Summary
A Mixologist / Bar Chef works in professional kitchens and food businesses, where consistency, hygiene and speed matter as much as creativity. In India this work sits inside the Hotel, Hospitality and Tourism Management stream: students usually take Any stream in Class 11–12, qualify through B.Sc. Hospitality & Hotel Administration / BHM / BTTM, and specialise later through work experience or a master's. The sections below set out the study route, the entrance exams, the leading institutes in India and abroad, and the day-to-day reality of the job.
Core skills
- Knife skills and cooking technique
- Speed and composure during peak service
- Palate and plating sense
- Cost control and team leadership
Where you can work
- Hotels, restaurants and resorts
- Cloud kitchens and QSR chains
- Cruise lines, airlines and institutional catering
- Own restaurant, bakery or food brand
Professional Opportunities
Hotels, restaurants and resorts
Cloud kitchens and QSR chains
Cruise lines, airlines and institutional catering
Own restaurant, bakery or food brand
Career Path
| Stage | What you study | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| After Class 10 | Any stream | 2 years (Class 11–12) |
| Graduation | B.Sc. Hospitality & Hotel Administration / BHM / BTTM | 3–4 years |
| After Graduation | M.Sc. Hospitality Administration / MBA (Hospitality or Tourism) | 2 years |
| After Post-Graduation | Ph.D., professional certifications, or senior practice in the field | 3–5 years (optional) |
Important Facts
- Entry qualification: B.Sc. Hospitality & Hotel Administration / BHM / BTTM.
- Most institutes ask for 50–60% in the qualifying examination; reserved categories usually get a 5% relaxation.
- Admission is through the entrance exams listed below — national tests plus the state CET where applicable.
- Government and private institutes both offer this route; fee levels differ sharply between them.
- Scholarships listed on the HBK scholarships page apply to most of these programmes.
Leading Institutes in India
| # | Institute | Entrance / Category | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IHM, Pusa, Delhi | NCHM-JEE | ihmpusa.net/ |
| 1 | Chandigarh Institute of Hotel Management, Chandigarh | NCHM-JEE | cihmct.com/ |
| 1 | Ashok Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Delhi | NCHM-JEE | itdc.co.in/ |
| 1 | IHM-Aurangabad | IHM-A | ihmaurangabad.ac.in/ |
| 2 | IHM, Mumbai, Maharshtra | NCHM-JEE | www.ihmctan.edu/ |
| 2 | Pondicherry Institute of Hotel Management, Puducherry | NCHM-JEE | pihmct.py.gov.in/ |
| 2 | Munnar Catering College, Munnar, Kerala | NCHM-JEE | munnarcateringcollege.edu.in/ |
| 2 | Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Manipal | MET | manipal.edu/wgsha.html |
| 3 | IHM, Bangalore, Karnataka | NCHM-JEE | www.ihmbangalore.kar.nic.in/ |
| 3 | Institute of Hotel Management, Gangtok, Sikkim | NCHM-JEE | ihmgangtok.com/ |
| 3 | Jodhpur Institute of Hotel Management, Jodhpur, Rajasthan | NCHM-JEE | www.jietjodhpur.ac.in/ |
| 3 | Oberoi Group of Hotels | STEP | www.oberoigroup.com/learning-programmes/step |
| 4 | Dr. Ambedkar IHM, Chandigarh | NCHM-JEE | www.ihmchandigarh.org/ |
| 4 | Institute of Hotel Management, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh | NCHM-JEE | www.ihmhamirpur.in/ |
| 4 | Heritage Institute of Hotel & Tourism, Agra, Uttar Pradesh | NCHM-JEE | www.hihtworld.com/ |
| 4 | Army Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology, Bengaluru | Online Admission Test (OAT) | www.aihmctbangalore.edu.in/ |
| 5 | IHM, Goa | NCHM-JEE | ihmgoa.gov.in// |
| 5 | State Institute of Hotel Management, Jodhpur, Rajasthan | NCHM-JEE | ihmjodhpur.com/ |
| 5 | SRM Institute of Hotel Management, Chennai Tamil Nadu | NCHM-JEE | srmihm.info/ |
| 5 | Department of Hotel Management Christ University (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru | CUET | christuniversity.in/campus |
| 6 | IHM, Kolkata, West Bengal | NCHM-JEE | ihmkol.org/ |
| 6 | Delhi Institute of Hotel Management, Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi | NCHM-JEE | dihmct.in/ |
