Escoffier On Line

They are two different things.

Anyone and everyone can be a food critic, no qualifications necessary and no standard in requirements. Getting paid for it is another story. You have to have a hook at a publication. I’ve see local news paper food critics that would give a Papa Johns Pizza 3 stars as long as the advertised with them. To be a “serious” one you would probably need a pretty deep resume as a cookbook author, chef, restaurateur, but there are no real requirements.
In a recent Restaurant Nightmares TV show Ramesy said there was an important “Food Critic” in the house that night. In reality the woman had worked as a pastry chef and was surprised they represented her as a “Critic”.

A Food Judge, or more precisely in the US there is a title called “ACF Approved Culinary Judge”. They judge formal culinary competitions. There are probably other organizations with similar positions. Here is a link to the requirements to be certified by the ACF- www.acfchefs.org/Content/events/Competitions/Judges/default.htm

Very interesting, thanks very much for all this information.
best regards, Teacher

Few have any professional culinary experience. Most Food Critics start out as journalist first and are thrust into the job of critic.
I was working on the paper doing obituaries, and the the food critic got a job for the L.A. Times. So the editor made me the food critic.
So the first requirement is to be able to write professionally.

That eliminates me as a food critic, I bet I could do obits though