Certificate in Food Prep and Cooking – Level 1

Required qualifications

You will need 4 GCSEs grade 2-3 or above including maths and English.

What skills will I develop?

Whilst studying food prep and cooking you cook food whilst working in our fully functioning on site restaurant. You will be given the training and cooking skills needed by your tutor in practical skills lessons. These skills are then put into practice and you will be assessed by being observed by your tutor.

You’ll gain the skills to work in a kitchen – from storing food hygienically to cooking simple dishes. You could go on to work in any professional kitchen, perhaps in a hotel, restaurant or school.

Whilst studying this course you will gain valuable employability skills that you will carry on through when eventually you leave college for the world of work. These skills include Teamwork and leadership, time management and effective communication.

You will study the following units:

• Maintain a safe, hygienic and secure working environment
• Work effectively as part of a hospitality team
• Maintain food safety when storing, preparing and cooking food
• Prepare vegetables
• Cook vegetables
• Prepare and cook meat and poultry
• Prepare and cook eggs
• Cook and finish simple bread and dough products

Careers

After completion of this course you can go on to study:

• L2 Certificate in Food Preparation and Cooking
• Commis Chef Apprenticeship
• Hospitality Team Member Apprenticeship

You may want to find employment and not study further. If this is the case you could consider jobs in:

• Chain and Hotel Restaurants
• Pubs
• Cruise Ships
• Armed Forces
• Schools
• NHS
• Private Chef
• Events or location catering/weddings

This gives you the opportunity to work your way up the ladder to supervisor or manager positions.

Salary – You can earn on average between £13,000 and £50,000 a year as a chef in the UK.

Your starting salary can vary because of factors like level of experience, training, location or the size of the company. Your salary as a chef will increase over time as you build your skills, knowledge and experience.

Work experience

During your studies you are expected to undergo a minimum of 30 hours work experience in the industry. You are required to secure a work placement in an establishment where you can put your skills into practice and learn new skills from the employer.

English and maths

If you have not already achieved English and maths at grade 4-5 you will continue to study the subjects and be able to improve on your existing grades.

You will be timetabled for 3 hours of both English and maths a week which is a compulsory part of your career development.

A good understanding of English and maths is necessary when preparing and cooking food to enable you to complete your dishes accurately and work to industry standards.