The 6 Best Culinary Schools in Calgary

Anyone with a passion for food can be an okay cook. But it takes the best culinary school in Calgary to give you a shot at becoming a great cook and even a chef with a shot at entering the professional culinary scene.

Today, we’ve rounded up the best culinary schools in Calgary and the world. We also shared some of the basic culinary art classes and answered some frequently asked questions about the topic for your convenience.

The Best Schools with Culinary Arts Curriculum in Calgary

Whether you want to be a professional chef, a restauranteur, or just a home cook, these schools can help you improve your cooking skills.

1.   Cuisine et Château

CLASSES	https://www.cuisineandchateau.com/calgary-cooking-classes
WEBSITE	https://www.cuisineandchateau.com/
ADDRESS	227 10 St NW #103, Calgary, AB T2N 1V5
CONTACT DETAILS	(403) 764-2665
OPERATING HOURS	24/7

Cuisine et Château is home to global cuisines, whether it be Asian flavours from India and Japan, or European flavours from Italy and France.

This school’s cooking classes usually span three hours at night, perfect for those who want to unwind and cook after a busy day at work.

Should you want to participate, just make sure to book early because Cuisine et Château only accepts 10 participants per class. Luckily, the culinary school posts detailed calendars up to 4 months in advance and has detailed booking forms.

All these factors help you schedule your cooking class.

But do know that should you have unforeseen schedule changes, Cuisine et Château may not accommodate rescheduling requests. At least, that’s what previous students have said.

Among its most awaited cooking classes is the artisan bread baking class, which lasts up to four hours each day. This 2-day bread baking class is even available for corporate team buildings.

But what we think makes Cuisine et Château unique is that it offers week-long culinary tours to Périgord and Normandy France. Additionally, this culinary school does catering services for events.

Customer Reviews

Here are some reviews to help you decide on whether or not Cuisine et Château can be your culinary school:

“Top quality instruction. Humorous insightful . Hands on Cooking lessons made fun. Great class size. Small. Excellent selection of wines. He right amount of education with some training thrown in. Highly recommend these classes. Parking is a little tight in Kensington.”—D.A.J.

“On January 16, 2021,  my husband and I did the Stocks and Sauces class on-line from our own kitchen.  At first, we were looking for an in class experience but the chef Thierry did a fabulous job to prepare the learning experience.  We picked up on Friday all the ingredients needed, all nicely labelled, for the different sauces and stocks. We have learned so much more than expected about techniques and, of course enjoyed tasting the delicious dishes that we have prepared.  A fantastic class! If you like to cook and have the desire to learn about it, I highly recommend Cuisine et Château! Also the Chef has a good sens of humour!”—Sylvie Pinard

2.   Lambert Academy of SugarCraft

CLASSES	https://lesiskitchen.com/wp/pcdcp/ https://lesiskitchen.com/cake-decorating-shop-all/
WEBSITE	https://www.lesiskitchen.com/
ADDRESS	8236 30ST SE, Calgary, AB T2C 1H8
CONTACT DETAILS	(587) 332-4234 | [email protected]
OPERATING HOURS	Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Saturday: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM Sunday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Just as its name suggests, Lambert Academy of SugarCrafts is the best culinary school in Calgary for aspiring bakers.

Lambert Academy’s classes revolve around varying levels of cake decoration and confectionery arts. This culinary school is even open to all ages, as it also hosts children’s classes and interactive parties.

The only thing we find inconvenient about its classes is that they’re usually on weekdays and span five to seven hours. But that’s just because baking and decorating is a long process.

Aside from helping Calgarians discover their baking prowess, Lambert Academy of SugarCrafts also allows its students to start their own baking businesses. We say this because the culinary school offers the Professional Cake Designer Certification Program.

In this program, its students learn about how to bake and design cakes as well as how to run a business. Its business course includes how to acquire permits, licenses, and certifications from the AHS and other authorities.

Additionally, Lambert Academy offers online video classes.

All these services are possible by Lesi Ambert, a sugar artist who has even trained with Colette Peters, Nicholas Lodge, and other big names in the industry.

Customer Reviews

Lambert Academy has been praised a lot by customers who got to begin their own baking business after attending its classes. Here are some reviews from those successful students:

“Learning from Lesi was a wonderful experience and has really equipped me for success in my new bakery business. Her knowledge and experience helped me learn the techniques she taught us quickly. Would definitely recommend her classes to anyone who wants to learn advanced cake decorating techniques.”—Liza Pickles

“Lesi’s kitchen was spotless, she was well organized and patient and took the time to answer all of our questions. Each of us made an  absolutely gorgeous 6″ cake covered in fondant plus decor and my cake was the best decorated that I have ever made! I would recommend this to beginners or to anyone who wants to boost their skills with the great instruction and knowledge that Lesi has to share.”

