Assume you’re sitting in the comfort of your own home, learning catering from incredible caterers and chefs worldwide. What a thrilling adventure that would be! Because of technological advancements, you can now take free online courses in catering from the comfort of your own home. Thus, if you enjoy cooking or anything related to the baking industry, you can turn it into a career; it’s more like making money from a hobby or passion.
Are you interested in working in the catering industry? Do you want to know if catering is an excellent profession to pursue?
Do you want to take free online catering courses with certificates?
If any of this describes you, you need to read this piece. In this article, we will discuss what catering is all about, including the career outlook, how to become a professional caterer, and free online courses in catering.
Let’s delve in!
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What is Catering?
According to Wikipedia, Catering is the business of providing food services at a remote location or a location such as a hotel, hospital, public, aircraft, cruise ship, park, filming site or studio, entertainment location, or event center. Furthermore, catering is more like a trade that anyone can learn, master, and provide food for various events such as weddings, concessions, and corporate and social gatherings.
What Does a Caterer do?
A caterer works on a contract basis, advising clients on menu creation and preparing, transporting, serving the food, and also assisting with cleanup during events and parties. A caterer must have a strong understanding of how different dishes complement one another, strong interpersonal skills, mainly listening, and the ability to manage cooking and serving staff.
In general, there are four types of catering, each distinct in terms of presentation style. Let’s take a look at the different types of catering.
Types of Catering
The following are the various types of catering:
1. Wedding Catering
One of the most critical events in a couple’s life is their wedding. Because wedding catering isn’t something to take lightly, it necessitates a great deal of attention to detail and timing and excellent communication skills.
2. Catering for Social Events
Social event functions are more intimate affairs that necessitate greater caterer attention to detail. Birthday parties, retirement celebrations, grand openings, housewarming parties, and bridal and baby showers are all included in this category.
3. Corporate Catering
The provision of food and beverages to business and corporate functions is called corporate catering. The events can range from small office gatherings on-site to off-site.
4. Catering for Concessions
Major sporting events, seasonal competitions, and live concerts fall in this category. Generally, catered food is available at all of these events.
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Why Should You Have a Career in Catering?
With so many catering careers to choose from, it can be challenging to know where to begin. However, before deciding on a career path, you must have a compelling reason for entering the catering industry. Here are some of the reasons why you should pursue a career in catering:
1. Demand and Financial Benefit
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), an average of 149,800 openings for food preparation workers are expected each year over the next decade. It also predicts a 6% increase in food preparation workers from 2020 to 2030, which is about the same as the average for all occupations.
Furthermore, according to ZipRecruiter, the average annual salary for a Caterer in the United States in 2022 is $27,333. Therefore, a career in catering is in high demand and will continue to be so.
2. Job Variety
As a caterer, you have a wide range of jobs because your services may be required at various events such as weddings, birthday parties, conferences, etc. You are not confined to a single location and a single type of menu daily with catering. Consequently, there can be a lot of variety week in and week out.
3. You Can Open Your Own Catering Company
If you’ve ever considered becoming a CEO, Catering is a fantastic industry where you can progress, grow, and achieve more. From pop-up stands to external catering to your restaurant, if you have big ambitions, a career in catering can help bring it to the limelight.
4. Staff may be Easier to Hire
You might need a few extra hands on a weekend or for a special event if you own a catering company, so casual work is a huge plus. You may find it easier to find those looking for work in the industry who are only looking for casual hours. Hence it is more accessible to source and hires staff in catering.
After you’ve determined why you should pursue a career in catering, the next step is to decide how you can begin learning the necessary kitchen and cooking styles. If you are currently engaged with a lot of activities, you may not have the time to attend catering classes that will require your presence; hence, you’ll need to enroll in flexible catering training courses.
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Why Enroll in Online Courses in Catering?
The following are reasons why you should enroll in free online courses in catering:
1. Financial Benefits
Consider how much gas, food, and lodging would cost you if you studied catering at a university. Also, analyze the costs of missing work to make up classes. Therefore, enrolling in free online courses in catering will save you a lot of money, and it will also allow you to fit in with other schedules, like work.
2. Adaptable Learning
Technology has simplified education; you can now be anywhere in the world and receive lectures from great minds while completing coursework, and assignments, taking exams and earning a certificate of completion.
3. Career Advancement
Nontraditional students benefit from two significant advantages of online catering training classes in career advancement. First of all, a certificate or degree can qualify an employee for a pay increase. Secondly, some companies only hire employees with a bachelor’s or master’s degree for management positions. Hence, earning an online catering degree can lead to a promotion and possibly higher pay.
4. Connect you to the Global World
The Internet is the only technological invention in human history that has connected people worldwide. While there is still a significant divide between those who have Internet access and those who do not, the fact remains that any of us can communicate across the globe via online catering training classes.
