Course details

Summary

The programme is targeted at people who have made a commitment to train for a career as a professional chef.

If you're passionate about cooking awesome food, or if you want to be part of an evolving progressive industry, and kick start a professional Culinary Arts career, this programme is for you.

If you're keen to gain a New Zealand certificate AND an International (City & Guilds) Culinary Arts qualification, or if further tertiary studies to gain a higher level Culinary Arts qualification is your goal this programme is for you.

If you want to travel with your career, and gain professional positions within hotels, restaurants, cafés, exclusive lodges, fine dining establishments, ski resorts, surfing resorts, cruise ships, event catering and more, this programme is for you.

If you enjoy learning, challenges, fun and hard work, this programme is for you.

The programme is an exciting mix of theoretical and practical modules, with a large component of on-line learning. We start with "this is a knife and this is an onion" and take you to a level where you're preparing and presenting outstanding restaurant food.

Applications are not accepted on the basis of how well you can cook or your industry experience. We are looking for keen motivated individuals with a passion to excel and who have the skills and commitment required to succeed.

Core Elements

The programme is made up of eight courses that cover an extensive range of content, including::

Health and safety, food safety, and security
Introduction to the hospitality and catering industry and standard operating procedures for work roles in a commercial kitchen
Preparation of food for cold presentation
Introduction to nutrition, healthy foods and special diets
Prepare, cook and finish food by braising and stewing; frying; boiling, poaching and steaming; baking, roasting and grilling
Prepare, cook and finish stocks, soups and sauces; vegetables, fruit and pulses; rice, grain, farinaceous products, and egg dishes; meat, poultry and offal; and shellfish, including sauces
Effective professional interactions with colleagues, managers and customers
Catering operations, costs and menu planning
Prepare, cook and finish bakery products
Work experience

Programme Structure and Workload

An intensive programme of study that combines face-to-face theoretical, practical and online lessons including integrated work place learning and student self-directed components.

There are extensive practical classes in TPP's commercial kitchen along with live services undertaken in TPP's Tutoro training restaurant.

Our Facilities

Our training kitchen is well equipped to meet your training needs. The modular design on which our facility is based provides moveable work stations and allows it to be used not only as a practical classroom, but also as a production kitchen for our restaurant, Tutoro.

Class sizes on the professional cookery programmes are much smaller than in larger polytechnics, which means that you will enjoy lots of individual tuition from tutors. This is a real plus when studying, as the extra attention that you get from your tutors can be of enormous benefit.

Career Opportunities

Professional Chef
Cook - quantity cookery / industrial catering
Kitchen assistant / manager
Industry food representative

Entry criteria

Entry Criteria

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

Open entry - Scholastic and comprehension abilities adequate to successfully achieve the qualification.
In addition, students must be able to confirm that they will have the physical capability to safely withstand 4-8 hour sessions of working in the commercial kitchen environment.
For students with English as a second language City & Guilds IESOL B2 or IELTS (or equivalent) level 5.5 or above is required.

Special Note

Special Entry may be granted where evidence exists that the applicant can successfully complete the programme.
Academic credit may be granted for relevant learning achieved prior to enrolment on a course or programme.