Cuisine Diploma with Internship Pathway

Please note that it is possible to register for each of the certificates, starting with the Basic Cuisine Certificate.

• Basic Cuisine Certificate

This certificate introduces students to the basic techniques of French cuisine, including:

• Managing supplies and implementing good food hygiene and food handling practices
• Understanding the day-to-day time management techniques required to successfully work in a professional kitchen
• Handling and using basic professional equipment, including using knives to execute classic cuts of vegetables, fruit, fish and standard butchery
• Using a range of methods to prepare stocks, jus, sauces and soups.
• Exploring a range of techniques used to make pastry and classic restaurant desserts
• Discovering and executing the main techniques used to prepare and cook eggs
• Cooking starchy foods
• Understanding and using professional French culinary terminology
• Demonstrating the kind of behaviour and attitude that would be expected in a professional kitchen
• Organising work according to production requirements, both individually and as part of a team

• Intermediate Cuisine Certificate

The intermediate Cuisine Certificate programme introduces students to regional French and European cuisine and encourages them to implement the techniques acquired during the Basic Cuisine Certificate programme:

• Implementing good food hygiene and safety practices
• Taking account of the space and time available when carrying out routine tasks in a professional kitchen
• Carrying out preliminary preparations, cutting up meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables to the standard expected in a professional kitchen
• Using modern cooking methods
• Preparing regional and European restaurant dishes and desserts
• Plating classic and modern dishes
• Mastering seasonings
• Understanding about ingredient origin and quality and recognising that using sustainable seasonal and local produce fosters an eco-responsible approach
• Writing recipes using the appropriate professional terminology and methods.

• Professional Application

Students complete a 3-month Professional Application period within the institute itself.

The Professional Application module gives students the opportunity to put their newly acquired skills into practice in the workplace:

• Perfecting the skills acquired during the Basic Cuisine and Intermediate Cuisine programmes
• Managing stock
• Acquiring hands-on experience in the “Receipt of Goods” and in the logistics of stock control
• Implementing cross-disciplinary procedures, methods and techniques, and notably basic professional skills acquired in "Goods Receival & Storage", "Preparation Kitchen", "Cuisine Production" and "Customer Relations"
• Maintaining a clean and well-organized workstation and equipment to meet food hygiene and safety standards
• Perfecting the procedures, methods and techniques required for “Preparation Kitchen” and for "Plating"
• Acquiring the practical customer relations skills that are required when greeting, advising and serving customers
• Assimilating Le Cordon Bleu’s values and organization
• Assisting the Chefs with production and preparation tasks during practical lessons, workshops and culinary events
• Cultivating the kind of behaviour and attitude that would be expected in a professional kitchen

• Superior Cuisine Certificate

Whilst studying for the Superior Cuisine Certificate, students complete a 5-hour Professional Application module at the Hôtel de la Marine each week.

On completing the programme, students will have acquired the necessary skills to:

• Follow good food quality and good food hygiene and safety practices and implement effective solutions to address non-compliance with these practices in the workspace
• Cultivate the kind of approach and working methods expected in an operational business environment, demonstrating a solid understanding of the restaurant’s structure and of the internal organisation of the kitchen and the workings of the team
• Master the preparation of both basic and complex culinary dishes and seasonings
• Master contemporary cooking techniques, notably vacuum and low-temperature cooking, cooking meat and fish to perfection, and cooking eggs, egg products and vegetables
• Create and prepare classic dishes to the highest possible standard but with an original and modern twist
• Take responsibility for organisational and production-related tasks
• Perfect professional culinary techniques and demonstrate the ability to formalize new recipes

• Intership: 4 to 6 months