Frequently Asked Questions

In the 16^th century, King Henry III created one of the most important orders in France, “L’Ordre du Saint-Esprit.” Symbolizing this order was the cross of the Holy Spirit which hung on a blue ribbon or un cordon bleu. Due to the prestigious nature of this Order and the decadent feasts accompanying their ceremonies, the name Cordon Bleu became well recognized and celebrated.

“Cordon Bleu” has been associated with excellence in culinary education since the founding of the first Le Cordon Bleu school in Paris in 1895.

Only diplomas studied at a Le Cordon Bleu school or partner institution are recognised Le Cordon Bleu Diplomas.

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our team.

No. Only diplomas awarded by Le Cordon Bleu schools or partner institutions are official Le Cordon Bleu diplomas.

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our team.

No. All classes at Le Cordon Bleu London are held in English, so it is really important that you have a good command of written and spoken English. Please check the English proficiency level required for students on a visa. More information on visas can be found at UK Visas and Immigration website.

Yes, certainly. We have dedicated staff who will show you around our school, explain our teaching method and answer all your questions. Please click on "Book a Tour" for more information.

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our team.

Some students do a limited amount of work while taking their course. There are no classes scheduled on Sundays and it may be possible to arrange a regular shift to gain experience or earn some extra income. In addition, there will be some time between terms for students to take on more extended hours.

During the week (Monday-Saturday) in term time we discourage students from taking part-time work due to the demands of the courses. Students may not have a regular weekly schedule which makes part-time work challenging to fit in. Students should be careful not to let their work commitment interfere with their studies in the School.

Students taking intensive courses or the Grand Diplôme^® will find it hard to work as they will be heavily committed to lessons in their weekly class schedule.

Alternatively, students may also decide to take their Diploma Courses as "À La Carte" certificate modules and work for a few months after each level.
For example, take Basic Cuisine and then work for three months before taking Intermediate Cuisine, and so on for the Superior level. In this case, you will not be eligible for the Diploma course's discount.

Please note: Students on a student visa are only permitted to work for up to a total of 10 hours per week. Visit the Home Office website for the latest information on visas.

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our team.

We welcome every term a broad range of international people from a wide variety of background.

The average age is 25-35 but we get many older students - a recent Grand Diplôme^® graduate was 65 years old. We welcome recent college graduates, career-changers, professional chefs... Our students study the course for professional reasons, or for "recreational" reasons.

But they all share the same passion for the culinary arts!

Many students continue to Diploma in Culinary Management after Grand Diplôme^®, cuisine or pâtisserie diplomas.
Students come from a wide variety of backgrounds or countries but all with a common desire to work within or open their own food business.

Diploma in Wine, Gastronomy and Management students share the same passion for culinary arts and wine. They study the course either to later start their own business and know how to manage their drinks operation or to pursue their career in the hospitality/tourism industry and become an accomplished wine and food professional.

Students who choose to study our Diploma in Gastronomy, Nutrition and Food Trends are interested in gaining an in-depth knowledge of nutrition and health when applied to culinary arts.

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our team.

Absolutely not! Le Cordon Bleu encourages students to follow both Cuisine and Pâtisserie courses. We work on our scheduling so that students are able to combine both courses at every level!
Often, a Cuisine student will decide to take a Pâtisserie course after completing their Cuisine study programme, and vice versa.

We can help you choose your course, please do not hesitate to contact us and discuss with a member of our team.

We recommend the Grand Diplôme^® for comprehensive training in Cuisine and Pâtisserie.

If you prefer to specialise in just one discipline, choose the Diplôme de Cuisine or the Diplôme de Pâtisserie.

Our Grand Diplôme^®, Diplôme de Cuisine and Diplôme de Pâtisserie can be followed by the Diploma in Culinary Management, covering advanced cooking techniques, and supported with a diverse range of management skills required within the food business world.

Le Cordon Bleu London created a suite of integrated programmes comprising Le Cordon Bleu culinary arts diplomas with culinary management. Each programme can either be studied in 12 months or in 15 months. In the latter, students would undertake a 3-month internship

If you are interested in applying for one of our 12-month or 15-month diplomas, please visit our Culinary Arts & Business page for a full list of available courses.

We can help you choose your course, please do not hesitate to contact us and discuss with a member of our team.

Simply apply for one of the Basic level certificate courses. It will give you an excellent grounding in Cuisine or Pâtisserie and based on availability, you can always continue the next levels at some future time.
Please note that in this case you will not be eligible for the Diploma course discounts.

This "À La Carte" option also gives students the opportunity to experience Le Cordon Bleu’s courses and life in London, in order to enable them to decide if taking further courses is what they want to do.

If you come on a visa, please make sure that your visa would allow you to study "À La Carte": www.gov.uk.

We can help you choose your course, please do not hesitate to contact us and discuss with a member of our team.

The course fee includes all tuition and ingredients, your uniform and equipment. Some courses require additional small equipment to be purchased e.g. safety shoes. A list of these will be provided with the offer letter.

