Professional Cookery (7100)

You'll cover things like:

• Food safety
• Health and safety in catering
• Healthier foods
• Costs and menu planning
• Preparing and cooking different foods.

These qualifications are usually assessed by your training centre using assignments, practical tasks, exams and/or online tests.

For these qualifications you will complete practical demonstrations/synoptic exams, assignments and take a multiple choice examination.

Which Level is right for me?

Level 1
You are new to the industry and want to gain a good basic understanding of catering work, enough to succeed in a job or move on to further study.

Level 2
You have some basic skills and experience as a chef, probably from a role where you work under supervision. You want to gain a formal qualification and increase your skills so that you can take on a more senior role.

Level 3
You've worked as a chef for some time - you have plenty of experience, and you may already supervise others or manage resources. You want to develop your skills further, perhaps to work as a senior chef or restaurant manager.

To deliver these qualifications you will need suitably qualified staff to carry out training and assessment.

You will also need suitable facilities to carry out the required training to enable learners to achieve industry standards.

As a minimum, centres wishing to provide this qualification must have access to a well equipped industrial kitchen including:

Cooking facilities to enable full access to the qualification (for example ovens / ranges, grills, griddles and deep fat fryers), Worktop space (stainless steel workstations or tables), Washing facilities(hand washing, food preparation and washing up), Refrigerator space, and small and large equipment.

Centres will need to review the range of equipment requirements against each unit within the qualification. You may need to purchase additional equipment in order to offer the qualification.

Centres currently offering the Level 3 Diploma in Advanced Professional Cookery (7100-83) are automatically approved to offer Level 3 Diploma in Advanced Professional Cookery (Kitchen and Larder) (7100-84).

Centres currently offering 7100-81 will be given automatic approval for the 7100-11.
Centres currently offering 7100-82 will be given automatic approval for the 7100-12.

To find all the resource requirements for assessment and delivery, download the qualification handbook from the centre documents section.

Anyone can take this qualification, but you must make sure all your learners can access the resources they need to complete it.

The Diploma in Professional Cookery can help you find a job as a:

• Commis Chef
• Pastry Chef 
• Kitchen Assistant 
• Catering or restaurant manager

After taking the Level 1 qualification you could move on to:

• Level 2 Professional Cookery (7132)
• Level 2 Professional Cookery (7100)
• Level 2 Professional Patisserie and Confectionary (7120)

The Diploma in Professional Cookery can help you find a job as a:

• Catering or restaurant manager
• Chef

After taking the Level 2 qualification you could move on to:

• Level 3 Professional Cookery (7133)
• Level 3 Professional Cookery (7100)
• Level 3 Professional Patisserie and Confectionary (7120)

The Diploma in Professional Cookery can help you find a job as a:

• Catering or restaurant manager
• Chef.

After taking the Level 2 qualification you could move on to:

• Level 3 Professional Cookery (7133)

If you want to continue studying after completing the Level 3 qualification you might be interested in management qualifications from the ILM.