Subject focus: Courses in cookery and patisserie in Australia and New Zealand

Do you see yourself as the next Jamie Oliver or Heston Blumenthal? Are you looking to open your own boutique café, or dream of running a Michelin 3 star restaurant kitchen in New York or Paris? Being a chef is a fast-paced and rewarding career that will allow you to put your creative talents to use in serving fine cuisine. If you have the passion to reach the heights of the culinary profession, consider a qualification in commercial cookery.

Australian Professional Skills Institute offers commercial cookery courses to give you the skills to manage a successful food and beverage operation. At Australian Professional Skills Institute, you will learn not only how to prepare and present the finest food, but also how to develop your hospitality business acumen, in order to attract and retain customers.

With its mix of theory and hands-on practical training, a commercial cookery qualification from Australian Professional Skills Institute will provide you with the practical skills and knowledge needed to plan, organise, prepare and cook food and run a profitable commercial kitchen as a qualified chef.

Australian Professional Skills Institute offers the following commercial cookery courses:

Certificate III in Commercial Cookery

A 1-year training course consisting of a 30-week face-to-face theory program followed by 10 weeks of practical training in a commercial kitchen.

This qualification will give you the basic skills and knowledge required to operate as a qualified cook in Australia.

Total tuition fees: approx. A$11,000

Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery

This 1.5-year course is designed for students who have completed the Certificate III in Commercial Cookery and are looking to advance their career in a supervisory or team leading role in the kitchen.

At the end of this course, students will be able to operate independently or with limited guidance from others and use discretion to solve non-routine problems in a commercial kitchen.

Total tuition fees: approx. A$16,000

Diploma of Hospitality (Commercial Cookery Stream)

This qualification is suitable for students who have completed both the Certificate III and Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery and are looking to advance their knowledge and skills in hospitality operations.

Students will learn to operate independently, have responsibility for others and make a range of operational business decisions.

This qualification will give you the supervisory skills and knowledge required to operate as a qualified chef in Australia.

Total tuition fees: approx. A$5,500

Advanced Diploma of Hospitality (Commercial Cookery Stream)

This qualification is aimed at students who have completed the Diploma of Hospitality and have gained a substantial work experience in hospitality operations.

Students will be able to develop senior level skills in a range of specialised managerial areas and learn how to make strategic business decisions.

Total tuition fees: approx. A$11,000

Career Opportunities

With the growth of sophistication in Perth’s fine dining and restaurant scene, there is strong demand for qualified chefs to work in Australia.  Commercial Cookery qualifications are very transportable and in conjunction with the right work experience, you can find employment almost anywhere in the world.

The Advanced Diploma of Hospitality (commercial cookery) is a programme that incorporates the Certificate III in Commercial Cookery and the Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery.  The Advanced Diploma programme is just two years long, and you will graduate with all the skills that you need to enter a career in the hospitality industry.

Studying the commercial cookery stream, you will learn all the skills you need to cook and prepare food as well as a wide range of skills for the management of a commercial kitchen or hospitality business.

Areas of study include: Producing dishes using basic methods of cookery; producing appetisers and salads; producing stocks, sauces and soups; preparing food to meet special dietary requirements; producing cakes, pastries and breads; planning and costing menus; safe food handling practices; managing diversity in the workplace; managing finances; managing operational plans; develop and implement a business plan; lead and manage people; establish and conduct business relationships; establish and maintain a work health and safety system.

Students can also choose to study the Advanced Diploma of Hospitality specialising in hospitality or patisserie.

For a full list of all the subjects you will cover during the Advanced Diploma of Hospitality (commercial cookery), please contact a Study Options advisor.

Industrial Placement

Within the Certificate III and IV in Commercial Cookery, students will undertake 20 hours of work/industry placement for 20 weeks.  Students learn in professionally equipped kitchens with industry trained and experienced staff. This is a substantial work placement from which, students will graduate with practical, employment ready skills.

Career Opportunities

After completing the Advanced Diploma, there are many career opportunities open to you, in Australia and around the world. Graduates of the diploma have gone on to work in roles such as: Banquet or function manager; chef de cuisine; chef patissier; executive housekeeper; front office manager; gaming manager; kitchen manager; motel manager; restaurant manager; sous chef; unit manager (catering operations).

University pathways

TAFE SA also offers university pathways in conjunction with the University of Adelaide. The Advanced Diploma of Hospitality can be packaged with the Bachelor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship giving you guaranteed entry into a Group of Eight university. Packaged university offers also allow students to apply for a single visa for the whole duration of their study programme under the Streamlined Visa Processing arrangements.

Programme Details

Duration: 2 years

Start date: Semester 1 (January) or Semester 2 (July)

2016 tuition fees for the total package (certificate III, IV and advanced diploma): A$31,355 (commercial cookery stream)

Find out more about TAFE SA here.

A career in cookery could take you all over the world with opportunities existing in cafes, catering companies and restaurants globally. The possibilities are endless, cookery is the essence of the hospitality industry, and is an incredibly creative and rewarding occupation.