The intensive diplomas are designed to include a complete diploma course within a six month period. They offer the same progressive classical foundation, with the Basic and Intermediate levels completed within the first three-month term. The Superior level is then completed through a further three months of study.

It is not possible to study intensive diplomas in Cuisine and Pâtisserie at the same time. However, you can still receive the Grand Diplôme^® by taking both the diplomas separately.

Students need to attend their demonstration and practical sessions to ensure they derive maximum learning exposure.

If a student has more than

• 4 absences in a pâtisserie certificate course,
• 5 absences in a cuisine certificate course,
• 5 absences in a Diploma in Culinary Management course,
• 5 absences in a Diploma in Gastronomy, Nutrition and Food Trends course,
• 6 absences in a Diploma in Wine, Gastronomy and Management course,
• 2 absences in a module of the Diplôme de Boulangerie,

that student will be required to re-enrol in that course in a subsequent term.

Students missing a demonstration class will not be allowed in the corresponding practical class and will be scored 2 absences. Workshop classes are considered as a double period and will be recorded as 2 absences if not attended.
Students who are more than 15 minutes late for a scheduled class will not be admitted into that class. In the event a student is frequently late, the Teaching Chef may refuse entry to classes.

Our teaching method for Classic Cycle courses comprises of demonstrations followed by practical sessions.
As a guide, a typical* weekly class schedule is composed of the following sessions:

• Grand Diplôme^® courses are approximately 34 hours per week
• Cuisine: 3 demonstrations, 3 practical sessions – 18 hours
• Pâtisserie: 2 demonstrations, 2 practical classes, 1 technical/theory demonstration – 15 hours
• Intensive diploma courses are approximately 30 to 40  hours per week
• Diploma in Culinary Management: approximatively 20 hours per week (typically* between 8am and 2.30pm) - Excursions and industry visits sometimes go outside of this
• Diploma in Wine, Gastronomy and Management: approximatively 22 hours per week with excursions and industry visits
• Diplôme de Boulangerie: approximatively 6 hours per week
• Diploma in Gastronomy, Nutrition and Food Trends: approximately 20 hours per week
• Culinary Industry Management (BBA): please refer to the course structure.

Course work is usually completed within 10 or 11 weeks although examinations and the awards ceremony may be held subsequently.

Demonstrations, Practical Classes, Technical/Theory Demonstrations are scheduled Monday to Friday and also on Saturdays at the following times: 8:00am, 11:30am, 3:00pm and 6:30pm.

*Typical schedules are given as a general guide only. The schedules and specific classes can and do alter each week.

If you have further questions about scheduling, please do not hesitate to contact our team.

Students are marked for each practical session they attend on standard criteria such as Culinary presentation, Culinary technique, Hygiene, Organisation, and Teamwork.

There is a final practical examination at the end of term for which it is compulsory to gain a pass.

For Diploma in Culinary Management and Diploma in Gastronomy Nutrition and Food Trends students take an additional examination for Food Hygiene Level 3 and are required to submit a final portfolio.

For Diploma in Wine, Gastronomy and Management students also take a level 2 Award for Personal Licence Holder.

The BBA Culinary Industry Management undergraduate degree consists of modular assessments which is a combination of coursework, written examinations, practical observations which are taken at the end of each term. Students will be provided with a detailed assessment criteria for each module.

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our team.

At Basic level students are scheduled to attend the Level two Award in Food Safety in Catering.
This course is awarded by the Royal Society of Public Health and gives a thorough grounding in Food Hygiene. It is essential for those working in the food industry and of a general interest. This one-day course concludes with an examination, the successful completion of which leads to the award of the appropriate certificate.

The course is usually scheduled on the first or second day of term before students start working in the practical kitchens.

• Grand Diplôme
• Diplôme de Cuisine
• Diplôme de Pâtisserie
• Diploma in Wine, Gastronomy and Management

We require that students are over 18 and have completed secondary education. We also require that all students are competent in the English Language.

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our team.

In order to apply for the course, you need to be 18 years old or over when the course starts.

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our team.

The Jury aims to decide on each application within five working days from receipt of an Application (comprising Application Form, CV, Letter of Motivation, copy of passport, passport size photos, uniform size chart and non-refundable application fee). Applications received incomplete take longer to approve while missing information is sought. For more information, please visit our Application Procedure page.

The earlier you apply for a course the greater is the possibility of enrolling on the course of your choice and at the time you prefer.

A confirmed place will only be given when final payment is cleared – we strongly suggest that you pay your outstanding balance at least ten weeks before the course begins to save disappointment.

When a course is full, applicants will be placed on a waiting list and will be contacted if/when a student on a course cancels or defers. Such contacts will be strictly on a first come first served basis. If a place on a chosen course does not become available, applicants on waiting list will be offered that course at the next term.

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our team.

