For those of you stuck wondering what on earth to put in a statement of motivation, this is what I wrote to gain acceptance at Le Cordon Bleu. The only specifications that I was given were that it needed to be short, concise, and passionate, outlining my plans for the future. That was far, far too general for me! I hope those of you applying to culinary school can use all or part of this as a stepping-off point!
Cooking is my life and my passion. I spent several years after completing a B.A. in Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature working in “the real world,” only to discover that my true passion lies with cooking. I took a year off to travel extensively, tasting food in Italy, Mexico, Jamaica, the Caribbean, and in other countries. I have been working for two years for D’Amico and Partners as a cook and have realized that I am happier working a rush at the end of the night than I ever was sitting at a desk. What I am hoping for from Le Cordon Bleu London is the chance to gain the tools that I need in order to pursue my dreams. l plan to live in London while attending Le Cordon Bleu, cook in an English pub, and find restaurants in which to apprentice or shadow local great chefs, if possible. This experience will give me the tools that I need in order to follow my dreams. I studied abroad in London while attending the University of Minnesota, and would be thrilled beyond all imagination to have the opportunity to once again live in one of the most exciting, vibrant cities that I have ever visited. To live and to work in London while attending one of the most prestigious culinary institutions in the world would be the greatest opportunity that I can imagine.
I plan to utilize the global presence of Le Cordon Bleu and all of the world-wide opportunities that London has to offer. I will use these opportunities to gain the experience needed to travel the world and cook alongside chefs who have a great amount of experience and can expand my knowledge base. I would like to take what I have learned from these experiences in order to run my own restaurant and to create my own series of writings and cookbooks so that other chefs can learn from my experiences. Le Cordon Bleu is the first and most important step in a journey that will take me through a lifetime of achievement. Training is my first love, and I would like to take the knowledge and experience that Le Cordon Bleu has to offer in order to train and teach cooks of every level of experience to become great cooks and chefs of their own. Learning from the chefs at Le Cordon Bleu will give me the opportunity to see how much great chefs have to offer to passionate and motivated cooks. I hope that I can take what I learn through the next years of my life and use them to inspire the chef in every individual. Young and old, novice and master; I believe that there is a cook in every person and I would like to help people discover the chefs in themselves.