Diploma in Pastry
In order to be appointed to the position of pâtissier, or pastry chef, most catering establishments of repute will insist that you have a diploma in pastry. But a diploma in pastry is not a qualification that grows on trees. Indeed, a pastry diploma is normally awarded only after a very long and hard course. There are very few establishments, especially in South Africa, where you can obtain a diploma in pastry. But the Prue Leith College of Food and Wine offers the Prue Leith Diploma, which is highly thought of throughout the catering and hospitality world. This diploma course includes a whole section devoted to patisserie.
The pastry chef, or pâtissier, is a member of the “brigade de cuisine” in a professional kitchen and is the station chef of the pastry department. As with other station chefs, the pastry chef may have other cooks or assistants within their department. It is also possible for bakers to be members of the pastry department, though traditionally their title is boulangier. The patisserie includes baking, sweet and savoury pastries, ice creams and fruit desserts. All of these subjects are included in the patisserie section of the Prue Leith Diploma.
The Prue Leith College of Food and Wine is located in a quiet backwater of Centurion in the grounds of the old Lyttleton Manor House. The Diploma Course, including the subject Pastry, commences twice a year in January and June and lasts for three semesters. There are a maximum of forty students on any one course, and so there can be as many as 120 students enrolled in the college at any one time. The curriculum covered at the college is extremely comprehensive and includes such subjects as table decorating, flower arranging and cake icing.
In order to be accepted onto a course students must first have passed their Matric Exams and must have reached eighteen years of age. If they satisfy these requirements then they pass on to fill in a questionnaire and to attend an interview. Successful students will find themselves working in Prue Leith’s Restaurant in as early as their second week at the college. One of the philosophies of the college is that, in order to keep hold of the academic knowledge gained in the classroom, that knowledge needs to be put into practice just as soon as possible. To this end their theoretical and practical training is put to the test by exposing them to the harsh realities of the workplace – namely the restaurant.
Even though they have not yet qualified for a diploma in pastry, students find themselves waiting on table (taking orders and serving) and preparing and cooking menu items in the kitchen. This, of course, includes the work that would normally be that of a pâtissier for many of the dishes. Students take all jobs in the restaurant, with the exception of restaurant manager. You will find the more senior students working as Maître d’Hotel, wine steward and front of house.
