Ballymaloe Cookery Course - career change from teaching

Hannaho

Hi! My cousin is a primary teacher. No kids. Mortgage paid - can't bear to do another 10 years in teaching. Loves cooking - wants to do Ballymaloe Cookery Course - 3 months - 11k - wants then to work for artisan style cafe/bakery part-time and to do cooking classes for children after school from her own hone - has the space etc - is this a mad idea? Her brother and sister think she's crazy - but she's very unhappy in teaching, and has been for a long-time, tbh, I don't think it's what she ever really wanted - didn't get Home Economics Teaching and primary teaching was a second choice - despite this I do hear that she is a good teacher.

Mrs OBumble

So she wants to get out of teaching in order to ... go back to another branch of teaching!

Is there an artisan bakery that has agreed to employ her if she gets a suitable qualification? Have they agreed that the course is suitable?

Is she physically able for a job that involves standing and lifting (maybe she is having been teaching - but I know others, including myself, who at 50 simply wouldn't be.)

WhoWhatWhere

The course is only 3 months?? Not much of a course there. She'd come out requiring more training, she certainly wouldn't be ready to train anyone.

Hannaho

Yes, we did talk to her about that - that being a chef/cook can be tough physically and long hours. No, she has not found any artisan bakery/coffee shop to take her. I can't see how she would make much money out of this - and it's a big investment. I know she has disliked teaching for many years - but it seems like too big a jump for her to make - I hope she listens!

WhoWhatWhere

Hannaho wrote: »

Yes, we did talk to her about that - that being a chef/cook can be tough physically and long hours. No, she has not found any artisan bakery/coffee shop to take her. I can't see how she would make much money out of this - and it's a big investment. I know she has disliked teaching for many years - but it seems like too big a jump for her to make - I hope she listens!

She also won't find one to make a placeholder for 3 months. Or will she likely not find one to take someone who did a cookery course for 3 months.

I did a look into that course... it just says "12 week certificate course"... What's the certificate? op this sounds fishy, if she's gonna spend 11 thousand odd euro she may as well go to culinary school and earn a degree.

phildenny

How many years has she done in teaching - enough to take early retirement?? I say go for it but be sensible. At least take a career break so she can return if it doesn't work out. She'll always regret it if she doesn't try it

nhunter100

Hannaho wrote:

Hi! My cousin is a primary teacher. No kids. Mortgage paid - can't bear to do another 10 years in teaching. Loves cooking - wants to do Ballymaloe Cookery Course - 3 months - 11k - wants then to work for artisan style cafe/bakery part-time and to do cooking classes for children after school from her own hone - has the space etc - is this a mad idea? Her brother and sister think she's crazy - but she's very unhappy in teaching, and has been for a long-time, tbh, I don't think it's what she ever really wanted - didn't get Home Economics Teaching and primary teaching was a second choice - despite this I do hear that she is a good teacher.

Your cousin who hates teaching kids wants to quit teaching and go on a cookery course so they can teach KIDS to cook. Any one see something wrong here?

Toto Wolfcastle

WhoWhatWhere wrote: »

The course is only 3 months?? Not much of a course there. She'd come out requiring more training, she certainly wouldn't be ready to train anyone.

The 3 month Ballymaloe course is very highly respected. She'd probably find a job easily enough.

Cathmandooo

I know a lady who did that course, it's intense, you live on site for the 12 weeks, you fish, you butcher, you go foraging. She grew up fishing and staying outdoors so that didn't bother her. You scrub and clean like you've never cleaned before, long hours every day. If your friend is expecting 9 to 5 classes and cooking (that's what I'd have thought it would be) it isn't. She was snapped up by a restaurant after the course was complete though, it's highly regarded. But obviously at a junior level but it opens a lot of doors.

Fair play to her for going after what she wants. There's a huge difference between primary school teaching and teaching kids cooking skills. Sounds like a great idea to me, could be the making of her.

WhoWhatWhere

nhunter100 wrote: »

Your cousin who hates teaching kids wants to quit teaching and go on a cookery course so they can teach KIDS to cook. Any one see something wrong here?

She wanted to teach home ec. Teaching a cooking class once a week is much different to full time teaching.

MouseTail

There are free courses as good or better than Ballymaloe springing up due to the shortage of commis chefs. If she has her years done, why not, she has no calls on her money, and probably only needs a small pot to live off.

twignme

I did the Ballymaloe course in 2013 and I enjoyed every minute of it. It is incredibly hard work, examined and assessed throughout and it gives a very holistic experience of food and cooking. There were 50 on my course, some already employed in the catering world who wanted to expand, some who wanted to open coffee shops etc and others who wanted to go into a bigger commercial kitchen. Darina Allen and her team work endlessly to help you get the position you are looking for at the end and I know most did. I'm sure if your cousin paid a visit to the school, sat in on an afternoons demos and talked to the students she would get lots of information to help make up her mind.

There are tons of ex Ballymaloe alumni working in well known kitchens and also starting their own very successful businesses. In my experience, it opened doors for me too.

