Do you consider yourself a bit of a foodie? Do you love to cook for friends and family and have ambitions of working in this fast-paced industry? Do you one day dream of running your own business or travelling the world cooking professionally? If so, this is the course for you.
The North East is an excellent base for anyone wishing to work in the food industry with its growing street-food scene, vibrant café culture and some amazing independent restaurants offering cuisines from around the world.

Study with us and you’ll gain the essential skills and knowledge of the industry. You’ll train as part of our professional team in our student-run Kitchens, and work with our industry partners to gain experience and exposure, while building your network.

Past students have enjoyed great success including employment with top eateries such as Terry Laybourne’s Broad Chare and 21, House of Tides, Six at BALTIC, Aiden’s Kitchen, Crowne Plaza, Jesmond Dene House, as well as prestigious hotels including The Ritz London.

You’ll train in our kitchens and learn practical skills with our industry-experienced teaching team while also gaining the knowledge to prepare you for a career in the catering and hospitality industry. We’ll expand your skillset and talents by running guest workshops with some of the region’s most renowned chefs and business-owners.

On completion of this course you will gain an industry recognised qualification NVQ Level 2 Certificate in Professional Cookery and a City & Guilds Level 2 Award in Food Hygiene. This study programme will give you the knowledge to pursue a career in catering and hospitality and support you to develop the skills you needs for your career aspirations. During your studies you will cover the following topics:

Professional cookery

You’ll develop core skills in the correct use of equipment and knives in order to cook and present a wide range of meat, fish and poultry dishes with an extensive variety of accompaniments such as vegetables, sauces and garnishes.

Sweet!

In order to give you a broader transferable skillset you will also learn how to prepare, cook and finish a range of hot and cold desserts. You’ll experiment with pastry products including cakes, sponges, biscuits and scones as well as bread and other dough products.

Menu design

Designing and costing a menu are key skills all chefs need. On this course you’ll learn how to develop menus for a variety of customers and events including preparation for customers with allergies and understanding the fundamentals of nutrition. This will also enhance your English and maths skills. Win, win!

Food hygiene

Working in a safe, hygienic and secure kitchen environment is key in this industry. On this course you’ll learn essential hygiene requirements and on completion you’ll gain a nationally recognised food hygiene certificate.

Bon Appétit

To be a chef you need to know culinary terms that come with a broad repertoire of dishes. On this programme you’ll gain an understanding of international culinary terms in French and Italian.

Food and beverage service

While this course is aimed at those who want to be in the kitchen, a great chef ensures their customers have the best experience throughout their visit, whether that’s how they’re greeted and served or having staff who can explain menu options. You’ll learn about front-of-house operations and dealing with customers so you can best support your customer-facing team in the future.