Le Cordon Bleu Logo

French Pastry Techniques Diploma

Our Diplôme de Pâtisserie is recognised globally as one of the most respected culinary qualifications in pastry and baking. By enabling you to become highly skilled and gain essential creative skills to craft exceptional dishes and showpieces, we pride ourselves on delivering the highest standards of professional pastry chef education and training.

The pastry diploma comprises three certificates: Basic, Intermediate and Superior. As you progress, the techniques taught become more advanced to develop your abilities in a structured manner.

Across your tuition, you will learn classic pâtisserie skills while developing your creative flair. Our Pâtisserie Chefs will lead demonstrations showing important techniques in creation and decoration of classic patisserie and contemporary restaurant desserts. Our team of classically trained teaching chefs possesses years of experience working in Michelin-starred restaurants and the industry’s finest kitchens.

We believe that it is essential to teach classical methods and techniques progressively, so that once you complete your diploma you will be able to apply your knowledge to any type of cuisine and adapt it to your future career.

The Diplôme de Pâtisserie can be completed in either 9 months or in 6 months of full-time study. With our Intensive 6-month diploma, Basic and Intermediate levels are completed in three months, with the Superior level completed through a further three months of study.

Our Diplôme de Pâtisserie may also be studied as an integrated diploma with Culinary Management or with Internship Pathway or with Pâtisserie Innovation and Wellness or simultaneously with our Diplôme de Boulangerie.

 

4 intakes each year: Winter, Spring, Summer or Autumn

 

Key information


Duration:
  • 9 months | 3 terms (standard)
  • 6 months | 2 terms (intensive summer & winter only))
Price:
  • £22,145 (standard)
  • £22,485 (intensive summer & winter only))
Diploma fees include: ingredients, uniforms, knife kit, learning materials

Hours per week:

  • Approximately 15 to 18 hours (standard)
  • Approximately 25 to 35 hours (intensive summer & winter only))

Entry requirements: evidence of English language. No prior culinary experience is required. All students must be aged 18 years or over.

Please note that in order to successfully complete our Diplôme de Pâtisserie, students will be required to handle alcoholic beverages and beef or pork derivatives within a culinary context.

Please note: applications requiring a visa can close up to 12 weeks before the course start date.

 

Pastry Diploma Details

  • Course structure

    Please note it is also possible to apply for the certificates individually, beginning with Basic Pâtisserie. 


    • Basic Pâtisserie Certificate Prerequisite: none Basic Pâtisserie is designed to give students a strong foundation on which to build their Pâtisserie skills and knowledge. As students progress, they learn to prepare a wide selection of desserts and pastries through practical sessions and demonstrations. This exciting course introduces the various concepts, properties and applications of Pâtisserie which are essential for working in the industry.
      • Classical French pastry techniques (knife skills, basic pastry doughs, sugar techniques, petits fours and basic entremets)
      • Kitchen management 1
      • Implementing health, safety and hygiene procedures
      • Introduction to basic cheese knowledge
      Students who wish to apply simultaneously for both Basic Cuisine and Basic Pâtisserie certificates should contact us directly.

     


    • Intermediate Pâtisserie Certificate Prerequisite: Basic Pâtisserie During Intermediate Pâtisserie you begin to master fundamental techniques, such as making a génoise sponge, and your proficiency will allow you to focus more on decoration. You will also be introduced to sugar sculpting and more advanced chocolate work, developing skills such as chocolate piping and casting, and preparing restaurant-style desserts. Under the guidance of our chefs, you are able to develop essential artistic skills.
      • Viennoiserie and French bread making
      • Decoration techniques in chocolate and sugar craft
      • Complex entremets and gâteaux production
      • Food waste

     


    • Superior Pâtisserie Certificate Prerequisite: Intermediate Pâtisserie Superior Pâtisserie combines all the knowledge, techniques and artistic skills previously acquired and encourages you to personalise your work. Practical sessions, demonstrations and theory lessons help you gain a thorough understanding of the principles involved, with a strong focus on developing advanced levels of artistic and creative work.
      • Hot and cold contemporary plated desserts for restaurants
      • Petits fours and chocolate production techniques
      • Afternoon tea production and event organisation
      • Pâtisserie history - past, present and future
      • Cheese beyond taste
      Superior Pâtisserie students host a formal Afternoon Tea event which provides a taste of working in the industry - producing food in quantity, working in team to a deadline and exposure to the hospitality environment. The Afternoon Tea event is unique to London campus and contributes to students' overall grade.
  • Who is this programme for?

