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The aim of the Basic Cuisine Certificate is to help students acquire the skills, abilities, attitudes and core knowledge required to master culinary techniques with a view to pursuing a range of careers in the restaurant, hospitality or foodservice sectors. This programme focuses on developing the core skills required to succeed in a professional kitchen.

Students will acquire the key culinary skills needed to achieve excellence in the culinary arts, as well as acquiring a strong theoretical grounding and learning about the organisation of a professional kitchen in compliance with hygiene and food safety standards.

The aim is to help students acquire the knowledge they need to develop key culinary skills and techniques, with a view to ultimately progressing to more complex, non-routine tasks.

Students benefit from an interactive approach to learning that draws on a variety of industry sources, while taking account of current restaurant industry trends and the sector’s links with gastronomy. The classes are designed to help students acquire the specific skills required to pursue a professional culinary career.


Programme objectives:

In addition to in-person classes and practical sessions, the student will have access to theoretical course materials and additional technical expertise videos.


Key Information
Prerequisites

4 intakes per year: January, April, July, October.

Languages: The courses are taught in French and consecutively translated into English.

Who is this certificate for?
Le Cordon Bleu Paris welcomes students from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds who are at least 18 years of age and hold a high school diploma or equivalent. No previous culinary experience is required.

Basic Cuisine Certificate details

  • Basic Cuisine Certificate programme details

    Introduction to French Cuisine:

    • French culinary terms & definitions
    • Organization, safety and hygiene in the kitchen
    • Professional knife handling and introduction to diverse cuts
    • Classic French techniques
    • Learning foundations : stocks, sauces, forcemeats & doughs
    • Storage methods

    All demonstration classes are translated into English.

    Intensive programmes have the same curriculum as the full length programmes. Since these programmes are accelerated, students can only take one discipline at a time: cuisine or pâtisserie. Scheduling is up to 6 days a week and 6-12 hours of courses daily.

    In addition to onsite and practical courses, 8 videos per certificate are made available throughout the term for the student, i.e. 20 hours of digital pedagogy, integrated and available on the educational interface. The student will also benefit from theoretical course materials and videos of additional technical expertises.

  • Teaching and assessment methods

    Teaching methods
    A multidisciplinary approach is used throughout the programme, and all of the modules leverage interactive teaching methods.  

    The Basic Cuisine Certificate programme includes:

    • Theoretical learning;
    • Practical application;
    • Development of the ability to work autonomously and responsibly.

    Teaching methods include: 

    • Online and face-to-face theory classes taught by Le Cordon Bleu Paris Instructors.
    • Demonstrations led by Le Cordon Bleu Chefs to help students acquire practical methods.
    • Online talks or demonstrations by Le Cordon Bleu Chef Instructors and guest instructors from around the world.
    • An educational trip to a Parisian market.
    • A tour of the urban kitchen garden followed by a talk.
    •  Ongoing support from the Chef Instructors when completing and assessing work.

    The programme is centred around active student participation, both in real-life situations and simulated environments, notably to cultivate a responsible work ethic.

     

    Assessment methods

    Students are assessed based on the Learning Outcomes set for each module and on the programme’s cross-disciplinary Learning Outcomes. Students will be required to understand and apply what they learn in order to successfully complete the programme.

    An individual performance review is held midway through the programme to help students progress with their learning. The aim of this review is to pinpoint any difficulties and to assess the student’s current level of performance in relation to the work required and the knowledge and practical skills acquired. Various methods of assessment may be used, including:

    Written assessments: Examinations where students are asked to give written answers to multiple choice questions, true/false questions, short-answer questions, long-answer questions or a combination of any of the above.

    Practical assessments:

    • Continuous assessment of progress: continuous assessment of work completed during practical lessons. The final grade is based on the cumulative grades awarded throughout the programme.
    •  Final practical exam: examination during which a series of tasks must be completed under supervision. Each student’s performance is evaluated against formal assessment goals, and a standardised grading scale is used to determine the operational skill level attained.

    Students will be required to understand and apply what they learn in order to successfully complete the programme. Regular attendance is therefore a prerequisite for success.

     

  • Duration and Tuition fees

    Possible formats:

    • Standard Format: 12 weeks, with approximately 18 hours per week, including around 9 hours of practical sessions.
    • Intensive Format: 6 weeks, with approximately 36 hours per week.

    Tuition: €13,500 (standard or intensive) Tuition includes application fee (€500), course content, uniform, equipment including Zwilling® knife kit, and activities (lectures, guest chef demonstrations, career day, educational tours, cocktail party)

     

  • Apply for the Cuisine Diploma

Term Dates & Prices

Select a date
2025
Mar 31, 2025 - May 9, 2025 ( Intensive )
13,500.00€
Mar 31, 2025 - Jun 20, 2025 ( Standard )
13,500.00€
Jun 30, 2025 - Aug 8, 2025 ( Intensive )
13,500.00€
Jun 30, 2025 - Sep 19, 2025 ( Standard )
13,500.00€
Sep 29, 2025 - Nov 7, 2025 ( Intensive )
13,500.00€
Sep 29, 2025 - Dec 19, 2025 ( Standard )
13,500.00€
2026
Jan 5, 2026 - Feb 13, 2026 ( Intensive )
13,500.00€
Jan 5, 2026 - Mar 27, 2026 ( Standard )
13,500.00€
Apr 6, 2026 - May 15, 2026 ( Intensive )
13,500.00€
Apr 6, 2026 - Jun 26, 2026 ( Standard )
13,500.00€
Jul 6, 2026 - Aug 14, 2026 ( Intensive )
13,500.00€
Jul 6, 2026 - Sep 25, 2026 ( Standard )
13,500.00€
Oct 5, 2026 - Nov 13, 2026 ( Intensive )
13,500.00€
Oct 5, 2026 - Dec 18, 2026 ( Standard )
13,500.00€
2027
Jan 5, 2027 - Feb 12, 2027 ( Intensive )
13,500.00€
Jan 5, 2027 - Mar 19, 2027 ( Standard )
13,500.00€
Mar 30, 2027 - May 7, 2027 ( Intensive )
13,500.00€
Mar 30, 2027 - Jun 18, 2027 ( Standard )
13,500.00€
Jun 28, 2027 - Aug 6, 2027 ( Intensive )
13,500.00€
Jun 28, 2027 - Sep 17, 2027 ( Standard )
13,500.00€
Sep 27, 2027 - Nov 5, 2027 ( Intensive )
13,500.00€
Sep 27, 2027 - Dec 17, 2027 ( Standard )
13,500.00€
Last page update in February 2025
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