How Do You Become and Caterer?
Generally, becoming a caterer does not necessitate a specific educational background. As a result, naturally gifted people in the kitchen can advance, start a catering business, and improve their skills by enrolling in catering training courses. Here are a few steps to becoming a professional caterer:
Step 1: Decide Where You Want to Work
There are various types of catering, including working in a restaurant and working from home. So, ensure a clear path because it will determine the following steps to take.
Step 2: Take a Food Safety Course
Most catering companies will require a certificate before you can prepare or serve food. The NSF International and The Food Safety Institute of America are two organizations where you can get certified for proper food handling.
Step 3: Get a Food Service Operating License or Permit
Caterers will be required to have some license in most states and countries to work legally. The type of license you obtain will be determined by where you live and the kind of catering job you desire.
Step 4: Put Your Catering Skills to the Test
Take cooking classes, develop recipes for use in the restaurant, or sharpen your knife skills. These are necessary skills whether you want to start your own catering company or work in someone else’s kitchen.
Step 5: Consider an Apprenticeship or Internship
This will enable you to fine-tune your skills while also obtaining the necessary qualifications. Although many internships are unpaid, they’ll provide valuable experience and contacts. Some internships may even result in a job offer.
Step 6: Build a Network and Promote Yourself
Participating in wedding trade shows or volunteering your services for a charitable cause, such as a school banquet, in exchange for some advertising can help others taste your food. Traditional networking methods, such as social media and a website, are viable options.
Top Ten Free Online Courses in Catering With Certificate in 2022
Below are our best picks among the free online courses in catering:
1. How to Start a Food Business From Home
This course is the first on our list of free online courses in catering because, once you’ve decided to start a catering business or pursue a career in catering, you’ll need visibility. Through this course, you will learn how to get your recipe from your kitchen to store shelves.
The course is interwoven with real-world examples of what you’ll need to start your own food business, such as product labeling requirements, inspection requirements, etc. Furthermore, the course will cover everything from product creation to product marketing to label design. It will also cover how you can make money at street fairs and festivals, get celebrity endorsements, etc.
Provider: Udemy
Course: How to Start a Food Business from Home
Start Date: Self-Paced
Duration: 2 Hours
2. Automate Your Catering Business Like a BIG Business
Because the owner is overworked and underpaid, many small catering businesses fail. However, you can avoid this by learning about the systems you can implement to free up more time and focus on providing a wonderful experience for your clients.
Therefore, you can turn a simple, automated system that works for your catering company into a daily task that takes hours or days to complete. In this free catering short course, you’ll learn how to automate processes in your catering business to boost productivity, attract new clients, and keep your business running while you’re away. These systems are based on those used in large restaurants, but they’ve been simplified to fit your catering business.
Provider: Udemy
Course: Automate Your Catering Business Like a BIG Business
Start Date: Self-Paced
Duration: 2 Hours
3. Food and Beverage Management
This course also ranks on our list of free online courses in catering because managing a food and beverage industry company is an exciting task, so you’ll need the right tools and models to run your catering company effectively. The two goals of this catering training course are as follows:
Firstly, it focuses on current challenges that managers and entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industry may face. Secondly, they’ll provide models and tools for creating and implementing appropriate courses of action to satisfy customers and gain a competitive advantage.
These lectures combine an accessible introduction to specific topics with interviews with managers and experts who will provide participants with valuable insights and examples. In addition, each module includes an assessed quiz and weekly discussion forums for students to reflect on the diversity of the F&B world, its complexity, and the power of the network.
Provider: Coursera
Course: Food and Beverage Management
Start Date: Self-Paced
Duration: 13 Hours
4. Food Safety and Hygiene in the Catering Industry
Food soiled or contaminated is unpleasant to eat and can also result in severe injury or illness. As a result, any food industry professional must understand food safety and hygiene techniques. This free online catering training course will teach you standard catering food safety guidelines. In addition, you will learn how to prevent food spoilage and disease spread during the food handling process.
Provider: Alison
Course: Food Safety and Hygiene in the Catering Industry
Start Date: Self-Paced
Duration: 3 Hours
5. Cooking Meat and Seafood
Whether you’re just starting as a professional caterer or a home cook, this free catering short course will teach you the fundamentals of meats and seafood. In this course, you’ll learn the definition of meat and the different types of red meat before moving on to poultry and seafood, including shellfish and cephalopods.
You’ll also learn how to determine freshness, the differences between different ages and breeds of meat-producing animals, and how to prepare them, which is why this training course ranks on our list of free online courses in catering.
