Today we’d like to introduce you to Ched Pagtakhan.
Hi Ched, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Prior to becoming School Director at The Culinary School of Fort Worth, I gained extensive industry experience working within luxury hotels, resorts, corporate dining, and even owning and operating our own food truck business.
Culinary education is my main passion, as I am fulfilled by helping facilitate their training & development, and witnessing their transformation into solid culinarians for the industry. My teaching career started when i became full-time faculty for the hospitality program at my alma mater, Triton College, in Illinois and I was able to continue my career when we moved to Fort Worth in 2016. I am now in my 19th year in culinary education and I still get excited for every student that comes through the door each day. I continue to be inspired by our students and witnessing their journeys unfold within their culinary careers.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
On a personal level, the demands of the industry always presented unique challenges that ultimately became excellent learning opportunities. From working 70 hour weeks to working late nights & every single holiday, it can be a strain, especially if you have a family at home. Ultimately, the only way it works out is if your spouse/partner understands your line of work and the dedication that it demands. I am fortunate to be married to a chef as well, so she never questioned the hours that I worked or had unrealistic expectations for my availability. She supported anything that I had to do for work and I did the same for her. There’s no way I could have achieved any of the accomplishments that I’ve had, without her by my side. Between my wife and my mentors , my culinary career would not be what it is today without their guidance and support.
The school faced many challenges as we transitioned from a hobbyist program into a more professional, industry-focusedvapproach to our students’ development. This required a dramatic increase in the standards for our students and the program became more challenging, but ultimately more rewarding for those that completed it. Our Chef partners within the metroplex also appreciate the level of proficiency that our students finish with, as they are more “kitchen-ready” when they walk into the door.
Another consistent challenge for our school is that many individuals think that culinary school is going to be easy. While it can be fun, it is also very challenging and stressful, as each day is a simulation of the industry for our students. We feel that this is the only way to prepare our students for a successful career in Culinary or Baking & Pastry.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Culinary School of Fort Worth. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The Culinary School of Fort Worth is transforming passionate food lovers into skilled culinary
professionals. The school offers a comprehensive, hands-on culinary education focused on
the universal fundamentals needed to thrive in any role of the foodservice industry. In the last
40 years, we have transitioned into a professional culinary school that has placed hundreds of
graduates in jobs at esteemed local restaurants since 2016—cultivating a standard of culinary
excellence throughout North Texas.
The school’s story begins in 1988 in a Fort Worth home kitchen, where Judie Byrd began
sharing her culinary expertise with local moms eager to expand their cooking skills. Judie was
no ordinary cooking instructor—she had traveled the world, hosted her own cooking show, and
made numerous television appearances sharing her culinary wisdom. Her husband Bill, a serial
entrepreneur in the culinary industry, recognized the potential in these intimate classes to
become something greater.
As the owner of restaurants, a dairy farm, and a chocolate factory that supplied to luxury
retailer Neiman Marcus, Bill understood both the business and artistic sides of the culinary
world. Together, Bill and Judie began to transform Judie’s casual cooking classes into a formal
educational institution.
In 2006, the school received approval from the Texas Workforce Commission as an official Career
School. This milestone was followed by another significant achievement in 2012 when the school earned
accreditation from the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET). However, as
Bill approached his 70s, the Byrds began searching for the right team to take their vision to the next
level—a group that shared their deep roots in Fort Worth and their passion for culinary excellence.
They found their answer in 2014 through a team of community-minded entrepreneurs who shared
Bill’s vision of bringing dignity back to the vocational world and his belief that food was the heartbeat
of culture. As established members of the Fort Worth community looking to influence positive change,
they saw immense potential in Bill and Judie’s culinary school.
When the new leadership team took over in 2014, the student body was evenly split between hobbyist
cooks and those pursuing professional culinary careers. After careful consideration of the local culinary
landscape, they made a pivotal decision in 2015 to focus the school’s resources entirely on professional
culinary education. This wasn’t just about changing the school’s direction—it was about filling a crucial
gap in DFW’s culinary education options.