Develop the fundamental skills and knowledge required in professional cooking and kitchen management using our state of the art facilities and leading chef trainers. Your career starts here and will take you as far as your passion and experience will take you.

William Angliss Institute is Victoria’s leading provider of cookery training. The Institute’s students are tomorrow’s leading cookery professionals, with courses designed to give students the very best preparation for a career as a professional chef.  You’ll develop the fundamental skills and knowledge required in professional cooking and kitchen management using state of the art facilities. We offer a range of certificates and diplomas in cookery, patisserie and hospitality.

All the courses listed below are available in both our Melbourne and Sydney campuses and can be packaged together if you want to study up to a higher-level qualification – packages can usually be completed in a shorter amount of time. Contact Study Options to find out about packaging options. All courses are available to start in Semester 1 (February) and Semester 2 (July).

Certificate III in Commercial Cookery

This Certificate III programme will give students a solid grounding in the cookery skills that you need to work in a commercial kitchen.  Subject areas include: Basic methods of cookery; appetisers and salads, stocks, sauces and soups; vegetables, fruit, egg and farinaceous dishes; preparing and cooking meat, poultry and seafood; cakes, pastries and breads; desserts; customer relations and hospitality knowledge; health and safety, security and workplace hygiene, buffets, cost effective menus, menus for special dietary and cultural needs.

Duration: 1 year

Tuition fees (full course, 2016): A$16,400

Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery

Students can move on to the Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery to learn more skills in kitchen and team management. Subject areas include: Cook-chill and cook freeze foods; gateaux, tortes and cakes; chocolate confectionary; kitchen management; team management; finance management; lead and manage people; coordinate cooking operations; quality control; stock control.

Duration: 1.5 years

Tuition fees (full course, 2016): A$24,600

Certificate III in Patisserie

Indulge your passion for the sweet life with the delicious art of the patissier or pastry chef.  Subject areas include: Cakes, pastries, yeast based bakery products; cookery skills; prepare and serve espresso coffee; pastries; petits fours; gateaux, tortes and cakes; desserts; handle and serve cheese; safe food handling practices.

Duration: 1 year

Tuition fees (full course, 2016): A$16,400

Certificate IV in Patisserie

Develop your patisserie skills further with the Certificate IV qualification. Subject areas include: Cake and cookie decorating; chocolate confectionary; sugar and chocolate decorative work; sweets buffets and showpieces; coordinate cooking operations; managing finances; food and beverage.

Duration: 1.5 years

Tuition fees (full course, 2016): A$24,600

Diploma of Hospitality

On completion of the certificate programmes in Patisserie you may extend your studies into the Diploma and Advanced Diploma of Hospitality to broaden your understanding of hospitality and prepare for management roles within the industry.  Subject areas include: Business operations; hospitality budgeting; workplace diversity; legal knowledge for business; rostering; service quality.

Duration: 2 years

Tuition fees (full course, 2016): A$14,600

Advance Diploma of Hospitality

This qualification builds on the skills and knowledge from the Diploma of Hospitality to further develop your understanding in the areas of: business planning, financial operations, managing human resources, marketing strategies and property management. Subject areas include: Business planning; financial operations; human resources management; marketing strategies ; asset management.

Duration: 2.5 years

Tuition fees (full course, 2016): A$21,900

Find out more about William Angliss Institute here or contact Study Options.

Cookery is the art of preparing and cooking food, and it’s definitely an art! If you love food and want to turn your hobby into a career – study cookery at NZMA.

Qualified cooks and chefs are in hot demand. They’re even on the New Zealand government’s skills shortage list.

You’ll develop practical skills through hands-on learning in our commercial kitchens – they’re just like the ones you’ll work in, which means you join the workforce ready to go.

Employment is a big focus at NZMA. Students gain relevant industry experience in our authentic training environments and we have a dedicated employment team, NZMA Careers, to support them into employment. This team makes sure our students graduate work ready, and helps them find part-time work, internships and full-time employment.

National Certificate in Hospitality (Cookery) (Level 4)

Graduates of the Level 4 Certificate will have the skills needed to work in a commercial kitchen or restaurant. The big focus of this programme is on practical cooking skills – 90% of Level 4 is made up of practical cooking units. Course content includes prepping and cooking dishes, food safety and service sector cookery.

Programme details

Duration: 1 year

2016 fees: NZ$19,200

2016 starting dates: 22 Feb, 28 Mar, 9 May, 13 Jun, 5 Jul, 29 Aug, 10 Oct, 14 Nov

Diploma in Professional Cookery (Level 5)

Students will gain the expertise required as a chef in the hospitality industry. This programme produces graduates who are proficient in advanced cookery skills, as well as allied administrative and kitchen management skills. You can specialise in either patisserie or gastronomy and gain invaluable work experience during your full-time 600 hour paid internship. 

Programme details

Duration: 2 years

2016 fees: NZ$32,960

2016 starting dates: 22 Feb, 28 Mar, 9 May, 13 Jun, 5 Jul, 29 Aug, 10 Oct, 14 Nov

Predrag Jovanovic studied hospitality at NZMA, read about his experience here.

Find out more about NZMA here or contact Study Options.