Get your cooking certificate from a top school
Do the words cooking certificate appeal to you? A chef’s job must be one of the most demanding jobs in the world. You will spend long hours slaving away over a hot stove with no assurance that anybody will enjoy your effort or even say thank you.
You work while other people are out enjoying themselves. Weekends and public holidays are no longer part of your calendar and your day usually only starts when the sun sets. If this sounds like a lot of fun to you then you should read on and find out how to obtain your cooking certificate from the most prestigious culinary school in the country, Prue Leith College of Food and Wine.
What is expected of you?
Becoming a chef will take a lot of hard work and dedication. If you are accepted to attend the 18 months course for a cooking certificate at the Prue Leith College, you are guaranteed of having at least three hours of homework every week in the first semester. The second semester will see another hour of homework added to the existing three hours and the final semester will give you a grant total of five hours homework to complete per week.
This is after you have completed you eight-hour shift in either the hot or the cold kitchen, the pastry department, “front of house” in the Odd Plate restaurant or at Prue Leith Catering. Students must also keep their THETA (Tourist, Hospitality and Sports Education Training Authority) workbook up to date to ensure they receive their THETA qualification on completion of the cooking certificate course. To qualify for the THETA qualification students need to complete a specific number of modules that earn them the required numbers of credits. The successful completion of the modules will guarantee you receive your THETA recognition at the end of the course.
This hectic program will give you a taste of what to expect in your career as a chef. Just to be sure you truly understand the demands placed on a chef, the Prue Leith College of Food and Wine has made sure that the cooking certificate or diploma course is extremely hands on.
The philosophy of the college is that nothing can replace practical working experience and the best way to hold onto academic knowledge is to put it into practice. It is also the reason why the last semester of the cooking certificate course is spent offsite working at internationally renowned hotels, lodges and kitchens under the supervision of equally renowned chefs.
Practical training is essential
The practical training doesn’t start in the last semester of the cooking certificate course. From day one, students gain priceless experience working in the Odd Plate restaurant. The restaurant is situated on the same premises as the college. Students are exposed to every aspect of restaurant work, starting with menu planning right through to serving at the bar, laying tables and taking stock.
Students have to perform every thinkable task that causes a restaurant to run like a well-oiled machine. This gives them a practical understanding of what it takes to run a successful restaurant. The harsh realities of the culinary world are highlighted to ensure that students are fully prepared and know what to expect in their workplace once they leave the college.
The Prue Leith cooking certificate course aims to teach aspiring chefs not only to prepare appetizing meals, but also to create a complete culinary experience. Students are brought to understand that fine dining consists of good food, fine wine and excellent service.
At Prue Leith College, food and passion are synonymous. We recognize the fact that without a passion for this profession, students will most probably leave the industry long before they reach retirement age.
We aim to instill a love for food and wine and expect all graduates completing the cooking certificate course to be at the top of their profession within a few years after graduating. Students only graduate if they have complied with the attendance requirements, the disciplinary code, and have achieved an average of 60 % for their practical and theoretical exams. Contact the Prue Leith College of Food and Wine if you want to become a top chef.
