A New Era for Chefs in Egypt

Years of hard work in advancing the chefs profession in Egypt have started to pay off for the president of the Egyptian Chefs Association (ECA) Chef Markus Iten. This ‘blossoming’ comes in the form of the launch of the International Chef's Apprenticeship program, providing training and international certification.

When and why did you establish the Egyptian Chefs Association?
I founded the Egyptian Chefs Association (ECA) in 1997 under the international umbrella of the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) with the aim of improving the quality and standards of the chefs in Egypt. In other words, the main goal was to give chefs the opportunity to receive training.

What would you describe as the main accomplishment of the Association so far?
I would say the cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and the Egyptian Tourism Federation in establishing the first two Culinary Training Centers in Egypt. It has taken many years. First the Association had to establish itself and gain the trust and cooperation of all parties involved. This took a long time to develop, since it was all new territory in Egypt: the idea of a basic chef’s apprenticeship program had first to take hold in people's minds. Slowly things came together, the paperwork, the vision and the understanding of all the requirements. And now this year, we are ready to launch the Culinary Training Centers (CTC) project in the cities of Cairo (6th of October) and Luxor.

How can people get involved in the project?
Hotels and restaurants can send their kitchen staff for training. Also young jobless Egyptians can sign up to learn the profession and be secured of a job. The Ministry of Tourism is subsidizing 70% of the student fees. The remaining 20% will be lobbied from the private sector companies and private donors, and the remaining 10% will be paid by the student. The hotels can send their staff to get trained at a very low cost thanks to the Ministry of Tourism subsidy; and they also have the opportunity to hire trainee chefs. The success of the project will come with all parties working together, hospitality sector, government, private sector companies and donors.

What are the main objectives of the training project?
Well-educated personnel is required in order to raise the standards and remain competitive. In fact, training is no longer a choice, we are compelled to give chefs a chance to receive education, because food is paramount to the daily experience of clients. Non-qualified individuals present an unacceptable risk for the industry. We need to safeguard the reputation of Egypt as a destination by presenting quality food. As owners and managers, we have the obligation to work with qualified individuals. This program offers the opportunity to get a basic, rock bottom, must-have set of skills that are essential in order to be called a "chef". It will upgrade the standards and give young Egyptians a chance to learn the profession and start a promising career.

For more information on how to join the training program or financially support students, please contact the ECA on 02 37622116 / 7 / 8 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it