We need to be sure that all our students are competent in the English Language. We accept the following as evidence of this:

• English language certificate equivalent to CEFR level B2 or
• Academic transcript of a completed course taught in English or
• Employment history in an English language environment or
• Oxford English placement test (provided by Le Cordon Bleu) with telephone interview

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our team.

Le Cordon Bleu can provide an online placement test from Cambridge English and a telephone interview. There is an administration fee for this service. This is not suitable for students who require a visa – see the visas section below.

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our team.

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• the Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Canada
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Ireland
• Jamaica
• New Zealand
• Malta
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago
• UK
• USA

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• the Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Canada
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Ireland
• Jamaica
• New Zealand
• Malta
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago
• UK
• USA

If you require a Student Route visa, please provide an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) for UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) test report result with 5.0 or above in all components (you can choose either the Academic or General module) or a PTE Pearson Academic UKVI test report result with 43 or above in all components.
Other prospective students, who do not require a Student Route visa, should provide the school with one of the following:

• English language certificate equivalent to CEFR level B2
• Academic transcript of a completed course taught in English
• Employment history in an English language environment
• Oxford English placement test (provided by Le Cordon Bleu) with telephone interview

For courses over six months, you require a Student Route visa, and for courses of six months or less you require a Standard Visitor visa. For full information, please visit the Home Office website.

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our team.

We can only issue a CAS after the application process has been completed:

1. The application form with supporting documentation is received by Le Cordon Bleu
2. We will send you an “Approval by Admissions Jury” email
3. We collect your application fee if it has not already been paid
4. We will send you a Letter of Offer by email
5. You can accept the offer by clicking a button on the third page of the Letter of Offer
6. Once the full payment has been received (international transfers can take several days), we will send you a Confirmation of Enrolment letter
7. You provide us with a copy of your bank statement showing your maintenance funds (required for your Student Route visa application) and a copy of your TB certificate (if applicable) and confirm that you have all the necessary documents needed for your Student Route visa application. All document copies which are not in English must be professionally translated.
8. We send you a provisional CAS. You check and confirm that all the information is correct.
9. Once we receive your confirmation to step 8, we will assign your enrolment with the Home Office and email a CAS statement to you.

International students who have previously studied a Bachelor or Master Degree in the UK and are applying for a course over 6 months will need to provide additional documentation relating to their previous UK studies.
These include:

• Any current or previously held Biometric Residence Permits (front and back)
• Any current or previously held Student Route Visas
• Any current or previous Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) Statements

In addition, applicants should ensure their CV is fully updated with all information relating to their previous UK studies including dates of study, qualification and level achieved.

Application fee: our recommended payment methods is credit card or debit card. (Amex is not acceptable).

Balance fee: our recommended and preferred payment method is by secure bank transfer via Flywire, who we have partnered with to provide you with an easy and secure method of sending international payments via telegraphic transfer or credit card in your home currency, ensuring best price guaranteed and no unexpected bank fees. You can find out more about making payments with Flywire in this video. To make a payment, click on flywire.com/pay/lcblondon.

We also accept bank transfer direct to the institute.

The course fee must be paid in full at least six weeks before the start of term.

Grand Diplôme^® and Diplomas applications are regarded as one course. Therefore all levels of course fees must be paid in full at least six weeks before the start of first level term.

If students opt for the "À La Carte" application (each level of course taken individually), then the course fee is due six weeks before the start of each level. Please make sure that your visa allows you to apply "À la Carte" by visiting www.gov.uk.

Students who complete all levels successfully will receive the relevant diplomas whichever method of application is used.

Discounts are available when enrolling for a diploma programme rather than “À La Carte" option.

Please note: to take advantage of those discounts, each level must be taken in succession without deferments.

The prices shown in our course price list already include these discounts.

Le Cordon Bleu strongly suggests that you take advice from a qualified financial advisor as to the appropriate insurance cover to safeguard against any possible loss of deposit/fees through being unable to attend the course.

This is an especially important issue as students may fail the course on attendance and would be required to re-enrol and repay in this instance.

Unfortunately, now that the Professional & Career Development Loan scheme has been discontinued, there are currently no loans of this type available to help finance studies at the institute.

Le Cordon Bleu has a list of hotels, estate agents and students housing, that can be sent to you upon request. Additionally, students with a spare room in their flat will advertise it in the school.

Students newly arrived in London often stay in a local hotel while they find permanent accommodation.

It is difficult to find a large flat at a low price in Central London, but anyone who is realistic about space and location will find the right place at a reasonable cost.

For more information, please visit our Accommodation page.

In addition to housing costs, a monthly tube pass costs approximately £136 (please check www.tfl.gov.uk for latest updates on the fees). Discounts on transports will be available to certain students. Personal expenses vary greatly: £250 for food and incidentals is the estimated minimum.

Our Tuition Fees include all costs** associated with taking a course at Le Cordon Bleu, including your uniforms, equipment*, ingredients and graduation ceremonies at the end of each certificate.

*Students only have to buy a pair of stout non-slip shoes and weighing scales

**Excluding University partnered programmes such as Culinary Industry Management BBA