Catering and Hospitality Level 1

Interested in cooking, food service, and the fast-paced world of hospitality? This one-year course is a great introduction to the catering and hospitality industry. You’ll develop essential skills in both food preparation and service, while also building your English and maths skills.

With hands-on training in industry-standard kitchens and our on-site restaurants, you’ll learn the key skills you need to progress onto the Level 2 qualification and start your journey towards a career in this exciting sector.

What You’ll Learn

You’ll cover everything from food safety and preparation to customer service and teamwork. You’ll learn key skills like how to work safely in a kitchen, prepare healthier foods, and serve customers in a professional restaurant.

You’ll take part in a mix of hands-on activities, both in our professional training kitchens and our industry-standard restaurant, where you’ll get real experience working with customers.

This course will cover:

• The hospitality industry scope and size
• Food preparation and cooking skills
• Food and drink service skills
• Health and safety in the workplace
• Special diets in the industry
• Customer service skills
• Employability skills

Alongside these practical skills, you’ll also work on developing your English and maths to help you succeed in your future studies or career.

Throughout the year, you’ll take part in tasks to help build your confidence and give you real-world experience. This course will give you a strong foundation for further studies and employment in the hospitality sector.

Highlights  

You can look forward to:

• Work experience week
• Trips out to employers and extracurricular days
• Guest speakers from local businesses such as Hotel Du Vin and the Cheltenham racecourse  
• Fully kitted out kitchens and restaurant with industry standard equipment
• Gain experience working in our on-site restaurant

Assessment 

The course is assessed through coursework to include short answer tests, multiple choice tests and assignments. The practical side is assessed through observations of your performance.

Anything else?  

A GC uniform is required and available at a discounted price from Russums, our national supplier. Student grants may cover the cost if eligible.

You’ll attend college 3 to 4 days a week, with additional time dedicated to professional development, part-time work, and homework.

In addition to the course, you’ll also develop transferable soft skills and professional standards that will prepare you for your next steps in catering and hospitality. We set a target of 100 hours for professional development through activities like part-time work, training days, or courses. You’ll also complete the college’s Which Three Skills programme to develop skills like communication, teamwork, resilience and more.

At Gloucestershire College we want students to develop their English and Maths skills so that they achieve their learning goals and future career aims. For this reason, all full-time students (16-18) who have not achieved grade 4 or above English language or maths GCSE will study these subjects as part of their course.