Course description
Professional Culinary Arts Level 1 (Reading)
Culinary courses for curious cooks developed in partnership with Heston Blumenthal and The Fat Duck Group.
Upcoming start dates
Suitability - Who should attend?
This is a three-year pathway that starts with teaching you the fundamentals of professional cookery right through to advanced techniques practiced in modern restaurants. For entry to Level 1, you will need four GCSEs at grade 4 or above. If you do not have the requisite GCSEs, or if you have barriers to learning, you will be required to attend an interview with our culinary arts team to assess your suitability for the course.
For entry to Level 2, you will need to have completed the first year of the Culinary Arts pathway. If you have been in the industry for one year or more, or have a relevant professional qualification, it may be possible to start on Year 2 (Level 2) of the course.
For entry to Level 3, you will need to have completed the second year of the Culinary Arts pathway.
Training Course Content
What I'll Learn
Creating a true culinary experience starts and ends in the mind; your skills are simply the tools that will bring that vision to reality.
On this programme, you will learn to prepare and cook food through traditional methods such as boiling, braising, roasting, frying etc. These skills will be vital in building a career in any professional kitchen, anywhere in the world.
However, what sets this programme apart from others is the emphasis we place on the fundamentals of understanding ingredients and exploring their tastes, flavours and fusions. Heston Blumenthal has identified two critical attributes for working in this field: Restless Perfectionism and Creative Curiousity. To find out more about how these attributes can benefit you and how we develop them, click on the links on the right.
Inspired by these critical attributes, you will be provided with a rich variety of learning experiences, including:
- practical exploration
- food science experiments
- work and industry experience
- customer facing activity
- employer-led projects
As well as linking with the Fat Duck Group's expertise, you will benefit from the Activate Learning Attributes curriculum, which will help you develop the key characteristics and skills employers are looking for in potential employees. This will be achieved through one-to-one support sessions.
If you are still working towards gaining GCSEs in English or maths, or if you need help developing your digital skills, we can help with that too.
Activate Learning
Activate Learning is a forward-thinking education group that aims for far-reaching, progressive change and impact through learning. We work with learners as individuals, helping them make the choice of course and career pathway that’s right for them. Our mission is to provide work-ready talent for business, and...