This certificate course runs for 18 weeks at UCOL Manawatū, Palmerston North, providing learners with foundational cookery skills including ingredient knowledge, food preparation and presentation, safe food handling, and commercial kitchen operations. The programme includes theoretical and practical learning with approximately 20 hours of class time plus 16.5 hours of self-directed study weekly. Graduates gain competencies to work effectively as junior chefs in various sectors like commercial catering, cafes, institutional catering, and food trucks. The programme consists of 60 credits divided across four 15-credit courses covering cookery skills, kitchen safety, food handling, kitchen workflow, and time management. Entry requires NCEA Level 1 or equivalent, with international English proficiency requirements. Additional costs include uniforms and equipment. The programme is NZQA approved and delivered by industry-experienced professionals with strong industry connections.

Course Content

• Introduction to Cookery Skills 1: Basic cookery skills, ingredient identification, food safety, kitchen equipment use, communication and safety protocols

• Introduction to Cookery Skills 2: Preparation and service of commercial food, cooking rice, pasta, presentation, roles and responsibilities

• Introduction to Cookery Skills 3: Basic hot and cold desserts, pastry, food preparation and presentation, commercial kitchen processes

• Introduction to Cookery Skills 4: Kitchen workflow, time management, cookery skills for fish and meat, hospitality security, problem-solving