Stereotypes

I have loved baking and cooking ever since I was a little girl when my mum used to show us how to make cupcakes and cookies, and it has now grown into a huge passion of mine. Baking is something I do as a stress relief, to take my mind of things be it revision or a hard day. When I got the opportunity to study Food Technology at school I was so excited to actually take my passion and put it to use in what I think of as an academic subject. However, I was not ready for the ever growing stereotypes of studying this subject.

I am now nearing the end of my ALevel Food Technology course and although it has been stressful I have loved every minute of it. However, I still get friends and other people at school asking me what I'm cooking 24/7 or whether my exam involves describing how to make a cake, and although they may see this as showing interest it does get very irritating after a while. 

The stereotypes of subjects similar to this of being just 'cooking' or non academic is extremely outdated and fails to represent the hard work that people like me put into it. Not only does this subject involve the practical skills that go far beyond cakes but also a very detailed nutritional knowledge base. To be good at cooking you have to know the science behind nutrients and their interaction, and this is something that many people do not understand. Alike subjects such as drama, art, dance and creative writing the subject is pushed under the carpet and not recognised enough as academic and something that requires a lot of skill. I've not only noticed this from speaking to people but also through the lack of schools that offer this subject, as well as the constant battle at school to keep the subject going even though the results are far better than some so called 'academic' subjects....and this is definitely not at all because it is easier because trust me its not!

The food industry fuels our economy and without people studying in this area we would not have the developing range of products that are available today. From viewing university courses within this area the low numbers of graduates of this subject has shocked me, with those with a food degree having a quick rate of employment because of their high demand.

Additionally, the amount of people that think that if you study this subject you want to be a chef is quite unbelievable, again showing how little they think of the subject. The likes of chefs such as Heston Blumathal has raised the scientific profile of cooking and has begun to show the vast knowledge that some chefs possess.

Sorry this post has turned into a little bit of a rant, but I hope that in the future these subject will get a little more credit, because without the opportunity to study this at school I don't think I would have found something that I am as passionate about. 

AS prototype- Savoury bread snack product- Inspired by turkey, stuffing and cranberry Chelsea buns.

A2 prototype- Luxury dessert product- Inspired by Gatau de L'Opera cake