The North East is an excellent base for anyone wishing to work as a chef with its growing street-food scene, vibrant café culture and some amazing independent restaurants offering cuisines from around the world.
This course will give you the skills to work at a supervisory level, as a senior chef or specialise in a particular field of catering.
It will offer you hands on practical skills classes with our highly skilled team and exposure to some of the regions most renowned chefs and business owners through specialist workshops, guest chefs, work placements and enrichment opportunities.
You will extend your abilities in key topics required in catering and hospitality such as professional cookery, food hygiene, menu development and costings.
As well as studying essential topics to give you the edge such as nutrition, allergies and culinary terms. All of these will be covered in a broad repertoire of dishes.
On this programme you will develop not only your English terms in culinary skills, but also those of international requirements such as French.
You will undertake modules in the following topics:
Professional Cookery
You will develop a complex skills base in the correct methods of preparing and cooking meat, fish and poultry dishes using different styles and your own adaptation of presentation.
This will also include an extensive variety of accompaniments such as vegetables, sauces and garnishes.
In order to give you a broader transferable skills set you will also develop your work in a range of different pastry products from sweet to savoury.
This is regarded as a must in some industry establishments.
Menu Design and Costings
Designing and costing a menu are key skills all chefs need.
On this course you will 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 enhance both your maths and English skills.
Food Hygiene
Working in a safe, hygienic and secure working environment is key in this industry.
On this course you will be able to apply effective food hygiene requirements, whilst undertaking a nationally recognised food hygiene course to really boost your CV.
Level 2 Professional Cookery or four GCSE grades at 4 or above including English and maths.
An informal interview with a member of our teaching team is essential.
This will take place at an enrolment event or at another time that we will arrange with you.
The course has a different approach to assessment – you may not study a unit at a time – you work on skills technique developments and employer inspired projects.
These projects are run in conjunction with local employers who set actual challenges for you to work on and give you a taste of what it’s really like to work in the industry.
Most assessments will be carried out in our training restaurant and kitchens, Enfields Kitchen, and you’ll be marked against the standards of the awarding body and be given continuous feedback to help you improve and grow as a chef.
You will learn industry standard techniques and skills to make you stand out from the crowd using professional standard kitchens and virtual learning resources.
Tutorial and Reviews
You will have six one to one reviews across the years where we will work with you to set individual targets to stretch you and help you.
This is how we continue to support you outside of the hustle and bustle of a busy kitchen and keep you on track and make sure you achieve what you’re capable of, achieve your full potential and be the best possible version of you.
All of our courses are delivered by highly skilled and experienced staff. Teaching styles are differentiated to suit and benefit the learners as far as possible.
The staff attend up to date professional development to keep up to date with modern techniques and changes in the industry.
The possibilities with this study programme are endless, students have been given real-life projects to work on, had masterclasses from top chefs and business owners and been given opportunities to showcase their work with real customers during our external events and themed ‘evenings with’.
This study programme, along with our Personal Social Development programme will help you become work ready as well as preparing you for the outside world with training on money management, health and wellbeing, help with CV writing and interview techniques and confidence building.
All elements of your study programme will develop your skills in both English and maths, effective team work and client management, all essential to secure a role in catering and hospitality.
We want you to be job ready when you leave us and able to put what you have learnt into practice in the workplace.
Relevant quality work experience placements, employer mentoring, live events and vocational projects will help you to do this and are an important part of your study programme.
Plus, make an impression on an employer and who knows where that could lead.
Past students have enjoyed great success including employment with top North East eateries such as:
All practical sessions are taught in our modern, well-equipped training kitchens which contain industry standard kit and equipment.
Working as part of our professional service team in our student-run restaurant Enfields Kitchen, you’l prepare and serving meals to paying customers.
Check out how we are embedding sustainability throughout our catering courses:
You also have the option of progressing to an apprenticeship whilst on the course.
If you’d like to do an apprenticeship, but can’t find a vacancy to suit you, don’t worry.
You can start on this course and then fast-track to an apprenticeship part-way through once a vacancy becomes available and if you’re making good progress on the course.
You’ll need to buy a uniform to wear on the course and a set of knvies.
We’ll let you know the price of these during the application process and you can purchase these items from our preferred supplier, ensuring you get the best rates.
This course is free to those aged under 19 years old.
Most people aged 19 years and over can qualify for free or reduced price course fees and there are grants and bursaries you can apply for to help cover the costs of coming to college, depending on your circumstances.
If you already have a full level 3 qualification and are aged 19 years over, you can apply for an Advanced Learning Loan or pay the fee upfront in full and qualify for a 10% discount.
You can get more information at our enrolment events, by calling 0191 490 2246 or email us at [email protected]
Whatever support you need, we’re here for you and will make sure you get the most out of your time at college. We have expert teams in place to look after every single one of our students.
To contact our dedicated Learning Support team email [email protected] or head to Live Chat
View or download our course guide for 16-18 year olds.