Level 1 Professional Cookery Course in Kendal

Cost£1,250.00
Duration35 weeks
LevelLevel 1
DeliveryClassroom based
Start1 Sep 2026
Study modeFull-time
AttendanceDaytime
Awarding bodyCity & Guilds awarding body

About this course

Level 1 Professional Cookery Course in Kendal. Classes run at Kendal College, full-time during the day. You'll study three days a week across different settings: a training kitchen, a college café, and a working restaurant. This gives you hands-on experience in a busy hospitality environment over 35 weeks. You'll work with real clients, including local industry guests, and develop practical cooking and service skills. Entry requires Maths and English at Entry Level 3 or GCSE Level 1 or above, and an interview is part of the process.

Who this course is for

This course runs over three days a week. You would spend one day in the restaurant, one day in the cafe and 1 day in a training kitchen, thus gaining experience in lots of different settings. The course all falls within the main college day 9am-5pm.

This course gives students a realistic experience of working in a busy hospitality environment and with high end clients. For example, in the morning you could be serving breakfast to the Lake District Hotel Association, followed by lunch in the college restaurant and then setting up a buffet and canapes at the Town Hall. The department caters for many prestigious community events throughout the year, such dinners for the Mayor and for the Cumbria Life Food and Drink Awards.

Students are given the opportunity to participate in many enrichment events over the year. Students will visit local hotels to gain an insight into how these businesses operate and will be given the opportunity to travel abroad e.g. last year students visited Berlin and this year they are heading to Amsterdam. As well as trips and visits, students will take part in internal, local and national competitions.

The Hospitality department also recruits a Culinary Team who are employed by the college to support additional corporate events, with the money raised going into an end of year foreign experience. Students in previous years have visited top restaurants and hotels in Chicago, Dubai, Toronto, China, Japan and this year will be flying to Italy.

The department runs parents evenings during the year and an End of Year Prize Giving Ceremony. The department also invites five guest chefs into college to give students specific skill demonstrations.

All of our learners will be given support with their English and Maths skills where relevant to their main programme. Those students who have not yet achieved a 'C' grade at GCSE in these subjects will continue to work towards these important qualifications at a level suited to them.

Your studies will be

Entry requirements

You need to demonstrate that you are working at Entry Level 3/GCSE Level 1 (or above) in Maths and English. An interview will be required, and initial assessments/transition visits may form part of the offer process.

If you have taken an alternative educational route and wish to discuss entry to this programme, please contact the college to discuss your individual circumstances.

What you will learn

  • You'll prepare and cook dishes to professional kitchen standards.
  • You'll develop knife skills and food preparation techniques.
  • You'll learn how to work safely and hygienically in a catering environment.
  • You'll practise front-of-house skills, including serving customers in a café and restaurant setting.
  • You'll understand how a professional kitchen operates during a live service.
  • You'll build experience across multiple hospitality settings, from training kitchens to client-facing dining.

How you will learn

You'll learn through practical sessions in a training kitchen, a college café, and a restaurant, spending one day in each setting each week. Assessment is hands-on, based on your performance during live service and practical tasks. You'll be observed working in real hospitality environments throughout the course, with your skills assessed against City and Guilds standards.

What you will need to bring

The centre will provide most materials. Kendal College will confirm anything else you need before you start.

Where next

Jobs you could do

  • Chef de partie: works a specific section in a professional kitchen.
  • Kitchen assistant: supports chefs during food preparation and service.
  • Commis chef: entry-level cooking role in hotels, restaurants, and cafés.
  • Café assistant: prepares and serves food in a café environment.
  • Catering assistant: supports food production in schools, hospitals, or events.
  • Kitchen porter: keeps the kitchen running during busy service periods.

What you could study next

  • Level 2 Diploma in Professional Cookery (City and Guilds): the natural next step, covering a wider range of cooking techniques and kitchen roles.
  • Level 2 Food Safety in Catering Award: a short qualification many employers ask for before you start kitchen work.
  • Level 3 Diploma in Professional Cookery: for those aiming toward senior chef or kitchen management roles.