Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts

Undergraduate Programmes
Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts

CTH Qualifications Overview

How to join CTH

A career as a professional chef is challenging but also immensely rewarding. Professional cookery, as many celebrity chefs have shown, is a highly creative activity and one that demands dedication, creativity and flair.

The CTH Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts has been carefully developed in partnership with Gordon Ramsay's Tante Marie Culinary Academy to provide students with an excellent advanced set of skills in food preparation in a professional environment - a perfect first step to a rewarding culinary career.

Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts - QCF LEVEL 4

Designed by CTH and Gordon Ramsay’s Tante Marie Culinary Academy for those with ambitions to become a professional chef and for those who would like a career in food.

The qualification is a mix of practical and theoretical sessions but with a strong emphasis on the practical element. As well as the key cooking subjects, the curriculum also covers menu planning and budgeting, food safety and other professional kitchen skills.

The qualification develops culinary skills by working in a kitchen environment which will be enhanced through demonstrations, appropriate theory sessions. Students develop knife skills, familiarity with produce, and master many professional skills such as butchery, fish preparation and pastry work, to an appropriate level.

Structure

The assessment methodology for Menu Planning is by assignment, all other units by practical examination.

Admission Requirements

Students must have completed formal secondary education and have a minimum English IELTS 5.0 level or an approved equivalent. Students must be over 16.

Syllabus Overview

The course covers a wide range of skills including; Prepare, Cook, and Finish;

Farinaceous Dishes
Fish and Shell Fish
Hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and canapés
Meat, Poultry and Game
Pastries, Desserts and Confectionary
Soups
Stocks, Sauces and Dressings
Terrine Dishes
Vegetables and Salads
Yeast Products

And

Menu Planning
Professional Kitchen Skills

This Level 4 Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts is regulated by People First, the Sector Skills Council and Ofqual and carries 96 credits within the government’s Qualifications Credit Framework. This enables students to gain credit towards any future qualifications they may wish to take, be they at university or CTH accredited colleges around the world.

Graduate Focus

Charmian Dadley: Charmian graduated from Tante Marie Culinary Academy before going to Manchester Metropolitan University to do a degree in Hotel and Catering Management. Since then Charmian has worked in many different sectors of the restaurant industry including Mosimann’s Party Service, Langan’s Brasserie, and contract catering for prestigious contracts in the City and West End. Today Charmian has her own catering company serving private and corporate clients with an enviable client list.

Harry Eastwood: After graduating, Harriet went on to launch a career in food writing. She became the co-host of Channel 4’s ‘Cook Yourself Thin’ in 2007 and has just released her new book, Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache: The ultimate book of natural cakes that taste naughty.

Becky Harryman: After graduation, Becky took up a role as Head Chef at the cafe in the trendy Chelsea Design Centre - part of the Chelsea Harbour development. Becky excelled in this role, but has since moved on and is now the Head Chef at the internationally acclaimed Ottolenghi in Notting Hill.

Giani Gray: Giani graduated in November 2008 and after running the Deli kitchen at York and Albany - another of Angela Hartnett’s new establishments, has recently bought his own restaurant in Cheltenham, which opens soon!

Alex Brady: After graduating, Alex took up an exciting position at Le Gavroche, working under the masterful eye of Michel Roux Jnr. This subsequently led to a role working under one of Britains most influential chefs, Albert Roux, at his Private Member’s club in London. Alex is now a teacher at Tante Marie Culinary Academy!

Glen Sharman: Glen graduated from Tante Marie Culinary Academy and took up a position as a pastry chef at Pennyhill Park Spa and Hotel. In April 2011, Glen was awarded the Academy of Culinary Arts Awards of Excellence 2011. Former winners of this award include the likes of Anthony Demetre, Mark Sargeant, Tristan Welch and many more of the industries leading chefs, and Glen is still just 19 years old! Incredible!

Jennifer Smith: Since leaving Tante Marie Culinary Academy Jennifer has set up a guest house in Morocco called Dar Roumana where she is also running cookery classes. Dar Roumana has been recommended by the Lonely Planet guides as one of Morocco's leading hotels.

Culinary Arts
21st Anniversary Trophy

CTH is proud to award the Culinary Arts 21st Anniversary Trophy each year to the student achieving the highest mark in Practical Cookery.

2012 winner Kristoffer Thygesen

2011 winner Richard Holden

"Our professional qualification is designed in consultation with some of the industry's leading chefs. Throughout this qualification, students will learn the skills and knowledge required to cook in a professional kitchen environment, and gain the keys to a successful career in the industry"
Gordon Ramsay and Tante Marie

Centre Requirements

Resources

A commercial kitchen environment, including associated food storage areas is essential for the delivery of this qualification. The kitchen may take the form of a full production kitchen and/or a skills based kitchen, these would need to be completely furnished with the professional equipment and tools to teach culinary arts at this level. A cookery demonstration area would also be a great advantage. Access to a range of cookery and food related books is an essential. Colleges will need to meet these specialist resource requirements when they seek approval from CTH.

Teaching staff

Staff delivering and assessing the Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts should be fully familiar with current practice standards in the sector and have experience of cooking at the very highest level. A teaching qualification and experience of teaching is also desirable. CTH will require to see the CV’s of all teaching staff when the centre seeks approval to run the qualification.

Student equipment

Students will be required to wear suitable protective clothing during all practical sessions throughout the course to meet the requirements of the Food Safety Act 1990. Chef’s whites, headwear and safety shoes would be the preferred option. Knives will be an essential requirement of the course and provision of a personal set will be necessary. These could be made available through the college to ensure suitability.

T: +44 (0)20 7258 9850 / 60E: info@cthawards.com

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