Plant-Based Culinary Arts Overview

Plant-Based Cuisine

INTRODUCTION, HEALTH & SAFETY & FOOD HYGIENE: Introducing students to plant-based culinary arts as well as working in a professional kitchen environment, this unit covers health & safety, allergens, and food hygiene.

PLANT-BASED ESSENTIALS: Following the introductory unit, the Plant-Based Essentials unit begins with knife skills and patisserie kitchen operations. Plant-Based product knowledge, sustainability, alternative ingredients and substitutions, nut-based products, oils and fats (butters & spreads) are all covered in this module, setting a basis of knowledge for the course of the programme.

PROFESSIONAL CULINARY SKILLS AND PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE: Professional culinary skills which are essential to working in a professional kitchen environment include creating and using stocks, soups and sauces, as well as knife skills and techniques. Product knowledge looks into oils, vinegars, leaves and microgreens, as well as herbs and spices. Learning about preservation techniques further develops this product knowledge.

VEGETABLE & PLANT FOODS: The Vegetables & Plant Foods unit looks at root vegetables, brassica, bulbs and tubers, with a focus on how these can be used in a variety of ways within a culinary context.

Plant-Based Pastry 

GRAINS, PULSES, NUTS & SEEDS: This unit showcases the versatility of legumes, nuts and grains, as well as rice & soya, and the products which are derived from these key plant-based culinary essentials.

BREAD & VIENNOISERIE: The Bread & Viennoiserie unit introduces classical bread-making skills, including the fundamentals and chemical reactions essential to baking. Reinventing classical recipes is a key part of this module, including creating laminated yeast dough, healthy bread and brioche.

BEAN-TO-BAR CHOCOLATE & VEGAN CONFECTIONERY: Students will learn the entire chocolate-making process from bean to bar, while mastering vegan techniques to craft truffles, and other fine confections.

PÂTISSERIE ESSENTIALS: Focusing on Dairy substitutes and ingredient alternatives, this unit covers the core principles of pâtisserie, including aeration techniques and the creation of detox macarons with fruits and vegetables.

PLATED DESSERTS: HERBS, FLOWERS & FRUIT SORBETS: This module introduces students to innovative plated desserts, emphasizing the use of herbs, edible flowers, and refreshing fruit sorbets and intriguing vegetable-based desserts.

PETIT GÂTEAUX: NUTTY & SUPERFOOD INFUSED: Building on plant-based alternatives, this unit highlights the incorporation of nuts, superfoods, and modern setting agents to create sophisticated and health-conscious petit gâteaux.

Please check the availability of the programme offered upon submitting your application.

We welcome students from a variety of different educational and occupational backgrounds. This programme is suitable for:

• Qualified chefs of all levels wishing to increase skills and knowledge in plant-based, vegetarian and vegan cuisine.
• Chefs working in hotels, spa facilities, health / fitness / retreat centres and hospitals or as personal chefs.
• New product development chefs wishing to expand their knowledge in developing new cuisine-based food products for the growing vegetarian and vegan markets.
• Health professionals who give nutritional advice and wish to bridge their knowledge and skills to culinary arts.
• Potential entrepreneurs, who may wish to open a food business in the future, particularly those which are related to plant-based cuisine.
• Career changers and those wishing to explore the food industry from a health food perspective.
• Food writers, food media, food stylists and bloggers.
• Those who love cooking and have always wanted to learn how to cook for a vegetarian or vegan diet / household.

• The programme focuses on crafting excellent cuisine dishes made solely from plants, providing a creative repertoire of product knowledge, skills, and recipes.
• Total: 280 hrs. A typical weekly class schedule is composed of the following sessions:
  • 180 hrs. (of Demonstrations and Practical Classes (held on weekdays)l)
  • 73 hrs. (Lectures and Industry Visit)
  • 27 hrs. (Self-directed learning)
  • Demonstrations and practical classes are on weekdays.
  • Your schedule will be given on a term-to-term basis.

Successful graduates of the Diplome in Plant-Based Culinary Arts will earn a Le Cordon Bleu qualification celebrated in many countries across the world.

Qualification title: Diplome in Plant-Based Culinary Arts