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Survey of Culinary Students Reveals Glimpse of Tomorrow’s Menus - (3/17/2008)

Next generation of culinary professionals plans to feature globally diverse flavors and incorporate greener practices

[PITTSBURGH, February 13, 2008] –The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes, North America’s largest system of culinary programs, released a survey of its students today, providing a glimpse into where the next generation of culinary professionals may take tomorrow’s menus. The survey found that culinary students want to serve dishes that are more globally diverse and conduct business in a more environmentally sensitive manner.

More than 40 percent of students responding to the survey said they believe Spanish and South American cuisines have the most potential influence on future menus, while more than half said they are most interested in including Italian (68 percent) and French (53 percent) in their professional repertoire. Eight out of 10 students would consider specializing in a fusion cuisine. Among those students, the top fusion choices were Japanese and French (17 percent) and Thai and Mexican (16 percent).

“Considering our reach as the country’s largest system of culinary programs, our students have the ability to impact the restaurant and food and beverage industries,” says Michael Nenes, MBA, CEC, CCE, assistant vice president of Culinary Arts for The Art Institutes. “This survey uncovers some of the possibilities that may lie ahead for America’s menus.”

Professional Intentions
Greener business practices are a top priority for students at The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes. Nearly all responding students (97 percent) said environmental responsibility will play some role in their culinary careers and more than half said environmentalism is “very important.”

Tomorrow’s culinary professionals are in tune with today’s culinary trends as they report that knowing a food’s origin and supporting local food suppliers is important to them. Three out of four are interested in including locally supplied ingredients and more than half want to include organic foods (55 percent) in their ventures.

These environmentally-minded students aspire to put these practices into place at restaurants of their own. Most students (81 percent) are considering opening a restaurant during their careers; of those, nearly 40 percent are interested in starting a fine dining establishment and about the same percentage have an interest in opening a mid-scale restaurant.


Influences and Education
Aspiring culinary professionals are ready to pack their bags to perfect their global cuisine of choice. Slightly more than one-half (52 percent) of students believe that studying abroad is the best way to learn about a country’s cuisine, pointing to a desire for authenticity.

Venturing outside traditional education, many students turn to food media to build their knowledge base. Nearly all (96 percent) students agree that the media plays a role in their culinary lives, and the role spans education (64 percent), source of news and trends (61 percent) and entertainment (57 percent).

Despite the significance of the food media, most students look beyond prominent celebrity chefs for their primary source of influence. One-third of students said culinary school and about the same number said chefs they have worked with (31 percent)
are their dominant influences. Students admire their chef educators over celebrity chefs by a three-to-one margin.
To learn more about results from The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes student survey, visit http://www.artinstitutes.edu/NewsMediaRelations/PressKit.aspx?prid=ICS_0208_001_pr.

Survey Methodology
The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes commissioned Insight Express to conduct an online survey of their students in December 2007. A total of 906 students within two quarters of degree/program completion were invited to take the survey via e-mail and 128 students completed the survey (14 percent response rate). Results are calculated at the 95 percent significance level.

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About The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes
The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes is North America’s largest system of culinary programs with over 30 locations. The course offerings have been redesigned to expand the international focus, introducing students to an increased number of world cuisines.
Based on classical Escoffier, Asian and Latin culinary techniques, with an emphasis on progressive trends and practices, the schools’ curriculum are designed to develop and sharpen fundamental cooking techniques and professional skills and introduce a variety of international cuisines. Internships, student-run school restaurants, guest lectures and Web-based seminars, and study abroad programs help broaden the scope of learning for students.
Program offerings vary at each school. Prospective students should check the course offerings at The Art Institute school they are interested in attending before enrolling. To learn more about The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/culinary or www.exploreculinary.com.
About Education Management LLC
The parent company of The Art Institutes, Education Management LLC (http://www.edmc.com), with 96,000 students as of fall 2007, is among the largest providers of post-secondary education in North America, based on student enrollment and revenue. Education Management has 83 locations in 26 U.S. states and in Canada. Education Management's educational institutions offer a broad range of academic programs concentrated in the media arts, design, fashion, culinary arts, behavioral sciences, health sciences, education, information technology, legal studies and business fields, culminating in the award of associate's through doctoral degrees. Education Management has provided career-oriented education for over 40 years. About The Art Institutes
The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu) is a system of over 40 education institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary professionals.
The Art Institutes schools offer a broad range of programs including: Audio Production, Computer Animation, Culinary Arts, Culinary Management, Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing, Graphic Design, Industrial Design Technology, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Media Arts & Animation, Photography, Restaurant Management and Video Production. Not all programs are offered at all schools.

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