Lawson

Popular British chef-writer Nigella Lawson has become a fixture on television thanks to her long-running cooking series, Nigella Bites. This food icon earned her degree in medieval and modern languages from Lady Margaret Hall, the all-women college of Oxford University. Later, she attended the famed Le Cordon Bleu in London and followed up with courses at the London College of Domestic Science.

Marcus Samuelsson

Chef Marcus Samuelsson gained worldwide recognition after becoming the winner of the second season of Top Chef Masters. Raised in Sweden and Ethiopia, he was an apprentice in Switzerland’s Hotel Plaza Athenee before returning to Sweden to attend culinary school at Goteborgs Koks Hogskola. After completing his studies, he gained training in Austria and Germany before taking up a post at New York's Aquavit.

Paul Bocuse

Chef Paul Bocuse is considered the “father” of modern French cuisine. He began studying at the prestigious Ecole Hoteliere de Lyon at the age of 13, becoming the youngest person ever accepted into the program. Through his education and training in regional French cuisine, Bocuse established nouvelle cuisine in the mid-1960s, forever changing the face of the culinary world.

Alice Waters

Alice Waters is an acclaimed American chef and restaurateur, who opened her landmark restaurant Chez Panisse in 1971. She attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied French Cultural Studies and later embarked on a trip to France. While abroad she was exposed to a whole new culinary world, intricately exploring the country’s regional gastronomy. She eventually enrolled in the Montpelier-based La Varenne Cooking School.

Wolfgang Puck

Born in Austria, Wolfgang Puck was the head chef of world-renowned restaurants Spago, Chinois, and Postrio. His culinary education began early, as he attended several apprenticeships in his homeland. After moving to the United States, Puck enrolled at the prestigious Schule Fur Kochen und Hotellerie in Mödling, Austria, where he received a formal culinary education.

The art of cooking is a skill that takes practice and dedication to master. The chefs we’ve discussed each have unique backgrounds, from their apprenticeships to their cook school experiences. Without their commitment to education, it is unlikely that these cooks would have become so successful in the highly competitive culinary world.