About Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago
At Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago, our culinary school programs are designed to help students pursue their passions and prepare them for professional opportunities in the international culinary, pâtisserie and baking, and hospitality industries.
Each Chicago cooking school student receives a comprehensive, challenging education in classic culinary techniques combined with modern innovations and the latest in global cuisine. They learn through demonstration by chef instructors followed by hands-on, practical application.
Our cooking school curriculum includes important theoretical concepts and industry-relevant general education courses. Students also benefit from smaller class size in a creative, supportive community.
Contact us today to learn more about Chicago, Illinois cooking school education at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago or apply online!
Click here to make plans to visit our school.
Our Cooking School History
Our Chicago cooking school was founded in May of 1983 by Linda Calafiore, a passionate cook who wanted to share her love of great food.
The food service community responded with enthusiasm. As soon as the first students graduated, many were employed at major hotels and restaurants. To date, the Chicago cooking school has graduated thousands of professional cooks, bakers, and aspiring chefs who are now staffing some of the most prestigious restaurants in Chicago and the nation.
In June 2000, The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago was invited to become affiliated with Le Cordon Bleu of Paris, one of the world's best-known culinary education programs.
About Le Cordon Bleu – Culinary Arts & Cooking School
Few institutions possess the prestige of a Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. Its internationally renowned culinary arts school curriculum has become synonymous with expertise, innovation, tradition, and refinement-qualities meticulously nurtured by the school.
Le Cordon Bleu was founded as a cooking school in Paris in 1895. Its name traces to a high honor bestowed upon members of the Order of the Holy Spirit by King Henry III in the 1500s.
The awarded medallion, called the Cross of the Holy Spirit, was suspended from a blue ribbon, or Le Cordon Bleu.
At the end of the 19th century, a collection of recipes called "La Cuisinière Cordon Bleu" was published to much acclaim. The book's success prompted its publisher to open a cooking school with the Cordon Bleu designation.
The cooking school's reputation spread fast, both in France and internationally. Since then, students throughout the world have trained in the culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu.
Le Cordon Bleu's arrival in the United States ushered in a new educational era in culinary arts that combines classical European techniques with modern American technology and training.
As a testament to their accomplishment, graduates receive a specialized associate degree or certificate, and the coveted Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Diplôme.