Fine dining classes as part of a culinary course

When you decide to attend a cooking diploma course to enhance your career in the culinary world, make sure that the course includes fine dining classes. Rather than attending a course that only focuses on the preparation of food, you require a course that is comprehensive and has international credibility. Such a course should include fine dining classes.

The fine dining classes which form part of the 18 month Prue Leith culinary diploma course are exciting, comprehensive and practical. The course is divided into three semesters of which the first comprises of lectures, kitchen and cooking skills, as well as sanitation, knife skills, cooking terms and the basics of classic cookery.

The second semester is used to put all the knowledge learnt in the demonstration kitchen into practice at the Prue Leith onsite restaurant in Lyttleton South Africa. Students get first hand experience through the practical sessions as they are expected to work in shifts at the restaurant that has been voted one of the top 20 eating establishments in the country by Business Day.

At the restaurant the students get to work in front and in the kitchen to get a well rounded experience. Only five star cuisine is served and students are involved in all areas of running a restaurant. This includes setting tables, waiting on dinner guests, preparing and plating the food, serving drinks and attending to the bar, doing stock take and more.

Students get even more from the fine dining classes offered by Prue Leith as part of the diploma course, through the exposure to catering at offsite venues. Although the Prue Leith restaurant also serves as a venue for private functions, students learn the art of catering at our state of the art catering kitchen and put their skills to practice at offsite venues for a number of occasions. This includes weddings, birthday and anniversary parties and corporate events.

The course wouldn’t be complete without training in viniculture as offered by the Cape Wine Academy. It is for this reason that obtaining the certificate forms a compulsory part of the diploma course at Prue Leith. To make the course even more comprehensive, a Pastry certificate can also be obtained.

The more senior students are appointed to the restaurant as the full managers for a week period. They do the menu planning and are expected to come up with their own original choices. Apart from this, they also need to welcome customers, get to head waiter and have to order the ingredients, and run a performance check for the week etc.

In the final semester the cherry is placed on the cake with a two month placement at one of the selected hotels, restaurants or kitchens in South Africa or another part of the world. The fine dining classes come in handy while they do their internships. Many of the establishments hire them after completion of their diplomas. Apart from the valuable experience, it is also an excellent opportunity to add the establishment to their list of references.

Some of the top class establishments on the list include:

  • Cape Grace and Ellerman House in the good old Cape Town
  • World famous La Quartier Français and Haute Cabriere in Franschoek
  • Grace Hotel and Saxons Hotel in the Rosebank suburb of Johannesburg
  • One of the most expensive hotels in the world – Sheraton in Dubai
  • Merion Hotel and Park Kenmare in the city Dublin, Ireland
  • Old Bull Hotel in Cotswolds, Britain
  • A number of game reserves including the Sabi Sabi, Singita and Tswalu reserves
  • For the romantic at heart, Walkersons in Dullstroom awaits.

To enroll, you need to be older than 17 years of age, and have a matric. Apart from this, a passion for food and dedication to enjoy the fine dining classes will suffice. Contact us or complete the online application form to attend the best cooking diploma course in South Africa.