‘One barbecue stove can support a family’: why people are joining China’s barbecue academy
China’s first dedicated barbecue school offers its students a sizzling opportunity to become grill masters and entrepreneurs
Hunched over sizzling grills and shrouded in smoke, trainees at the Yueyang Barbecue Academy in south-central China’s Hunan province roast skewer after skewer of succulent beef tendon, perfecting the skills that could land them a restaurant job.
Zhang Tengfei, a former factory worker who spent a decade in the car industry, joined China’s first dedicated barbecue school, hoping to launch a career behind the grill.
“When I was laid off … I was at a loss for a while,” says Zhang, 34, at the academy on the banks of a quiet lake in Yueyang city, handing a fistful of lightly charred kebabs to an instructor for review.
Looking “to start my own business”, Zhang now plans to open a stall in his hometown in central China’s Henan province to provide for his wife and three children.
For him and his classmates, the month-long barbecue course, which costs students 5,800 yuan (around US$850), offers hope of new employment as chefs or restaurateurs.