The Le Cordon Bleu Bachelor of Business degree program has just expanded!

Reflecting ongoing changes in the world of food and wine business over recent years, two new specialisations in Food Entrepreneurship and Wine Entrepreneurship are now available and will kick-off in early 2013. Using Northern Adelaide Institute of TAFE’s excellent facilities for wine-making and bottling, brewing, cheese-making, bread-making, small goods and confectionery, these new degrees are all about boutique and entrepreneurial small business.

As such, they establish a new benchmark for quality education, with a hands-on focus that is integrated with sustainable business management approaches to the development of successful food and wine products. Combined with a full year of professional experience (two 6-month blocks at Stages 2 and 4) in a range of boutique food and wine-related businesses, adds invaluable work-integrated-learning opportunities that prepare graduates for their own business ventures. The University of South Australia provides high level management and business expertise across the complete suite of Stage 5 subjects and is also excited to be involved in delivering these innovative new educational products.

Matching the consumer trend toward sourcing organic, biodynamic and free-range products, the degrees aim to refine business design and management skills and to provide students with options to exercise creative entrepreneurship. Chefs seeking greater connection and understanding of the provenance of food and wine, for example, will have the chance not only to cook with excellent produce using the latest techniques, but to meet the producers themselves and learn more about supply chains and food quality management.
The message is clear that ‘small is beautiful’ when it comes to artisan and hand-crafted foods and wines. Adding value to food and wine products by concentrating on quality continues to drive small business success. Savvy consumers are also demanding better quality and small businesses are proving they’re prepared to meet the challenge. The ‘Masterchef phenomenon’ further suggests that it is not only the small producers and business owners wanting to know more and to experience more in the world of food of wine. Many of the shows contestants have already proved that, with passion for knowledge and desire to please, they can succeed in their own business ventures. Le Cordon Bleu’s new degrees embody the same values and provide the practical and managerial skills to do the same!

It is with a great sense of pride and enthusiasm that Le Cordon Bleu is launching these degree specialisations. They represent a cutting edge of education in the broader field of hospitality studies, and cater to all those wishing to enter small and artisan businesses and who have a passion for food and/or wine. Small may be beautiful, but watch out for the impact these new degrees make in food and wine education!