    This specialist pastry and baking course is recommended for students who want to learn and master professional pâtisserie techniques. We welcome students from a variety of different educational and occupational backgrounds. No prior culinary experience is required. This programme is suitable if:

    • You wish to enter a career working in a professional kitchen (pâtisserie, restaurant or hotel) and want the training to become a professionally trained pastry chef
    • You are a professional pastry chef or entrepreneur and wish to learn classic French techniques to set up your own pastry business
    • You love baking and always wanted to learn ‘the right way’ to do things in the kitchen
    • You wish to learn professional skills within a gap year or for use during a ski season

     

  • What qualification will I gain?

    Qualification title: Le Cordon Bleu Diplôme de Pâtisserie

    SCQF level: 8

    SCQF Credits: 63

    This qualification is listed on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) and has been independently credit-rated by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). Further information is available here. This gives assurance that the content of our qualifications are of a high standard, meeting the rigorous quality assurance requirements of a national awarding body.

    For more information about accreditation and student visa sponsorship, visit our Accreditation and Educational Oversight page.

    Successful graduates of the Diplôme de Pâtisserie will earn a Le Cordon Bleu qualification celebrated in many countries across the world. It is for this reason that many top restaurants, hotel groups and other employers attend our Careers Forum each term to meet our students for post study work opportunities.

  • Add Pâtisserie Innovation and Wellness
    If you would like to study Pâtisserie Innovation and Wellness after your diploma, why not consider registering today for our integrated diploma: Diplôme de Pâtisserie with Pâtisserie Innovation and Wellness. Click on the button below to be redirected to the programme page.
  • Add Culinary Management

    If you would like to study Culinary Management after your diploma, why not consider registering today for our integrated diploma: Diplôme de Pâtisserie with Culinary Management. Click on the button below to be redirected to the programme page.

  • Add Internship

    Our internship programme has been designed to provide you with the experience of working in a professional kitchen as part of your culinary training. You will be connected with one of our highly regarded industry partner who will be able to facilitate a structured placement, leading to a practical understanding of business and a variety of alternative aspects of kitchen operations.

  • ADD A COMBINATION OF PROGRAMMES
  • Finance

    At Le Cordon Bleu London we offer scholarship opportunities to help students with the costs of studying at our school. If studying culinary arts, wine or management has always been a dream, our yearly Julia Child Scholarship could be just the way to achieve it. Please note that we can currently only accept applications from UK residents for this scholarship.

    Unfortunately, now that the Government's Professional & Career Development Loan scheme has been discontinued, there are currently no loans of this type available to help finance studies at the institute.

  • Term Dates and Apply

    Term Dates & Prices

    Select a date
    2025
    Jan 6, 2025 - Sep 12, 2025 ( Standard )
    22,145.00£
    Jan 6, 2025 - Jun 20, 2025 ( Intensive )
    22,485.00£
    Mar 28, 2025 - Dec 12, 2025 ( Standard )
    22,145.00£
    Jun 27, 2025 - Mar 27, 2026 ( Standard )
    22,145.00£
    Jun 27, 2025 - Dec 12, 2025 ( Intensive )
    22,485.00£
    Sep 26, 2025 - Jun 26, 2026 ( Standard )
    22,145.00£
    2026
    Jan 9, 2026 - Sep 18, 2026 ( Standard )
    22,145.00£
    Apr 2, 2026 - Dec 11, 2026 ( Standard )
    22,145.00£
    Jul 3, 2026 - Mar 26, 2027 ( Standard )
    22,145.00£
    Sep 25, 2026 - Jun 25, 2027 ( Standard )
    22,145.00£

Testimonials

  • peggy2
    Studying at Le Cordon Bleu was the stepping stone in my career. I learned the proper techniques from the best chefs and how to be highly meticulous and hard working. I would definitely recommend the school to anybody with a serious passion for food!
    Peggy Porschen, Cake Designer and Creative Director
  • kong4
    The techniques I learned from my teaching chefs in nine months here would have taken me years to learn somewhere else.
    Alumnus Kong Suetrong - Executive Pastry Chef & Creative Director
  • caitlin2
    I chose the school for three reasons; I could study just pastry singularly and not alongside cuisine, I could start my training in Paris, a city I love and finish it in London my home city and finally and most importantly because it is the most internationally respected culinary school. It was at Le Cordon Bleu that I fell in love with chocolate.
    Caitlin Paxton - Chocolatier
  • john2
    You’ve got the teachers. You’ve got the different students from different cultures. Everything you would ever want when learning is in this school.
    Alumnus John Whaite - Baker, Cook, Chocolatier & TV personality

More information

London
How to apply
Find out more
International students
Find out more
Accommodation
Find out more
TOP