From ordinary culinary students to starred chefs. Preliminary evidence from the Italian context

Purpose – The paper focuses on the profile of chefs, whose job is considered as one of the most challenging professions as it involves scientific mastery, as well as creativity, and innovation. Design – Based on a sample of 264 individuals (both starred Italian chefs listed on Michelin Red Guide and students from six Italian culinary high schools), the study assesses which factors affect chefs’ innovative performance. Findings – Results show that success in haute cuisine depends on several factors, which involve chef’s creativity, culinary innovation process, and the restaurant service offering (restaurantscape). The differences between chefs in training and top chefs in terms of creativity are underlined. The study offers suggestions on chefs’ innovative process and provides a better understanding of how success in the chef profession is influenced by both individual features and environmental/social characteristics. Furthermore, results indicate which capabilities chefs in training should possess in order to succeed and, in turn, which capabilities should be developed by professional high schools of cooking in order to stimulate innovativeness in their educational programs. Originality of the research – This research contributes to the literature by suggesting which key factors promote creativity and innovation and a continuous flow of innovative ideas in haute cuisine.