Provider: Alison
Course: Cooking Meat and Seafood
Start Date: Self-Paced
Duration: 6 Hours
6. Soul Food
This is another hot pick among the list of free online courses in catering; this free Soul Food course will teach you about the history and origins of American soul food and demonstrate popular soul food recipes. You’ll also learn where the term “Soul Food” came from, why it’s called that, and how African Americans learned to prepare the recipes that makeup Soul Food cuisine.
In addition, you’ll also learn how to make Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Collard Kale Greens with Smoked Turkey, Salmon Patty Croquettes, Baked Macaroni and Cheese, and Cornbread Muffins, and Sweet Potato Pie, among other popular soul food recipes.
Provider: Udemy
Course: Soul Food
Start Date: Self-Paced
Duration: 1.5 Hours
7. The Best 180 Healthy Food Recipes for Beginners to Advanced
Do you want to feel more at ease when preparing healthy meals? Do you want your kitchen to be a place where you can learn new things? If any of the above apply to you, then this catering training course might be a good fit for you. In this free catering certificate course, you’ll learn culinary skills to take your cooking to the next level. The course includes 180 videos featuring a variety of foods and bakeries.
Provider: Udemy
Course: The Best 180 Healthy Food Recipes for Beginners to Advanced
Start Date: Self-Paced
Duration: 13 Hours
8. 75 Best Sandwich Maker Recipes Cooking Class
Sandwich toasts are a delicious breakfast option. It may not be as simple to prepare as a bowl of cereal, but it’s nice to have a more filling breakfast before you begin your daily activities. Whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, or a snack, the recipes in this catering short course will meet your needs for a delicious sandwich toast. Generally, we all know that the majority of the sandwich recipes are inspired by Japanese cuisine, and if you make the recipes taught in this class at home, you can expect a surprising taste for sandwiches.
Provider: Udemy
Course: 75 Best Sandwich Maker Recipes Cooking Class
Start Date: Self-Paced
Duration: 4 Hours
9. How to Start and Market a Food Business from Your Home Kitchen
This course also makes it on our list of free online courses in catering. Now, thousands of home cooks are embracing launching their food product enterprise from home and if you’re like them. This catering training course will serve as a springboard for your dream business based on your passions and a clear roadmap for you to launch your food product venture.
This free online catering certificate course will give you a thorough overview of everything you’ll need to get your catering business up and running. Because there’s a lot to consider from licensing requirements for “cottage food laws” to developing your product for the market and managing your business to keep it fun, lucrative, and successful.
Provider: Udemy
Course: How to Start and Market a Food Business from Your Home Kitchen
Start Date: Self-Paced
Duration: 5 Hours
10. Mastering the Art of Italian cooking
Mastering the Art of Italian cooking is the last on our list of free online courses in catering. This cooking class aims to share the most authentic, genuine, and honest view of Italian cooking, free of untrue stereotypes.
In this free course, the provider shares all of her family’s recipes, all made with fresh, inexpensive, and well-seasoned ingredients that are simple to replicate at home. In addition, you will also learn the fundamentals of Italian cuisine and some advanced techniques for achieving the best results and improving your cooking abilities.
Provider: Udemy
Course: Mastering the Art of Italian cooking
Start Date: Self-Paced
Duration: 1.5 Hours
Conclusion
Catering is a very flexible and lucrative career. With the BLS speculation and the fact that people will continue to organize and host events such as weddings, birthday parties, conferences, and the like, it’s clear that there will be a continued demand for caterers.
Therefore, if you enjoy cooking and want to make a career out of it, you can hone your skills further by enrolling in any of the free online courses in catering listed above. Don’t forget to share the articles with your friends who might be interested in reading this post.
Frequently Asked Questions About Free Online Courses In Catering
Working as a caterer has a lot of advantages, both financially and in terms of flexibility. Additionally, with the report by the BLS, the demand for caterers will continue to increase, so if you enjoy cooking, organizing, and assisting with events, but you’re skeptical if a career in catering will be the best for you, please feel free to pursue your passion.
According to a report by ZipRecruiter, the average annual pay for a Caterer in the United States in 2022 is $27,333 a year.
On average, a certificate takes two years to complete, while a diploma course in catering takes three years. However, short online catering courses can be completed in a month or less.
The following are ways you can make a successful catering career:
Prepare delicious meals
Maintain a high level of customer service
Improve your administrative abilities
Maintain a professional appearance while at work
Maintain a clean environment and provide competitive pricing
Maintain a high-profit margin without sacrificing service
Improve your management abilities
The following are platforms where you can learn online skills for free:
Coursera
Udemy
Alison
FutureLearn
Skillshare
Reference
- en.m.wikipedia – What is catering?
- bls.gov – Career Outlook for Catering
- oedb.org – Benefits of Taking Online Classes
- indeed.com – How do you become a Caterer?
- udemy.com – Free Online Certificate Courses in Catering
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