Professional Cooking Lessons and Chef Courses near Johannesburg

If you are looking for casual cooking lessons in Johannesburg area then Prue Leith is not the answer. If however, you are looking for professional cooking lessons and courses presented by well-known and respected chefs and instructors because you want to pursue a full time career in the culinary arts then you need to read on.

Prue Leith is situated in Centurion and is one of the most prestigious cooking schools in Gauteng.  Whether you stay in Johannesburg, Pretoria or any of the cities close to Centurion you will be able to attend. If, however, you stay in another province, you don’t have to let the dream die as accommodation is available near the campus.

We offer several accredited cooking courses aimed at preparing students for culinary careers at top restaurants, hotels, lodges and resorts around the globe.  Whether you thus prefer working at a local fine dining establishment in Johannesburg or want to travel the world after graduation and work in European restaurants, once you have gained a prestigious qualification from us, you will have gained a competitive edge and perfect start to a successful chef career.

Some of the professional cooking and chef courses presented at Prue Leith is briefly discussed below to help you make an informed decision regarding your future in gastronomy.

Grande Diploma in Culinary Studies & Wine

Our flagship course, and the one that is perhaps also the most popular, is the Grande Diploma in Culinary Studies & Wine. The course runs over 18 months and includes not only the French classic techniques and subjects taught in the 12 month Diploma in Culinary Studies, but also an extensive module on wine studies. In addition, it also entails an internship period at one of the selected restaurants or lodges allowing the student to gain valuable experience, working with some of the top chefs.

Diploma in Culinary Studies

The course runs over 12 months on a part time basis at our Centurion Academy, which is only about 40 minutes’ drive from Johannesburg. You will train in classical French techniques in the hot, cold, and pastry kitchens. Subjects range from kitchen management and finance to fine cuisine. We don’t include the wine studies in this course, but if you so wish you can apply for the full time 18 month course that does include wine studies. You will gain practical experience in our restaurant kitchen, which will also be beneficial for your CV.

Apart from two courses we also present the dual qualification LMA “Professional Cook of Italian Cuisine” in collaboration with the prestigious ALMA Culinary Academy in Italy.

Diploma in Patisserie

If you are looking for a course that will prepare you for an entry level position in patisserie, then this is the perfect course. It runs over five months and is presented full time. Note that it is not on the level of casual cooking lessons, but rather intensive, consisting of classical French training and modern techniques.

The course starts at the basics and gradually progresses towards the advanced techniques. The duration of the course is just long enough to gain enough confidence in the various techniques and short enough to allow for quick deployment in the industry. The content has been structured to fit that of a five star kitchen.

Upon completion of the course, you will need to write and pass the City & Guilds IVQ Diploma in Patisserie exams alongside the Prue Leith exams. This will give you the much needed qualification for working in top restaurants around the world. Our presenters are specialists in the industry and renowned for their expertise.

Certificate in Sugarcraft

If you have always wanted to open your own pastry business, we recommend enrolment in our cake and sugarcraft course.  It is the ideal course to help you master the art of decoration and sugar pastry work.

If you are thus ready to progress from casual cooking lessons to formal training for a career in the culinary world, view information about our history and facilities and apply today.