This transformation required more than just a change in focus—it demanded a complete reimagining of
how culinary education should work. Beginning in 2018, the school underwent a comprehensive curriculum
overhaul, stripping everything back to the fundamentals. Multiple programs were consolidated into one
thorough curriculum that emphasized the integrity of skills and ingredients. The program was lengthened
to allow students more time with instructors, and most importantly, a two-month externship program was
added to provide crucial real-world experience. The team invested heavily in building relationships with local
chefs and restaurants, creating a network of professionals who would mentor and guide students through
their first steps in professional kitchens
Today, our mission is to equip students with the fundamental skills they need to excel in any area of
the culinary arts and exemplify a standard of excellence wherever they go. We are not only focused on
creating chefs, but also developing competent culinarians to fill the vast range of vital roles in the food and
beverage industry.
Our 9-month program encompasses the universal fundamentals
of cooking, baking & pastry, and kitchen management. We’re proud of our strictness in enforcing dress code,
punctuality, and decorum—because these standards prepare culinarians for success at the highest levels of
the industry. Recognizing that many aspiring chefs learn best by doing, our curriculum is focused on practical,
hands-on training with over 75% of time spent actively in the kitchen. With us, students touch
more ingredients and use more tools than they would anywhere else.
Throughout our program, we give students the opportunity to host three events—cooking for
friends and family, industry professionals, and first responders—to help them adapt to the fastpaced nature of the profession while developing leadership and time management skills. They are
exposed to multiple career paths through field trips, community events and guest speakers, giving
them the flexibility and freedom to explore their interests. Our cohorts also benefit from a number
of supplementary workshops where they can learn from our instructors’ unique expertise and
explore creativity outside of the curriculum.
We tailor externship opportunities to each student, ensuring they are matched with an industry
partner that aligns with their aspirations and strengths. Our graduates have completed externships
at iconic local institutions such as the Ritz Carlton Las Colinas, the Modern Art Museum of Fort
Worth, and the Fort Worth Club, to name a few.
At The Culinary School of Fort Worth, we keep our class sizes intentionally small to ensure every
student receives individual coaching and mentorship. We are deeply invested in students’
personal growth and mental health, encouraging them not only to become great chefs, but also
great leaders.
Our school’s results speak for themselves. Hundreds of graduates have found employment in
top restaurants throughout DFW, as well as Michelin-starred restaurants internationally. Former
students have risen through the ranks to become sous chefs and executive chefs, while others have
realized their dreams of opening their own restaurants. Many of these successful graduates now lead
externship sites and mentor current students, creating a self-sustaining cycle of excellence in the
local culinary community.
When students choose The Culinary School of Fort Worth, they’re gaining more than just cooking
skills—they’re acquiring the foundational tools, mentorship, and experience needed to excel in any
role in the culinary industry. Rather than being limited to a single specialty, graduates have the
freedom to choose their path and the skills to succeed in whatever direction they choose.
The school’s mission extends beyond individual success—it’s about creating a ripple effect of
excellence throughout the culinary community. Each graduate becomes part of a growing network
of professionals who are raising the standard of culinary arts in Fort Worth and beyond.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
The basic definition for success is the achievement of a specific goal that one has set for themselves. For a chef, that definition has to go deeper. As culinarians, we must continuously strive to improve on our skills and our knowledge on a daily basis, but that approach must be extended to the team members that we manage. That success can be measured on a personal level if the person continuously feeds themselves with opportunities for professional development and their experience has allowed them to achieve a position that they feel matches the level that they have strived for. For a chef in a leadership position, that success can be measured by how productive and efficient their cooks are and if the morale of the kitchen that they’re managing is as high as it can be. In other words, to be successful in this line of work, you need to constantly be working on getting better, every single day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.csftw.edu
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/culinaryschoolftw/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/culinaryschooloffortworth
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CulinarySchoolFortWorth