| 6 | Institute of Hotel Management, Daurala, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh | NCHM-JEE | www.ihmmeerut.com/ |
| 6 | Bharati Vidyapeeth, Pune | CET-BVP | bvuniversity.edu.in/ |
| 7 | IHM, Guwahati, Assam | NCHM-JEE | ihmctanghy.org.in/ |
| 7 | Institute of Hotel Management, Silvassa, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, U.T. | NCHM-JEE | www.ihmsilvassa.in/ |
| 7 | St. Soldier Institute of Hotel Management, Jalandhar, Punjab | NCHM-JEE | stsoldiergroup.com/ |
| 7 | Amity School of Hospitality, Noida | Based on 12th Marks | www.amity.edu/ash/ |
| 8 | IHM, Hyderabad, Telengana | NCHM-JEE | www.ihmhyd.org/ |
| 8 | Dr. YSR National Institute of Tourism & Hospitality Management, Hyderabad, Telangana | NCHM-JEE | nithm.ac.in/ |
Institutions Abroad
| Institute | Country | Website |
|---|---|---|
| École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) | Switzerland | www.ehl.edu/ |
| Les Roches | Switzerland | lesroches.edu/ |
| Cornell University — Nolan School of Hotel Administration | United States | sha.cornell.edu/ |
| Glion Institute of Higher Education | Switzerland | www.glion.edu/ |
Entrance Exams
| Exam | Full name | What it admits you to | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCHM-JEE | NCHM Joint Entrance Exam | B.Sc. in Hospitality and Hotel Administration Program at Central/State Government sponsored IHMs Across India | nchmjee.nta.nic.in/ |
| IHM-Aurangabad | — | 4 Year Hotel Management Programs at IHM-Aurangabad, a unit of The Taj Group of Hotels | ihmaurangabad.ac.in/ |
| MET | Manipal Entrance Test | 3 & 4 Year Hotel Management Programs at Manipal University, Manipal | apply.manipal.edu/ |
| STEP | Systematic Training & Education Program | 3 Year Hotel Management Program at Oberoi Group of Hotels | www.oberoigroup.com/ |
| BHMCT-CET | Common Entrance Test | 3 Year Hotel Management Program at Affiliated Colleges to Indraprastha University, Delhi | www.ipu.ac.in/ |
| CUET | Christ University Entrance Test | various BHM program at Christ University, Bangalore Central Campus and BBA Tourism and Travel Management program at Bangalore Bannerghatta Road Campus | christuniversity.in/ |
| MAH-BHMCT-CET | Common Entrance Test | 3 year Hotel Management program across State and Private Institutes of Hotel Management in Maharashtra | cetcell.mahacet.org/ |
| EAT | Eligibility Assessment Test | 3 Year Hotel Management & Culinary Arts Programs at Symbiosis School of Culinary Arts Pune | www.ssca.edu.in/ |
| HM CET-BVP | Common Entrance Test | 4 Year BHMCT and 3 Year B.Sc. (H&HA) Program at Bharati Vidyapeeth, Pune | bvuniversity.edu.in/ |
| AIHMCT-CBT | Computer Based Test | 3 Year Hotel Management Program at Army Institute of Hotel Management, Bangalore | www.aihmctbangalore.edu.in/ |
| JMI-ET | JMI ‒ Entrance Test | BTTM and BHM Programs at Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi | jmicoe.in/ |
| UGAT | Under Graduate Aptitude Test | 3 Year Hotel Management Program at Various Institutes across India | apps.aima.in/ |
| NMIMS-NPAT | National Test For Programs After 12th | 3 year BBA in Hospitality Operations & Management program at Narsee Monjee, Navi Mumbai | nmimsnpat.in/ |
Work Description
- 01Prepare mise en place and execute dishes to a fixed standard.
- 02Control portioning, food cost and wastage.
- 03Maintain hygiene, temperature and food-safety records.
- 04Train and supervise junior kitchen staff during service.
- 05Develop new dishes and refresh menus with seasonal produce.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Skill-first career with fast global mobility
- Clear ladder from commis to executive chef
- Strong entrepreneurship potential
Cons
- Long standing hours, nights and weekends
- Physically hot, high-pressure environment
- Early pay is modest until you gain a reputation
Are you fit for this career?
Take the free HBK psychometric test and see how Mixologist / Bar Chef matches your interests and aptitude.
Sources
© HBK Careers. Compiled in-house from official regulators, exam bodies and institute websites. Exam and institute records on this page are the same records used across the HBK handbook and exams pages.