How to Become a Chef in Ireland

French chef painted by Théodule Ribot (1824-1891).

Over the past 10 years, Ireland has experienced a boom in its culinary repertoire. No longer the home of simple brown bread, Irish breakfasts and puddings, Ireland has branched out, and hundreds of high-end restaurants have opened throughout the country. There is no better time to be a chef in Ireland, and in the following paragraphs you'll find out how to live the dream.

Things You'll Need

• Culinary certification

Instructions

1. While there are plenty of cooking schools to choose from in Ireland, they primarily cater to short-term-cook certifications and to average joes learning to cook for the first time. To work as a chef, you must gain your culinary degree from another country, such as the United Kingdom.

2. Baltimore International College, or BIC, is the closest college to offering a culinary degree in Ireland. Though BIC is based in the U.S., it offers an externship in County Cavan, Ireland.

3. One option for working as a chef in Ireland is to apply to the Michelin Star restaurants---those that have received the highest culinary honor. Chapter One, L'Ecrivain, Mint, Thornton's, Bon Appetit and Patrick Guilbaud are Ireland's top-ranking restaurants. All are based in Dublin and hire professional chefs.

4. Even without a Michelin Star, there are a wide range of highly respected restaurants that hire chefs in Ireland. Hotel restaurants at The Four Seasons, The Aran View and The Merrion are good examples.

5. For current chef openings, there are several websites that post regularly. Hoteljobs.ie and Brooks Recruitment are two of the largest websites with job listings for chefs.