When was Tante Marie founded?
Who owns Tante Marie?
Where does the name Tante Marie come from?
How old must I be to attend a course?
What age are the students?
Are the courses suitable for both men and women?
Do you take overseas students?
As an overseas student, how good does my English have to be?
Do you run language classes for overseas students?
Does the School provide the food ingredients?
What do I need to bring with me?
What sort of food will I cook?
Do we get to eat the food we make?
How do I know which course to take?
How many students are there in a class?
Which course is best for gap year students?
Can you help me find employment when I have finished the course?
Where are you situated?
Is the School residential?
When was Tante Marie Founded?
Tante Marie was founded in 1954 and is the UK's oldest established professional cookery school.
Who owns Tante Marie?
Tante Marie has always been privately owned. Since 1999 Tante Marie has been owned by its Principal, Marcella 0'Donovan, and her family. Marcella originally trained and later taught at Tante Marie and is involved with all aspects of the School.
Where does the name Tante Marie come from?
Tante Marie was a legendary French cook who set new standards in French cuisine in the early 20th century. We are now setting the standards for the 21st century! But through our name we still honour her great contribution to the culinary arts.
How old must I be to attend a course?
16 years on commencement of the course. There is no upper age limit.
What age are the students?
All ages, usually between 16-55, but we have had a number of older students, including a gentleman of 82!
Are the courses suitable for both men and women?
Absolutely. The ratio recently has tended to be approximately 60% female, 40% male, depending on the course.
Do you take overseas students?
Tante Marie is international. Our courses have always been very popular with students from all over the world. At any one time we may have Japanese, Korean, Thai, US, Brazilian, Australian and New Zealand students, to name a few, studying with us, as well as students from the British Isles.
As an overseas student, how good does my English have to be?
Our overseas students are advised to have a good standard of English equivalent to TEFL 450. Tante Marie does offer English language lessons to take you beyond TEFL 450 which run concurrently with our courses, or students may wish to attend a local language school before they commence their course at Tante Marie. We can help with details of these.
Do you run language classes for overseas students?
Yes, a fully qualified TEFL teacher runs language classes at Tante Marie at the end of the School day for those students wishing to improve their English. Students may work towards exams if they wish.
Does the School provide the food ingredients?
Yes. All ingredients and all equipment are supplied.
What do I need to bring with me?
We provide everything you need: our fees are all inclusive, including all ingredients, chef’s whites or aprons (according to the course), professional knives, and your own Tante Marie recipe manual.
What sort of food will I cook?
Both classical cordon bleu and contemporary recipes and techniques are taught. Examples of recipes can be found in the course details.
Do we get to eat the food we make?
Yes, students eat lunch in the School each day and can take home some food prepared in class. The only exception is on our 1-Day Demonstration Days when our staff & students cook the lunch provided.
How do I know which course to take?
Some indication can be gathered from our course details on this website, but the Principal is happy to advise on suitability of courses.
How many students are there in a class?
Classes are small. A maximum of 12 students per class with 1 teacher and sometimes an assistant depending on the course topic. Because of the size of our facilities we can run several classes on the same course in parallel.
Which course is best for gap year students?
We run a number of suitable courses. Our 1 term Cordon Bleu Certificate Course is very popular with gap students who wish to obtain ski chalet work and other short term employment. We also have courses of 1, 2 and 4 weeks duration. The Certificate Course is excellent for those looking for the best choice of jobs in their gap year, but our 4 week Essential Skills course is also suitable for employment with a number of ski and other holiday companies.
Can you help me find employment when I have finished the course?
Employment prospects are excellent for those Diploma graduates wishing to pursue a career in the culinary arts. The Principal is always happy to advise personally on suitable work prospects and Tante Marie has excellent contacts in all areas of the hospitality and catering industries. Our Certificate graduates are sought after by employers such as ski chalet, summer villa and yacht companies; and our four week Essential Skills course provides such opportunities as well. Some of these companies come to Tante Marie to recruit students but in any event we can invariably help to place you through our contacts.
Where are you situated?
Woking, Surrey. A large town 25 minutes from London by train. Woking has excellent train and public transport links and is close to London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports. The School is approximately a 15 minute walk from the railway station or a short taxi ride. Woking has excellent shopping and entertainment facilities, with its own theatre, cinema and leisure centre.
Is the School residential?
No. Most students who come from afar stay with "homestay" families, which we can recommend, or in local rented accommodation.
