Learn Le Cordon Bleu Way

Dating back almost 130 years – yet always evolving to cater to the modern market – Le Cordon Bleu is the ultimate place to develop your culinary skills

Students from around the world travel to Le Cordon Bleu institutes to learn the traditional methods taught on the Grand Diplôme®, Diplôme de Cuisine, Diplôme de Pâtisserie, Diplôme de Boulangerie and numerous short courses.

However, it is not just classical methods taught at Le Cordon Bleu. Trends, tastes and technologies evolve all the time in the culinary world, and Le Cordon Bleu responds to the need for chefs trained to meet current industry needs by developing new, innovative programmes that provide the skillset required by the modern chef.

Plant-based

An example of this innovation is the development of two new Diplomas in Plant-Based Culinary Arts available from September 2024 at Le Cordon Bleu London. Originally launched in 2019 as a single Diploma in response to the growing demand for more and better- quality plant-based cuisine, the institute will relaunch their plant-based offering as two new diplomas dedicated to cuisine and pâtisserie respectively.

The Diplomas in Plant-Based Culinary Arts focus on crafting excellent dishes solely from plants, providing a creative repertoire of product knowledge, skills and recipes. Within the programmes, students explore a wide range of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, grains and pulses, gaining expert knowledge on ingredient varieties and innovative culinary uses. Both diplomas have been designed to provide specialised culinary education for the growing demand for vegan, vegetarian and plant-based restaurants and products.

‘The Diploma in Plant-Based Culinary Arts – Cuisine’ focuses on wholefoods with minimal processing, which are explored in relation to flavours, textures and global cuisines. ‘The Diploma in Plant-Based Culinary Arts – Pâtisserie’ teaches students the art of producing pastry, bakery, cakes, desserts, petit fours and chocolate products which are made entirely from plant-based ingredients. Both programmes will allow students to develop the required skills, techniques and competencies of culinary arts professionals, specific to plant-based ingredients, while also providing insight into innovation, culture and gastronomy.

These programmes provide the opportunity for students to gain a deeper knowledge of plant-based cuisine or pâtisserie, and the programmes can also be studied back-to-back for a complete training in the plant- based culinary arts over the course of six months.

Exploring nutrition

Le Cordon Bleu also offers other alternative paths to the traditional French or plant-based culinary arts. For those interested in nutrition and the science of food, the ‘Diploma in Gastronomy, Nutrition and Food Trends’ explores how future industry professionals can effectively respond to consumer interest in health, wellness and nutritious foods without compromising on sustainability or culinary creativity. The course integrates the principles of nutrition into culinary arts in order to create innovative, inspiring and highly nutritious meals.

‘The Diploma in Patisserie Innovation and Wellness’ is an advanced course which gives a culinary education to students and professionals who want to build knowledge and skills in advanced pâtisserie with an emphasis on recipe development, transformation and evolving classical recipes. This course focusses on how to design and create recipes which appeal to the current demands in the food sector for nutrition focused, healthier and allergen-free products.

If you want to focus on skills associated with food, yet embracing other elements, then Le Cordon Bleu London’s ‘Diploma in Wine, Gastronomy and Management’ is a professional wine course like no other. Developed by renowned wine professionals, it is a full-time wine business management course that fully prepares students to succeed in the world of wine with an operational and strategic approach to the food and drinks business. Students will gain an in-depth knowledge of wine, its integration with gastronomy and its management within a commercial environment. The course is led by Matthieu Longuere, a Master Sommelier with over 30 years of experience, including working as sommelier for five-star hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants. The course combines the theory of wine with a strong emphasis on practical learning, tasting and aims to develop your passion in wine and the culinary arts.

With its roots in Paris, and nearly 130 years of history, Le Cordon Bleu is indeed synonymous with the classic and traditional French culinary arts – but it offers a wide range of programmes beyond this which cater to different disciplines within the culinary arts and hospitality. This enables students to strive for successful careers in a wide variety of fields, including restaurant kitchens, catering, restaurant and hotel management, journalism, consulting, food service, food styling, education and beyond.

Further information – cordonbleu.edu/london/home/en