'Chef Of The Century' Joël Robuchon To Open International Culinary Institute

Joël Robuchon, the French chef who holds 25 total Michelin stars — more than any other chef in the world — and who was once proclaimed "the chef of the century" by French restaurant guide Gault Millau, is opening his own culinary school, slated to open by 2018.

Robuchon's international culinary institute will be built on the site of the Maison-Dieu seminary in Montmorillon, western France, according to the Agence France-Presse.

The school will be financed by an Asian investment group and will offer culinary training at different levels of rigor, lasting anywhere from a few months to three years.

The building will reportedly include 20 classrooms, 19 laboratories, a lecture hall, and a garden. Students who complete certification will receive a French culinary qualification, the Certificat d'Aptitude Professionnelle, as well as a bachelor's degree equivalent. For students who wish to become culinary professionals, Robuchon's school will offer intensive courses in English and one other language, if desired.

The project will also include a functional restaurant inside a church on the same grounds, where the students will put their training to the test, and a hotel with 15 suites.