I don't think your cousin would have difficulty gaining employment in a small artisan establishment as along as she understands the course is just a start. I do think the teaching kids at home would need more thought however. The cost of setting up with children friendly equipment, work places etc would be expensive enough but the cost of insurance where children, ovens and knives are in play would be eye watering!

Best of luck to your Cousin on fulfilling her dream.

Markcheese

The course has a great reputation,I know of some chefs who started off there..it is a lot of money but if she's committed to the idea, then go for it..

gandalf

If she has her mortgage paid and she wants a change then she should go for it. The Ballymaloe course is highly regarded and I believe it is very intense indeed. I believe she will also have to sort out accommodation on top of the fees though for the 12 weeks as well.

mfceiling

Find a job you love and you'll never work another day in your life.

Hannaho

Thanks to all of you for your replies. I have shown them to my cousin, and she found it very hopeful that those of you who have done the Ballymaloe Course feel that there are job possibilities for her afterwards even for a 50/51 year old.

Re not liking teaching and then wanting to teach cookery to kids - she doesn't like where she is teaching. It's a very tough school in a very tough area. Last year she asked me to meet her one day after work, just out of the blue. When I went to meet her, she told me that one of the parents had been really angry, seemingly not justifiably so from what she said, and had punched the other teacher in the school in the face, breaking his nose and loosening a tooth. While it's not everyday there are violent incidents from parents in the school, many of the children sadly have behavioural and multiple social issues, and she and other teachers have been threatened by both some parents and older children previously. I think she is burnt out from all this. She has wanted to move to another school, but she said this is a problem as she only has a pass degree - I'm not sure if this is a cop out or not, as I don't know the significance of this within teaching. I feel she's so burnt out that she doesn't know where to turn or what to do, but cooking is something she has always loved.

Re. teaching kids cookery after school - I didn't know the insurance would be so high for this - would it be as high if she were only doing baking classes, rather than preparing meals with children after school. I know that my son went to baking classes after school in the local parish hall which has it's own commercial kitchen - it took me a year to get my son a place on this baking course.

deiseindublin

Go for it but go for a career break initially and see how it goes.

jidsudap

Tell her to
Go for it! Many people have left careers to follow this path....me included! I've booked in to do the course starting April next year...and leaving a career of engineering behind me! Dork to fork 😊🎀

messy tessy

I love this plan!! To be honest she is old enough to know her own mind, and if it is something she wanted to do with a while I'd say go for it!!!

Would she think of getting a part - time job at helping out at a cookery school before starting teaching at her own house? Even a few months being an assistant would stand to her greatly.

My sister in law did that course in Ballymaloe and absolutely loved it.

Teyla Emmagan

I've done the course too. It's an amazing experience (but tough!). Graduates are snapped up after. I stayed 4 months, worked (for free!) afterwards for a month. There was no fishing and butchering in my day tho (2011 I think). I reckon the whole thing cost me 20k (living expenses, accommodation). I rented my own house. The accommodation on site is pretty basic (big houses 2 to a room), and loads of young ones on the UK on a gap year. They normally gave one or two "old" houses as well though.

I could have done anything after but I ultimately returned to my old job. I realised it was much easier to sit at a quiet desk all day then it is to stand in a noisy kitchen trying to get 50 dishes out while being shouted at. Kitchens are only for the brave!

But the whole thing was amazing and for a career break it is an incredible experience. I would recommended anyone with an interest in food to do it.

Hannaho

Hi! Thanks to all of your for your replies. It was particularly good to hear from people who have done the course previously. Often courses can be hyped up and they're are not as good as they sound, but the Ballymaloe Course sounds amazing. I have shown my cousin the replies. She is going to try and do the course in autumn next year, and is going to put her application in for a career break early in the New Year. i really think there would be a lot of options open to her anyway afterwards, given that she is already a teacher - maybe she could teach on VEC Adult Ed Courses in Cookery as well as doing the children's baking classes. The course in Ballymaloe sounds so good - I think I'd even love to do it myself - maybe when my children go to college .....

Thanks again.

bush

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

I reckon the whole thing cost me 20k

Thats insane.

Teyla Emmagan

bush wrote: »

Thats insane.

Yeah, but I had it. And I was in work, falling apart. It was making me unwell. I came back a new person, it was worth every penny.

Flygirl92

Your cousin should absolutely 100% follow her dream. If we only get one life, why waste it in a job where you are unhappy and having doubts.

If she can afford to go do the course she should. If she enjoys it and gets a job out of it - fantastic.

If it doesn't work out - back to the drawing board, but with new skills and having achieved a dream.

GaGa21

MouseTail wrote:

There are free courses as good or better than Ballymaloe springing up due to the shortage of commis chefs. If she has her years done, why not, she has no calls on her money, and probably only needs a small pot to live off.

Any links to these other courses as I would love to do Ballymaloe but couldn't justify the cost of it.

MouseTail

GaGa21 wrote: »

Any links to these other courses as I would love to do Ballymaloe but couldn't justify the cost of it.

There are lots in ETBs and ITs. Look up Culinary Arts on qualifax.ie. You are looking for Level 5 or 6.