The Culinary Arts Department adheres to a professional chef dress code as we teach and train emerging professionals in the hospitality industry. The code follows North Carolina health requirements and those of the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation. The requirements and reasons for each are listed below. The complete uniform must always be worn when working with food in the kitchen or demo lab and when cleaning work areas.

Uniforms are required for the first day of class. They can be ordered using financial aid or a personal payment through the campus bookstore. Ordering information can be found on the "Textbook Info" link for courses CUL-140, CUL-142 and CUL-160.

The chef jacket will include embroidery. The unisex items fit men better; there are women's options for the jacket and the pants.

All uniform items must be kept neat, well repaired and very clean.

• Hair covering: All hair must be covered; if hair extends beyond shoulder length, both a hat (white chef hat or white cap) and a hairnet must be used. This includes bangs that must be secured off the face or under a hairnet. Facial hair should be trimmed and neat.
      Reason: Sanitation, to prevent hair from falling into food
      Failure to comply will result in dismissal from class
   
• Pants: Long black, striped or checked chef pants must be worn in the kitchen at all times. Pants should be worn at the waist and should be ankle length but not touch the ground. Jeans, joggers and yoga-style pants are not permitted.
      Reason: Safety, protect the student from spills and burns
      Failure to comply will result in dismissal from class
   
• Work shoes: Must be of black leather or non-porous material, closed-toed and cleanable, with a non-slip sole. Shoes must be worn at all times with socks.
      Reason: Safety, to protect the student from slips, spills and falls
      Failure to comply will result in dismissal from class
   
• Apron: White, cotton or cotton blend.
      Reason: Protects the uniform and helps maintain cleanliness
      Failure to comply will result in lab point deduction
   
• Chef coat: White, double-breasted, long sleeves, cotton or cotton blend and buttoned from throat to waist. Full name embroidered on breast, upper- and lower-case letters in black thread. Only white shirts may be worn under the coat. A pen or pencil, a Sharpie and an instant-read thermometer are also required for each lab.
      Reason: Safety and sanitation, to protect the student and to protect from food contamination
      No coat will result in dismissal from class
      Failure to comply with embroidery will result in lab point deduction
  
  Uniform ordering and embroidery: Call for pricing and availability. Students receive a 25% discount on all orders directly from the Chef Works.

• Jewelry and other accessories:

  • No watches or bracelets in any kitchen lab
  • No rings, with the exception of a plain wedding band
  • A necklace may be worn beneath the neckerchief and chef's jacket
  • No facial jewelry nor earrings in any lab
  • No nail polish or false nails; all nails must be trimmed to finger length

      Reason: Safety and sanitation, earrings and earring backs can fall into food products, while piercing jewelry can be caught on pieces of equipment and can harbor food and germs, causing unsanitary and unsafe conditions. Wristwatches, wristbands and bracelets are potential sources of cross-contamination.
      Failure to comply will result in dismissal from class

NOTE: For safety and sanitation reasons, students will not be permitted to participate in a lab environment if they have improper footwear, no chef jacket, no chef pants, no hair restraint, no socks, a dirty uniform and/or poor personal hygiene. Other deficiencies will result in point deductions from daily lab scores. Students who are out of compliance with the uniform policy are allowed to rectify any issues prior to class. If the student needs to leave class to rectify a uniform infraction, penalties will be assessed.

Equipment list

• 9-inch chef's knife
• 7-inch fillet knife
• 6-inc boning knife (stiff)
• 10-inch carving knife
• 10-inch steel
• 3.5-inch paring knife
• 11-inch wavy slicer
• 8-inch offset spatula
• 4-1/4-inch offset spatula
• Microplane fine zester (narrow)
• 1- and 7/8-inch double melon baller
• Measuring spoon set
• 16-inch flexible pastry bag
• Kitchen shears
• 5.25 x 4.25 metal dough scraper
• Y peeler (white handle)
• Pocket thermometer
• 10 plain decorating tips
• 10 star decorating tips
• Round cutter set
• Pastry blender
• Escali Primo NSF digital scale (metallic)
• Mercer KnifePack Plus