“Having just recently completed this course, I can say it is well worth every penny! I left with the knowledge and skills needed for the cake design industry. The instructors were kind, patient and professional, making it their goal to ensure every student left the program with the highest skill level. I would highly recommend this course to anyone from beginner to advanced level looking to pursue this career. You will not be disappointed!”—Matt Pelletier

3.   SAIT Culinary Campus

CLASSES	https://www.sait.ca/programs-and-courses/diplomas/culinary-arts https://culinarycampus.ca/classes/category
WEBSITE	https://culinarycampus.ca/ https://www.sait.ca/
ADDRESS	230 8 Ave SW #226, Calgary, AB T2P 1B5
CONTACT DETAILS	(403) 284-8535 | [email protected]

Now, if you’re looking for a culinary school that’ll take you to the high ranks of the kitchen, then SAIT is where you should go. This college offers a full culinary arts program, with its schedules for admission available on its website.

SAIT’s two-year program will educate you on cooking and baking techniques, nutrition, kitchen management, and hospitality cultures and mindsets. SAIT also provides real-life kitchen experiences to its students as it has a culinary campus where Calgarians can come to eat.

We also like that SAIT invites culinary professionals from around the world. Thus, students are immersed in all types of cuisines during the program.

Aside from full-scale education, SAIT also offers casual cooking classes on its culinary campus. These classes tackle cooking and baking fundamentals and are available for adults, children, couples, and even large corporate groups.

Unfortunately, the SAIT culinary campus is currently closed due to pandemic restrictions.

Luckily, SAIT has online recipes, which you can simply download and follow. With such materials, you can improve your cooking skills long after attending SAIT’s casual cooking classes.

Customer Reviews

Here are some reviews that commend SAIT for the quality and pricing of its cooking classes:

“Flavour, art, nutrition and service at a great price! This is a lab for students to learn by doing. The Braise section has the best diversity of food but the Saute and Rotisserie sections are also good. Staff and Professional Cooking students are really friendly and helpful. The bakery has delicious pies made from scratch with real butter at a great price!”—Ashwin Shirale

“I’ve been to SAIT Culinary Campus to both buy food and to attend one of their cooking courses (viennoiserie course). I highly recommend this location if you are looking at either of those options. The lunch food here is amazing and well-priced. You can grab a hot meal with all the fixins for $10. As for the courses, they are a lot more hands on than some other cooking schools in Calgary that I’ve tried. If you want to learn details, I would recommend SAIT the most. I did the Viennoiserie class here and we completed all steps ourselves and didn’t have to share with a group. Sometimes you were paired with a partner, but we each had a hand at trying each step, which is important to me as an amateur chef for the learning process. Highly recommend SAIT and it’s instructors.”—Yasmin Hovakeemian

4.   Roni’s Kitchen

CLASSES	https://roniskitchen.com/product/online-school/
WEBSITE	https://roniskitchen.com/
CONTACT DETAILS	[email protected]

Like many of our other entries, Roni’s Kitchen offers casual cooking classes for those who want to learn new techniques or improve their home cooking skills. This school’s classes focus on creating meals, desserts, bread, and even fermented goods.

All of Roni’s classes are held online, so you can watch the videos and access recipes anytime you’re free. That said, those who need in-person guidance and support may not benefit much from this format.

Additionally, these online classes are pre-recorded, so you should at least know about the cooking and baking techniques Roni uses. Luckily, you can replay her instructional videos to help you out.

Roni also has a cookbook that anyone can access for a small fee. For credibility, you should know that this cookbook has been recognized as #5 on Calgary Herald’s Top best-selling books.

Now, what really makes Roni’s Kitchen special is that its recipes are 100% vegan. So, if you want to make plant-based delicacies and meals that replicate flavours from global cuisine, then this culinary school may be what you need.

Lastly, they also offer live online classes via Zoom from time to time. However, if you’d rather have one that is face-to-face, worry not because there is an option of booking a private session as well!

Customer Reviews

Here’s what some people have to say about them:

“Love, love, love her cookbook! Happened to get it pre-pandemic and we cooked our way through it in the initial lockdown! Her sourdough recipe beat all the others (first time sour dough makers here, she made it simple and less intimidating while still being delicious). Several of the recipes are now my go-to favourites (pad thai, mac and cheeze, sabich, kimchi tofu bunwiches … to name a few!) and all of the recipes are delicious without being over-complicated or time consuming!“

“What an incredible woman running a thoughtful kitchen that is close to her heart. Her new cookbook is beautiful and her class was such a delight. Food was delicious, easy to follow along, and very affordable. Can’t wait to take the persian cooking class. Highly recommend all thing in Roni’s kitchen 🙂“

5.   Chef Joey

CLASSES	https://chefjoey.ca/schedule
WEBSITE	https://chefjoey.ca/
ADDRESS	1431 40 St SW, Calgary, AB T3C 1W8
CONTACT DETAILS	(587) 777-9287 | [email protected]
OPERATING HOURS	24/7

Chef Joey offers cooking classes that’ll get you learning cooking techniques and recipes in a fun and laid-back environment. He mostly offers online classes via Zoom to adults and kids alike.

