Professional Cookery

Take your cooking skills to the next level! If you’ve already completed a Level 2 qualification in Professional Cookery, you’re ready to specialise in advanced techniques for a career in the catering and hospitality industry. You’ll refine your skills and create complex dishes, working to industry standards, and learning about the latest trends in gastronomy and sustainability. This one-year course is your next step towards a successful career as a professional chef.

What You’ll Learn

You’ll cover advanced skills and finesse new techniques. You’ll learn how to prepare and cook complex dishes, including fish, meat, poultry, and fresh pasta, and master food safety, hygiene, and sustainability practices. You’ll also develop your leadership abilities, working as a close-knit team in a kitchen environment.

This course covers:

• Complex fish, meat, and poultry dishes
• Fresh pasta
• Complex dressings and hot and cold sauces
• Cold desserts
• Gastronomy and sustainability
• Health, hygiene, safety and security in the kitchen

This is a practical, hands-on course that will challenge you to work to industry standards, producing high-quality food with precision and technical expertise. You’ll get the chance to work with local and regional employers, take part in exciting trips, and attend masterclasses from top chefs.

Throughout the year, you’ll get lots of experience working in our professional kitchens and training restaurants. By the end of the course, you’ll be ready for a successful career in the hospitality industry or further studies in specialist areas like patisserie.

Highlights 

You can look forward to:

• A one-week work experience block with the chance to work at Farncombe Estate and other local employers
• Trips will be organised to places such as Borough Market in London, Bristol street foods, local employers, hospitality expos such as Hotel Olympia and the Good Food show.
• Guest speakers and masterclasses from our portfolio of employers, from Michelin star restaurants to street food
• Industry standard kitchens with the latest technology
• Real experience working in our on-site restaurant

Assessment 

This one-year course is the City and Guilds Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Professional Cookery. It combines hands-on practice and theory, with assessments through practical tasks and short tests. You’ll build a logbook to show what you’ve produced, and complete practical assessments too.

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.