If you're passionate about food and cooking and are considering a career in the culinary arts, our Level 1 Professional Cookery qualification is the perfect foundation to develop your skills and knowledge. This full-time course will introduce you to the core principles of cooking, equipping you with the basic techniques and food safety standards you need to begin your journey in the kitchen.
Throughout the course, you will study a variety of cooking methods, gaining hands-on experience and practical knowledge to prepare you for a career in catering or hospitality. You’ll learn how to prepare and cook food by boiling, poaching, and steaming, understanding the importance of these techniques in creating dishes with delicate textures and flavours. You will also explore stewing and braising, mastering the art of slow-cooked dishes that lock in moisture and flavour.
The course also covers baking, roasting, and grilling, giving you the skills to prepare a range of dishes, from baked goods to roasted meats and grilled vegetables, all essential techniques in any professional kitchen. You will learn deep frying and shallow frying, allowing you to perfect classic cooking methods for a variety of dishes.
In addition to cooking techniques, you will study food safety in catering, which is a crucial component of the course. Understanding the importance of hygiene and safety standards in the kitchen will ensure you can work efficiently and safely, maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness and food handling.
You'll get hands-on experience working in the college’s TASTE Restaurant, which is open to the public for lunchtime service and special theme night dinners throughout the year offers. Whether you choose to work in restaurants, hotels, or catering companies, this course will give you a strong starting point for further study or employment in the industry.
We recommend that you have:
- Four GCSEs at grade 2 or above, including English and maths
or
Functional Skills in English and maths at Entry Level 3
At enrolment, you will have an interview with our course tutors to ensure the course is right for you. You may also need to complete an initial assessment in English and maths, depending on your grades.
There are regular practical tests to make sure you are on course. Theory is mainly assessed through assignments and short answer questions.
You will complete both practical assessments and short answer question papers to test your understanding of the different cooking methods.
After completing this course, you'll be well-prepared for further study in the hospitality and catering industry, such as a study programme at Level 2.
Units covered can include:
- Introduction to employability in the catering and hospitality industry
- Health and safety in awareness catering and hospitality
- Introduction to healthier food and special diets
- Introduction to kitchen equipment
School Leavers (16-18)
If you will be 16, 17 or 18 years old on 31 August before your course starts, and you have the legal right to live in the UK for the full length of your study programme, your course will be free.
You may also be eligible for financial help to support with books, travel, course materials and childcare costs â please click here for more information.
Adult Students (19+)
If you will be aged 19 or older on 31 August before your course starts, are resident in London, and have the legal right to stay in the UK for at least 12 months, you may be eligible to study for free, depending on your circumstances and chosen course. For more information, please click here.
You may also be eligible for financial help to support with books, travel, course materials and childcare costs â please click here.
Course Fee: £1423
You may be eligible for financial help to support with books, travel, course materials and childcare costs â please click here for more information.
