Online Culinary School FAQ

Online Culinary School (OCS) is a structured online culinary program created and taught by French chef Eric Arrouzé. We offer courses on food safety, knife skills, stocks and soups, classical French cuisine, restaurant management, food costing, menu planning, business planning, and entrepreneurship — organized from foundations to advanced skills for home cooks, culinary students, professionals, and business owners.

Every course is written and taught by Chef Eric Arrouzé — a French-trained chef who became an executive chef on the French Riviera at 23, taught at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, and has been teaching cooking online since 2001. He also works as a restaurant consultant through 911 Chef Eric.

OCRS — the Online Culinary Roadmap System — is how the school is organized. Every course, lesson and quiz is mapped to the skill it teaches and what it depends on. OCRS is designed to connect learning activities, assessments, and competency records so certificates reflect assessed course outcomes rather than attendance alone. Answer five questions in Learning Paths and OCRS builds your roadmap: which courses to take, in what order, when coaching would help, and how your learning connects to your goals.

Home cooks who want real technique, culinary students and line cooks building professional habits, food entrepreneurs, restaurant owners and managers, consulting clients, and career-changers. Each course states its level and audience, and the learning paths show where to begin based on your goal.

We offer courses in: Food Safety & Kitchen Foundations, Knife Skills, Stocks & Soups, Classical French Sauces, Appetizers & Canapés, Proteins & Cooking Methods, Vegetable Preparation, Plating & Presentation, Restaurant Management, Food Costing & Pricing, Menu Planning & Design, Kitchen Leadership, Business Planning for Food Entrepreneurs, and more. Browse all courses at onlineculinaryschool.net/learn/.

Yes. Food Safety & Kitchen Foundations is the foundation course. It covers food storage, temperature control, contamination prevention, allergen management, HACCP principles, and workplace safety — everything a professional or home cook needs to know to cook safely and confidently.

Yes. We offer courses in Restaurant Management, Food Costing & Pricing, Menu Planning & Design, Kitchen Leadership, Business Planning for Food Entrepreneurs, and Consulting on your restaurant or food business. These courses are designed for restaurant owners, managers, food entrepreneurs, and consultants who want to understand the business side of food.

Yes. Our Food Costing & Pricing course teaches ingredient cost calculation, portion control, pricing strategies, profit margins, menu engineering, and how to price profitably without losing customers. This is essential for restaurants, catering, and food businesses.

French cuisine is our foundation — classical French technique is the backbone of professional cooking worldwide. From there, courses expand into international cuisines, modern techniques, and dietary variations. The focus is on mastering fundamentals first, then adapting them to any cuisine.

Course length varies. Foundation courses (Food Safety, Knife Skills) take 4-6 weeks. Intermediate courses (Sauces, Appetizers) take 6-10 weeks. Advanced courses and business courses take 8-12 weeks. You set your own pace — there are no deadlines.

Yes. Every course is self-paced with no deadlines or schedules. Work through lessons whenever it suits you — whether that’s 5 minutes a day or several hours on weekends. Most students complete courses while working full-time.

All courses are free to access and learn from. You can complete any lesson without paying. Create a free account to save your progress across devices. Certificates of Completion are issued when you meet the stated requirements for a course, including its required knowledge assessments and any practical competency evidence. Requirements may differ by course.

No. All courses are free. All lessons, videos, quizzes, and certificates are included. We offer optional private coaching with Chef Eric for those who want personalized guidance, but courses themselves have no cost.

OCS education is free. Optional private one-on-one coaching with Chef Eric is available separately: Focus Session — $150 for one 60-minute session; Goal Plan — $420 for three 60-minute sessions; Mastery Program — $1,250 for ten 60-minute sessions; or Monthly Mentorship — $280 per month for two 60-minute sessions. All sessions take place live on Google Meet and focus on your specific goals. Coaching is purchased separately and is not required to access any course.

All courses are now open to everyone, so membership has been retired. Existing memberships will not renew. Your certificates and learning history remain on record. If you have questions about your account, please get in touch.

Advanced technique courses, food costing, menu planning, kitchen leadership, and business skills. OCS reinforces professional fundamentals and teaches the business side of restaurants — something many culinary schools don’t cover. Our OCRS certificates document your mastery for employers.

Restaurant Management, Food Costing & Pricing, Menu Planning, Kitchen Leadership, and direct consulting with Chef Eric. Learn to run your kitchen more efficiently, control food costs, design better menus, and lead your team.

Yes. Business Planning for Food Entrepreneurs, Food Costing & Pricing, Menu Planning, Food Safety, and private coaching with Chef Eric on your specific business model. Many of our students are building food businesses, catering companies, and consulting practices.

Start with Food Safety & Kitchen Foundations, then Knife Skills, then Stocks & Soups. These three courses build confidence and teach you how to think like a cook. After that, use OCRS Learning Paths to find your next course based on your interest (appetizers, proteins, French sauce, etc.).

Technique courses (Knife Skills, Sauces, Appetizers, Proteins), food safety, plating & presentation, menu planning, and access to our Professional Recipe Library. Learn to cook like a professional chef, even if you never open a restaurant.

A Certificate of Completion is issued after you meet all stated course requirements. This may include lessons, knowledge assessments, and practical evidence where required. Your learner record should show the requirements met and the competencies documented. How certificates work.

OCS Certificates of Completion document the course outcomes and competencies recorded in your learner account. They are not government licences, formal academic credits, or accredited vocational degrees. Their value depends on the assessments and evidence required by the specific course. Each certificate includes a unique verification ID that can be checked online.

They provide an additional record of your learning and assessed course outcomes. Employers may consider them alongside practical experience, references, and other qualifications; they do not replace workplace experience or regulated credentials.

OCS certificates prove you mastered specific skills and knowledge areas. A culinary school degree is a broader credential. OCS is ideal for working professionals, career-changers, and entrepreneurs who want specific skills fast. Many professional chefs use OCS alongside formal training to specialize in areas their school didn’t cover.

Live, private 60-minute sessions on Google Meet, focused on your specific goal: mastering a technique, perfecting a recipe, designing a menu, planning a food business, consulting on your restaurant, kitchen leadership, or career guidance. Chef Eric reviews your intake form beforehand so the session starts with direction and accountability.

Coaching helps when you want faster results, accountability, personalized feedback on your technique, help designing a menu or restaurant, business consultation, or guidance on your career path. Many students use coaching for one session to get unblocked, then self-study. Others do monthly sessions for ongoing support.

Both. Chef Eric works with restaurant owners on operations, food costs, menu design, and kitchen management through 911 Chef Eric Consulting. Coaching sessions can focus on technique, business strategy, or both.

English and French.

Yes. Contact Chef Eric through 911 Chef Eric Consulting for group training, team coaching, and restaurant consulting packages.

Not to learn — you can open any lesson straight away. Create a free account when you want your progress saved across devices, your quiz scores recorded, and certificates issued in your name.

If you are new to cooking or to professional kitchens, begin with Food Safety & Kitchen Foundations, then Knife Skills. For a plan built around your goal, answer the five questions in OCRS Learning Paths.

Yes. There are no deadlines or schedules. Start, pause and return to any lesson whenever it suits you. Certificates show completion date, not speed.

Inside the lessons. Every course is built around short video demonstrations by Chef Eric that play right on the lesson page, alongside the written steps, recipes, and quiz.

Each quiz gives instant feedback on every answer. The pass mark is 70%, retakes are unlimited, and your best score counts.

Use the contact page for questions about courses, certificates, coaching, or anything that is not working as it should. We respond within 24 hours during business days.