How to Become a Michelin Star Chef? (And Other Jobs in Hospitality & Catering)

For many, there’s no greater achievement in a hospitality career than becoming a Michelin Star chef. More than just a sign of prestige, it represents a real change to your career opportunities and salary expectations?

But what exactly is a Michelin Star chef? How long does it take to become one? And what other high earning jobs are there in the hospitality and catering industry? 

What is a Michelin Star Chef?

If you’ve never heard of a Michelin star before, then you might be wondering what a tire company has to do with high quality catering.

Well, it’s a long story but the simple version is that it began as an early 1900s marketing campaign designed to boost tire sales. Michelin sold a guide book to drivers helping them locate points of interest, encouraging them to drive more and wear through more tires. In time they began awarding stars to restaurants with particularly excellent food and over the years these Michelin Stars became one of the most sought-after awards for any restaurant.

The rating works like this. Every year a Michelin guide is published listing hundreds of restaurants throughout the world. Restaurants can be awarded up to three stars with the first being for “high-quality food”, the second for “excellent cooking” and the third for “exceptional cuisine”.

These awards are worked out via anonymous assessments, entirely paid for by Michelin in order to prevent any biasing of the review process.

For a restaurant gaining a Michelin Star is incredibly valuable marketing signifying to food-lovers all over the world that this is a place to visit. 

Becoming a Michelin Star Chef

So with all that said, how do you become a Michelin Star chef? Well, it should come as no surprise that if you want to work at a Michelin Star establishment, you’ll need to have a long and impressive career.

First of all, you’ll need to start at the bottom and, where possible, be selective about where and who you work for. Most Michelin star chefs have good mentoring and take every opportunity possible to learn new skills. It also helps to work in a variety of establishments, learning the business inside out from as many perspectives as you can.

Put simply, there’s no one chef’s career path that leads to a Michelin Star. Instead, it’s all about commitment and dedication to your craft.

How Long Does it Take to Become a Michelin Star Chef

A long time. There’s no sugar coating this fact. Aside from some incredible luck you’re looking at ten years minimum before you’ll be considered for those kinds of roles. Beyond that, there’s no guarantee you’ll ever reach that status.

Becoming head chef at any restaurant is an impressive achievement and there are only so many Michelin Star restaurants in the world. If you want to make the cut, you’ll need to do more than just cook. You’ll need to find the right mentors and learn about the boring side of things – how to manage teams and keep inventory.

Of course, that’s not to say it’s an unattainable goal. If this is your dream, then there’s no reason not to pursue it. Just remember it’s the top of the top and the culmination of years and sometimes even decades of work.

The Top Earning Careers in Hospitality & Catering

It’s also worth noting that Michelin Star Chef is far from the only high earning role you can work in the hospitality and catering industry. Hospitality careers can be difficult and stressful but they can also be very lucrative over time.

In the US, head chefs at high-end venues can earn over six figures, with the standard salary expectation at around $60,000-$65,000. But not everybody decides to stay in the kitchen, with many moving up into management roles and even running businesses for themselves.

At the end of the day, hospitality and catering is a massive industry with a lot to offer. If you’re willing to put the work in and you care about providing excellent service, then you can go a long way.