Who owns Tante Marie?
Where does the name Tante Marie come from?
How old must I be to attend a course?
What age are the students?
Are the courses suitable for both men and women?
Do you take overseas students?
As an overseas student, how good does my English have to be?
Do you run language classes for overseas students?
Does the School provide the food ingredients?
What do I need to bring with me?
What sort of food will I cook?
Do we get to eat the food we make?
How do I know which course to take?
How many students are there in a class?
Which course is best for gap year students?
Can you help me find employment when I have finished the course?
Where are you situated?
Is the School residential?
When was Tante Marie Founded?
Tante Marie was founded in 1954 and is the UK's oldest established professional cookery school.
Who owns Tante Marie?
Tante Marie has always been privately owned. Since 1999 Tante Marie has been owned by its Principal, Marcella 0'Donovan, and her family. Marcella originally trained and later taught at Tante Marie and is involved with all aspects of the School.
Where does the name Tante Marie come from?
Tante Marie was a legendary French cook who set new standards in French cuisine in the early 20th century. We are now setting the standards for the 21st century! But through our name we still honour her great contribution to the culinary arts.
How old must I be to attend a course?
16 years on commencement of the course. There is no upper age limit.
What age are the students?
All ages, usually between 16-55, but we have had a number of older students, including a gentleman of 82!
Are the courses suitable for both men and women?
Absolutely. The ratio recently has tended to be approximately 60% female, 40% male, depending on the course.
Do you take overseas students?
Tante Marie is international. Our courses have always been very popular with students from all over the world. At any one time we may have Japanese, Korean, Thai, US, Brazilian, Australian and New Zealand students, to name a few, studying with us, as well as students from the British Isles.
As an overseas student, how good does my English have to be?
Our overseas students are advised to have a good standard of English equivalent to TEFL 450. Tante Marie does offer English language lessons to take you beyond TEFL 450 which run concurrently with our courses, or students may wish to attend a local language school before they commence their course at Tante Marie. We can help with details of these.
Do you run language classes for overseas students?
Yes, a fully qualified TEFL teacher runs language classes at Tante Marie at the end of the School day for those students wishing to improve their English. Students may work towards exams if they wish.
Does the School provide the food ingredients?
Yes. All ingredients and all equipment are supplied.
What do I need to bring with me?
We provide everything you need: our fees are all inclusive, including all ingredients, chef’s whites or aprons (according to the course), professional knives, and your own Tante Marie recipe manual.
What sort of food will I cook?
Both classical cordon bleu and contemporary recipes and techniques are taught. Examples of recipes can be found in the course details.
Do we get to eat the food we make?
Yes, students eat lunch in the School each day and can take home some food prepared in class. The only exception is on our 1-Day Demonstration Days when our staff & students cook the lunch provided.
How do I know which course to take?
Some indication can be gathered from our course details on this website, but the Principal is happy to advise on suitability of courses.
How many students are there in a class?
Classes are small. A maximum of 12 students per class with 1 teacher and sometimes an assistant depending on the course topic. Because of the size of our facilities we can run several classes on the same course in parallel.
Which course is best for gap year students?
We run a number of suitable courses. Our 1 term Cordon Bleu Certificate Course is very popular with gap students who wish to obtain ski chalet work and other short term employment. We also have courses of 1, 2 and 4 weeks duration. The Certificate Course is excellent for those looking for the best choice of jobs in their gap year, but our 4 week Essential Skills course is also suitable for employment with a number of ski and other holiday companies.
Can you help me find employment when I have finished the course?
Employment prospects are excellent for those Diploma graduates wishing to pursue a career in the culinary arts. The Principal is always happy to advise personally on suitable work prospects and Tante Marie has excellent contacts in all areas of the hospitality and catering industries. Our Certificate graduates are sought after by employers such as ski chalet, summer villa and yacht companies; and our four week Essential Skills course provides such opportunities as well. Some of these companies come to Tante Marie to recruit students but in any event we can invariably help to place you through our contacts.
Where are you situated?
Woking, Surrey. A large town 25 minutes from London by train. Woking has excellent train and public transport links and is close to London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports. The School is approximately a 15 minute walk from the railway station or a short taxi ride. Woking has excellent shopping and entertainment facilities, with its own theatre, cinema and leisure centre.
Is the School residential?
No. Most students who come from afar stay with "homestay" families, which we can recommend, or in local rented accommodation.