Faster and cheaper diploma for budding bakers and foodies

The advanced diploma in artisan baking, which previously lasted for a full academic year, has been restructured to run in more intense, full-time study periods of six months.

Fees have also been reduced to £13,900, which the school feels will enable more people to get a taste for practical baking skills and grab a slice of the growing market for artisan food.

The school’s managing director, Julie Byrne, said: “We attract everyone from young people with huge talent in the kitchen, but little business experience, to those wanting to turn their passion for baking into a new career.

“Baking for somebody else or starting up your own food business can be tremendously rewarding, so we aim to make sure our students have the practical skills and business acumen to be a success.”

Students gain a detailed, hands-on understanding of how to bake iconic British, European and international dishes, as well as contemporary breads and pastries, in state-of-the-art kitchens.

THEY say the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and that is literally the case at The School Of Artisan Food, where the large number of baking graduates who have gone on to open their own businesses, or slot into the teams of others, speaks for itself.

For the advanced diploma, students receive 25 hours of direct tuition per week from industry experts and guest lecturers. They also undertake a work placement and receive assessments.

The school, which is a not-for-profit organisation and a registered charity, runs dozens of short courses too to teach practical food skills, and stages open days.