In addition to his usual classes, Chef Joey also offers corporate and private classes where you can customize the menu to cater to your group members’ preferences.

Because of the online nature of Chef Joey’s classes, you can cook and learn together with your family without paying too much for cooking classes.

Additionally, Chef Joey will provide you with shopping lists, recipes, and Zoom links after booking online. So, you can go through the recipe even before the session to get the feel of the cooking session.

That said, you’d have to shop on your own. So, while the fees may be low for multi-hour cooking classes, you’d still need to pay for ingredients.

What makes Chef Joey’s online classes special is that they are still interactive. So, even if you’re far from each other, he can commend you on what you’re doing right and help you improve your skills.

More importantly, you should know that Chef Joey also offers in-person classes, right in the comfort of your own home. So, if you want to have a group cooking class for a party, you may find Chef Joey a sound option.

Customer Reviews

Read these reviews to know what Calgarians like the most about Chef Joey’s classes and services:

“Chef Joey and his lovely wife Petrina came to our home to host an in-person cooking class as a birthday surprise.  They put some menu options in front of me, I made a few straightforward choices, and they took care of the rest and brought EVERYTHING required.  All very fun, low stress, easy to work with but also professional and organized.  Chef and Petrina are great company, Chef is a great teacher in the kitchen, and the whole thing was an absolute delight.  And yes — the food was incredible.  5-stars+ !!”—Rob Davies

“I thought I was well versed in Mexican cuisine, but in a full on experience, Chef Joey Zoomed us through two dishes I’d never tried before as well as a Tex Mex take on a caesar salad. Chef Joey gave easy to follow instructions with clear demonstrations and was adept at handling multiple participants in an online experience. It was a great evening for a fair price. Highly recommend!”—Dana Britton

6.   Nini’s Cooking Class

CLASSES	Kids Cooking/Baking camps (Winter, Spring and Summer) Weekly Cooking classes PD Day camps Birthday Parties Private and Corporate classes Special Needs Cooking classes
WEBSITE	https://niniscookingclass.ca/
ADDRESS	59 Evansbrough Crescent Calgary, Alberta T3P 0M3
CONTACT DETAILS	403.966.3604 [email protected]
OPERATING HOURS	Contact for details

Chef Nini comes from an African decent and all of their family functions are centered around the kitchen. Her grandmother, as well as her parents, introduced her to a variety of delicious and nutritious food.

Nini’s Cooking Class was created to educate both parents, as well as their kids, on how to love being in the kitchen. In comparison to other chefs, Nini offers numerous programs all throughout the year.

They currently have an ongoing program, Taste of AfriCaribbean. This program is for those who are interested in how to whip up some juicy, mouth-watering African cuisine for their family and friends.

Boost your kitchen skills with Nini and make your tummies full and happy.

Customer Reviews

Here are a few reviews we got from their Facebook page:

“My partner and I took a Caribbean cooking class with Nini and I could not recommend an experience more. She was incredibly professional and flexible when I was looking to book a class, and she made the class so personalized for my us. She was so knowledgeable and passionate, and it felt like cooking with an old friend. The food we made was delicious (stew chicken and rice and beans), but the fact that the food wasn’t even the best part of the experience is a testament to how wonderful of a time we had. Would highly recommend this class to anyone – you will not regret it!”

“Highly Recommended Nini’s kitchen , my Son loves cooking and baking and I was searching for a cooking class for a while. He didn’t only learn new techniques, but also had lots of fun ?Nini herself is so lovely and nice and responsive, I for sure recommend the classes and my son is going to register for winter break camps as well ?“

Best Culinary Schools in the World

Know that most of our entries offer casual cooking classes.

If you want more options for your culinary education and have the money and funds to travel anywhere, then you should check out these world-class culinary schools:

• Culinary Arts Academy:  Lucerne, Switzerland
• Apicius International School of Hospitality: Florence, Italy
• Westminster Kingsway College: London, UK
• Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts: Texas and Colorado
• Le Cordon Bleu: Paris, Ottawa, Bangkok, Tokyo
• Institute of Culinary Education: New York, USA
• Business and Hotel Management School: Lucerne, Switzerland

FAQs about Culinary Arts

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We do hope you can finally find the best culinary school in Calgary from our list. With your culinary education and some more experience, you’ll certainly serve restaurant-quality food in the near future.

Do you know any other culinary or cooking schools that deserve to be here? If so, please send us their way so we can also review them and hopefully add them to our list.

If you’re searching for other potential career tracks, you can also check out our list of the best interior design schools in Calgary.