Le Cordon Bleu London to offer two new plant-based diplomas

The new diplomas in Plant-Based Culinary Arts will 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.

Chef demonstrations, practical sessions and workshops with sensory evaluation assessment and an emphasis on practical skills will form key elements of both programmes. Students will learn from Le Cordon Bleu Master Chefs and lecturers, benefiting from their years of experience including Michelin-starred restaurants and some of the best hotels in the world. The programme will also include exclusive access to specialist knowledge from guest speakers, such as lectures on Korean Temple Food with Buddhist nun and acclaimed chef, Venerable Beop Song, as part of the institute’s partnership with the Korean Cultural Centre UK.

The relaunch of these diplomas will allow students the opportunity to gain a deeper knowledge of plant-based cuisine or plant-based pâtisserie, and the programmes can also be studied back to back for a complete training in the plant-based culinary arts. These programmes are dedicated to the art and ingredients of plant-based culinary arts, paying attention to food sources originating from plants.

The last intake for the three-month joint Diploma in Plant-Based Culinary Arts will be in June 2024.