New Zealand Certificate in Cookery (Level 4)
Food & Beverage
A course by
Otago Polytechnic
Gain hands-on, practical skills for a culinary career with the New Zealand Certificate in Cookery (Level 4), designed for those starting their journey to become a chef.
Blended study
This is a mix of online learning & face-to-face sessions
Available in 2 locations
It will take a total of 1 year
Core skills this course teaches
Develop fundamental cookery skills
Gain practical skills in food preparation, cooking, and presentation for a variety of contemporary and classic dishes.
Work effectively in a commercial kitchen
Demonstrate professionalism, time management, workflow organisation, and teamwork in a commercial kitchen environment.
Apply food safety and sustainable kitchen practices
Implement food hygiene, health and safety, and sustainability practices in food preparation and kitchen operation.
What You're Signing Up For
This certificate programme provides hands-on training in cookery through practical learning in commercial kitchens and restaurants. Learners master the art of preparing a variety of dishes including meat, poultry, seafood, plant-based and pasta dishes, pastries, and desserts. The programme emphasises teamwork, time management, workflow organisation, and food safety in a professionally equipped environment. There are on campus and Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) pathways, enabling either classroom-based or workplace-based skill development. Graduates will have the knowledge, confidence, and foundational skills to begin a professional culinary career or pursue higher-level culinary study.
Course Content
- Introduction to Culinary Skills: knife handling, mise en place, recipe interpretation, cooking methods, time management, workstation setup
- Fundamentals of Larder, Hot Cookery and Patisserie: preparation and plating of savoury and sweet dishes, classic cookery techniques, teamwork, sustainable kitchen practice
- Contemporary Cuisine: adapting classic techniques to suit modern trends and dietary needs, plant-based menus, street food, allergen-aware and culturally responsive cooking
- Capstone: real-world team kitchen experience, planning and serving food to industry standards, workflow, costs, customer expectations, teamwork
- Occupational safety and health practices for hospitality environments
- Work placement for industry comparison and experience
What you need to know first
What sort of industry will this job lead to
Hospitality
Food & Beverage
Culinary Arts
Future employment opportunities might be
Entry-level chef roles
Commis chef in restaurants, cafes or catering
Progression to advanced cookery or culinary arts programmes
Otago Polytechnic is known for high quality, hands on learning that leads to strong outcomes. With excellent student satisfaction, high graduate employment rates, and a commitment to sustainability, it’s a place where practical skills meet purpose. Their award winning programmes span design, fashion, creative arts, trades, health, and business, giving you real experience and real confidence for whatever comes next.