Chef Achieves Goals Thanks To Star Career Academy Education

NEW YORK - Dec. 23, 2013 - PRLog -- When Barret Beyer walked into Star Career Academy on Long Island for the first time in 2010, he had two very focused goals.

“I walked into the school and told the representative that I was interested in cooking professionally and that the reason I was there was so that I can get on a nationally televised cooking competition show.”

Chef Beyer can now check off those two goals after just a little more than two years.  He is an accomplished chef, working as co-executive chef at 279 Bar & Grill in Luzerne, Pa. Beyer also appeared as a contestant on FOX TV’s hit cooking reality show with Executive Chef Gordon Ramsay – Hell’s Kitchen Season 11, where he became a fan favorite from Hong Kong to the UK and across the U.S.

Beyer was recently named Chef of the Month by Chef Works and hosts two Internet radio programs: Triple F with The Chef "Food-Fashion-Fitness,” which can be subscribed to on iTunes at www.beatsandeatspodcast.com and B.O.C. Radio "Brotherhood Of Chefs,” available at https://soundcloud.com/cmelendez06.

What Chef Beyer didn’t tell anyone when he enrolled was that he had a big heart and couldn’t sit idly by while his Long Island neighbors experienced life-changing devastation from Hurricane Sandy. Chef Beyer raised money and traveled to Long Beach to offer a warm, home-cooked meal to more than 250 people, including law enforcement, crews and families picking up the pieces of their lives.

“I didn’t want to sit back and do nothing,” said Beyer.  “So I did what I do best – I cooked for as many people as possible with the money raised from generous donors.”

Beyer put a call out on his Facebook page, which brought donations from friends and customers, ultimately raising $350 for the cause.

“I know it doesn’t sound like much, but I know how to shop,” says Beyer, who purchased 200 pounds of food and served chicken marsala, sausage and peppers, chili and penne alla vodka on a cold day in November.

Beyer more recently traveled to Oklahoma and teamed up with Johnsonville Sausage Company to help cook and raise money and items for the victims of the F5 Tornado that ripped through Moore County, Okla.

Beyer has always been dedicated to helping others, as evidenced by his enlistment in the United States Coast Guard, when he first realized his life dream by taking on the responsibility of kitchen management while serving his colleagues.

Immediately after graduation from Star Career Academy, Chef Beyer was selected to participate in a unique opportunity with Bella Skye Catering to work on the Food Network’s Series “Chopped.”

“The experience of preparing dishes for the film staff and renowned Judges; Geoffrey Zakarian (Iron Chef), and Chef Aaron Sanchez only increased my desire to become a leader in the culinary industry.”

Working on the Chopped set was not his only brush with fame as Chef Beyer also appeared onstage with Chef Robert Irvine when he was at Westbury Theater in a cook off challenge.  Chef Beyer also met Bobby Flay at one of his restaurant openings and today is following in these revered chefs’ footsteps by appearing on a prime time cooking reality show. To see what Chef Beyer is up to, go to his fan page at www.chefbarretbeyer.com.

Star Career Academy prepared Chef Beyer for his future in a variety of ways, including taking and passing the Servsafe course which allowed him to learn how to keep a kitchen up to code and reduce the amount of wasted product.

“I would also have to say Star helped me to learn how to work as a member of a team in the kitchen and also be creative as an individual,” he says. “Today I can tell people that I am a chef and I have been places only few have been to in such a short period of time.”

Just two months before starting school at Star Career Academy, Chef Beyer began work at a steakhouse in the Hamptons to give him some initial experience.

“I was lucky enough to get a sous chef position in Syosset right before I graduated and I basically had six months to train before I was put in charge of the kitchen,” Chef Beyer adds.  “I accomplished that in less than three months and became head chef.”

After 18 months in that job, Beyer took the position that he holds today at The Emporium, Long Island’s newest and largest event center.

Chef Beyer enjoys spending his spare time with his daughter, who is his driving factor for success.

“I want to show her that hard work and dedication will make you go far in life,” he says.

Chef Beyer is also currently in the process of branding himself, creating and producing his own hot sauce and kitchen towels with his logo.

“My passion is creating dishes that can give people a great experience with loved ones,” he says. “And success is going above and beyond what you’re capable of and executing it with precision.”

About Star Career Academy

With eight schools in three states, Star Career Academy is a New Jersey-based family of private, post-secondary career schools providing career training in medical, business and culinary arts fields. Star Career Academy’s programs provide students with the real world job training that prepares them for entry-level positions upon graduation. Star Career Academy is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). For important consumer information, visit www.starcareeracademy.com/faq.