Cordon Bleu Diploma

Course Summary

The Academy’s 3 term Cordon Bleu Diploma is an internationally recognised, comprehensive fast track to a career in food run over a full academic year from September to July. This course is designed for those with little or no previous experience in the kitchen. The pace is carefully planned to enable students to progress within their comfort zone, through foundation skills to intermediate and then on to advanced professional chef training.

This course is most popular with those aged between 16 and 22, or those with no previous experience and graduates of our Cordon Bleu Diploma transition into rewarding careers immediately upon completing their course. Take a look at our alumni profiles page to get an idea of some of the exciting career options you could follow.

Qualifications Gained:

Tante Marie Culinary Academy Cordon Bleu Diploma
An industry recognised professional qualification which sets the standards in global culinary training and has been offered at Tante Marie since 1954.

Level 4 Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts
An internationally accredited qualification created by Tante Marie and qualifications awarding body, The Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality (CTH). This optional qualification is regulated by People First, the Sector Skills Council and Ofqual and carries 96 credits within the government’s Qualifications Credit Framework (QCF). This may enable students to gain credit towards any future qualifications they may wish to take, be they at university or colleges around the world.

CIEH Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering
1 day course delivered by leading expert and former Environmental Health Officer, Paul Povey.

Wine Certificate
3 day wine course delivered by acclaimed wine writer and 'Master of Wine' John Downes.

What are the career prospects?

As a full time course over 3 terms, the course offers a fast track to a successful career with graduates able to hit the ground running in a fast paced professional kitchen.

Careers guidance is offered to all students and by utilising our extensive global network of industry contacts, graduates invariably transition to employment immediately upon graduation. Some graduates will take positions in Michelin starred restaurants as Chef de Parties with fast-track progression thereafter, others will establish themselves as successful freelance caterers or open their own restaurants and food businesses. All will enjoy rewarding careers in food.

Many Tante Marie graduates have used the skills and knowledge they have gained on this course to take up non-cooking roles such as food journalism, food photography, food styling, PR, events management, consultancy and recipe development. We have extensive industry contacts and provide careers support to all of our students during and after the course. Click here to see what some of them are doing now.

What will I learn?

For over 60 years, our focus has been on highly skills focussed training. Our recipes are vehicles for learning the skills within, our kitchens are specially designed to promote skills based learning and our staff are not only experienced chefs with a wealth of industry experience, but are also qualified teachers.

This means Tante Marie graduates are versatile and with our Cordon Bleu Diploma and are able to enter any food environment and quickly adapt.

Tante Marie Culinary Academy’s Cordon Bleu Diploma is split into Practical and Theory elements, with a heavy emphasis (approximately 80% of the course) on time spent in the kitchen, cooking.

The course formally covers 12 different categories:

• Stocks, sauces and dressings
• Soups
• Yeast products
• Vegetables and salads
• Meat, poultry and game
• Fish and shellfish
• Farinaceous dishes
• Terrines
• Pastries, desserts and confectionary
• Canapés and cocktails
• Professional kitchen skills and management
• Menu planning

Within each category you will cover an entire spectrum of skills, from the basics such as knife skills to the most advanced professional techniques such as modern cooking techniques.

Each term of our Cordon Bleu Diploma is run over 11 weeks and begins with a basic introduction to working in a kitchen environment including safety procedures and food hygiene. It then progresses into a program of ‘foundation skill development'. The course constantly adapts to the needs and progression of the students and a typical course covers the following structure:

Term 1 (Basics):

During this term, students cover essential skills across all areas of cookery with a view to laying a solid foundation of knowledge and skill which will become second nature as the term progresses:

A typical programme for Term 1 includes: Knife skills; time planning and organisation; food safety; basic stocks, sauces, soups and dressings; salads and vegetables; essential skills of baking and pastry; sugarcraft and piping; basic pasta; simple breads; fish preparation; butchery; patisserie; pastry; roasts; seasonal and festive catering; preserving and curing; herbs and spices; culinary terms and conversions; international cuisines; introduction to menu planning; nutrition and special diets; cakes and pastries; basic farinaceous; game; simple terrines; guest chef demonstration; skills test. Theory: meat and offal; cooking methods and cooking at altitude; cakes, pastries and raising agents; eggs, milk, soya and dairy; fats and oils; fish and sustainability; freezing and preserving; introduction to costing.

Term 2 (Intermediate):

Once the students have demonstrated mastery of the foundation skills, the technical cookery steps up a gear and more pressure is applied to the students, whilst still nurturing learning in a positive and supportive environment.

A typical programme for Term 2 includes: Butchery; pastry and patisserie; knife skills; fish preparation; international and regional cuisines; canapés; afternoon teas; chocolate preparations; farinaceous dishes; Indian cuisine; shellfish; continental yeast and breads; preserving and curing; presentation skills; organisation and working under pressure; kitchen teams and individual work; 3 day wine course; advanced sauces; petit fours; fresh pasta; chocolate tempering; introduction to advanced skills and techniques; guest chef demonstration; practical exams. Theory: costing and budgeting; chocolate from around the world, tempering; cheeses; theory exam; advanced menu planning and menu planning portfolio (assessment); writing CV’s for careers in hospitality; butchery and fish presentations.

Term 3 (Advanced):

The skills and techniques developed in Terms 1 and 2 are now applied at an advanced technical level, to produce food to the standards expected of the hospitality sector at the highest level, including modern cookery techniques. Students are exposed to the pressure of the professional kitchen environment, learning advanced professional techniques and cooking methods.

A typical programme for Term 3 includes: Advanced pastry; butchery; fish preparation; patisserie; bakery; advanced stocks, sauces and soups; shellfish; advanced presentation skills; international cuisines; ‘advanced classics’; terrines; modern cooking methods and sous-vide cookery; cold preparations; self-discipline in the kitchen; guest chef demonstration; practical exams, ‘Wedding Buffet’ and CTH Assessments. Theory: advanced poultry and game; shellfish; desserts, cakes and pastries; career development planning and support.

Exams and Assessment

Continuous assessment forms the basis of all progression on the course on a day to day basis in class and through a series of practical and theory exams. This process enables identify areas of strength and weakness early on in the course and establish academic progression plans for individual students to ensure the best possible opportunity to learn.

Students undertake a series of practical and theory exams, together with more informal ongoing assessments in class, at carefully programmed stages throughout the course. Extensive feedback is provided after exams.

Students will also complete a 3 day wine course with Master of Wine, John Downes and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Level 2 Award in Food Hygiene.

A number of qualified specialists will provide lectures and demonstrations on subjects such as butchery, sustainable seafood and guest chef demonstrations. Students also receive guidance on running your own business. Upon successful completion of our Cordon Bleu Diploma, you will have the skills and knowledge required to progress with an exciting career in food.