Certificate in Culinary Arts

Summary

If you want to learn the fundamentals of cooking professionally, our Certificate in Culinary Arts is a great choice.

Over 4-weeks this chef foundation program is designed to teach you the skills required to cook to a professional standard. From food hygiene, to organisational skills, the language of the commercial kitchen, and core cooking skills, by the end of this course you will have the skills to start your career as a junior chef in a professional kitchen, launch your own catering enterprise, or simply enjoy the life skills of an accomplished cook.

You will learn

Food Safety & Hygiene
Professional Kitchen Practices
Knife Skills
Mise-en-place
Vegetable Preparation
Stocks, Soups and Sauces
Prepare Meat, Poultry & Fish

Pastry, Cakes, Biscuits & Breads
Farinaceous Dishes
Desserts & Patisserie
Vegetarian Dishes
Canapés
Modern Cooking Techniques
Plating & Presentation Skills

Who is this course for?

Starting a career as a junior chef.
Yacht Chefs & Chalet Cooks.
Starting a Café or Food Business.
Home cooks wanting to improve.

Curriculum

Curriculum

Week 1: Skills

Induction
Level 2 Food Hygiene Award (1st Day)
Introduction to the Kitchen
Mise en Place & Kitchen Organisation
Knife Skills
Piping Skills
Soups & Stocks
Chicken - Butchery & Cooking
Vegetables & Eggs
Breads, Enriched Breads & Pastry
Meringues & Ice Creams

Week 1: Typical Recipes

Confit Chicken Terrine
Pea & Mint Risotto
with Market Fish of the Day
Smoked Salmon Tart
Walnut & Raisin Bread
Brioche
Griddled Chicken a la Francaise
Minestrone Soup
Chocolate Mousse
with Créme Anglais

Week 2: Skills

Flat & Round Fish - Filleting and Cooking
Tapas-style sharing dishes
Terrine
Lamb - Butchery & Cooking
Duck - Butchery
Pasta - Ravioli & Tortellini
Choux Pastry
Sauces, Jus, Mayonnaise
Desserts

Week 2: Typical Recipes

Sea Bass with Squid Ink Linguine
served with Friçasse of Cockles
Plaice and Pest Gnocchi
with Baby Leeks, Spinach & Broad Beans
Chicken Terrine
with Homemade Picalilli
Best End of Lamb
with Black Olive Salt, Aubergine Caviar & Lamb Jus
Butternut Squash, Sage and Beurre Noisette Ravioli
Profiteroles
with Chocolate Ganache
Créme Caramel
with Rhubarb ≈ Orange Gel and Malt Loaf
Chocolate Soufflé

Week 3: Skills

Duck - Cooking
Pork - Cooking
Beef - Cooking
Scallops - Preparing & Cooking
Laminated Pastry & Suet Pastry
Canapés
Emulsified Sauces, Salsa & Vegetable Purées
Ice Creams & Sorbets
Chocolate
Macarons

Week 3: Typical Recipes

Massaman Duck
with Sweet Potato, Bok Choi and Tostadas
Belly Pork
with Caramelised Scallops & Cauliflower
Goat's Cheese Pithivier
with Courgette & Walnut Salad
Apple Tart
with Caramel Ice Cream
Chocolate Negus
with Pistachio Sorbet
Chocolate Truffles

Week 4: Assessment

Mock Exam x 1 Day
Practical Assessments x 2 Days
Graduation

Week 4: Graduation Day

Rump of Lamb
with Garlic Purée, Niçoise Veg & Anna Potatoes
Asian Cooking
including Galangal Soup, Thai Green Curry & Jasmine Rice
Lemon & Almond Pudding
with Tiramisu Cream

Chef Qualifications

We incorporate accredited qualifications within this course, but Ashburton courses go far beyond the requirements of the qualifications to give you the most comprehensive training possible.

Level 2 Award in Cookery Skills

Confederation Of Tourism & Hospitality

The Level 2 Award in Cookery Skills is accredited by CTH, an internationally recognised awarding body. The level 2 award has been designed as an introduction to the professional kitchen.

Ashburton Chefs Academy

The Ashburton Certificate in Culinary Arts marks your graduation from an elite culinary academy and is our endorsement of your professional skills.

Level 2 Award In Food Safety

HABC

An industry standard food hygiene qualification that will be required by employers.

Course Dates

2023

Nov 2023
Mon 20 Nov to Fri 15 Dec, 2023

2024

Jan 2024
Mon 08 Jan to Fri 02 Feb, 2024
Mar 2024
Mon 18 Mar to Fri 12 Apr, 2024
May 2024
Mon 06 May to Fri 31 May, 2024
July 2024
Mon 01 July to Fri 26 July, 2024
Oct 2024
Mon 30 Sep to Fri 25 Oct, 2024
Nov 2024
Mon 18 Nov to Fri 13 Dec, 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

The minimum age is 18 years old

Yes, Chefs Academy courses are full-time, with intensive practical training. This is one of the reasons why our students can achieve so much during their time with us. Academy students can expect to receive around 34 hours+ direct tuition a week.

Small class sizes and individual attention.
Full-time courses. Learn more, learn faster, graduate quicker.
Expert tuition from experienced, professional chefs.
A passion for quality, local, sustainable ingredients.
A beautiful part of the world, between Dartmoor and the coast.
A quality, shared student accommodation option.
An excellent reputation and track record of successful graduates.
Amongst the best pricing available.

Yes, we are accredited by the British Accreditation Council so you can study with us for up to 6 months. Find out about overseas students entry requirements here..

Not at all. This is a common question we get from mature students who are considering retraining in a new career and are concerned that they are going to feel like they are going back to school. Our courses are not like those offered by a traditional catering college - both in the style of training we offer and the environment you will learn in. The broad range of ages and backgrounds of students on this course will mean you feel very much at home.

The skill requirement to take this course is that of a confident home cook. If you have no prior cookery experience at all we recommend you take either our Beginners Weekend or our 5 day Foundation cookery course first prior to taking this course which will teach you the basic cooking skills you need.

Certainly. Each course is stand alone and there are no repeated recipes or course content.

You secure your place onto this course with a £250 deposit which is non-refundable. Your balance is then due 4 weeks before the start of the course which is either by bank transfer, or will happen automatically if you have taken out our finance option. For full details of our Cancellation Policy please read our Terms and Conditions.

All the food we source is from high quality local, food suppliers. Our fish, meat, poultry, dairy and vegetables are sourced from producers within 25 miles of the Academy. It is our policy to reduce food miles, to source seasonal organic ingredients at every opportunity, and to only use sustainable food stocks. We audit the provenance of all of the produce we use. Your training and your food will benefit substantially from our approach.

We provide you with 2 chef uniforms and 5 aprons to keep, and all the equipment you will need is provided within the course.

Yes, in the first week you will complete a 1 day food hygiene course, which is essential in commercial cooking.

No qualification can replace years of experience in a commercial kitchen, but we will prepare you to be a skilled chef with a good technical ability, a professional approach, good presentation skills and the confidence to be able to cope in a pressured and commercial environment, be that a restaurant or cooking for a private function. Graduates from the Chefs Academy are eagerly snapped up by top employers who are keen to recruit well trained, motivated individuals.

We aim to prepare you for the realities of an industry that demands long hours and dedication, but equally can be as rewarding as any career. Our chefs have a wealth of industry experience and will be able to provide advice for your chosen career path.

As a graduate of this course you can expect to be considered seriously for entry level positions in professional kitchens, in chalets or hosting on small boats. This course will have prepared you to work cleanly in an organised way, understanding the language of the kitchen and the core principles of cooking. You will have had experience preparing a wide range of ingredients and dishes, and will have confidence to cook to a professional standard.

No. Whilst QCF qualifications carry a credit value and in some cases you can carry this credit onto another course, our Diploma level courses are standalone and so the credits accrued on this course will not reduce the study time on a Diploma level course.

Course Fees

Everything you need is included in the course fee including chef uniforms, course notes, training and exam registration fees.

4 Week Course Fee	Fee
Option 1: Full Payment	£3,995
Option 2: Course Finance (UK only). Details	£104^.02 /month for 36 months
26 Nights Room (Optional) Details	£1,040

Deposit

You can secure your place on this course with a £250 deposit. Pay your balance 4 weeks before the start of the course.

Booking

To book this course simply book online below.

Note: You will only be required to pay the £250 deposit now and the balance 4 weeks before the course starts by bank transfer.

Book Online

If you have any questions or would like to speak to someone before booking, please apply below.

Thank you!

We've received your application and one of our student advisors will be in touch at the earliest opportunity within our office hours. We are open 7 days a week from 9am to 5pm.

We look forward to speaking to you soon.

Please add our email address support@chefsacademy.co.uk to your email contacts.