Over the last century Le Cordon Bleu has seen revolutionising change as we have evolved from a Parisian cooking school to an international network of culinary arts and hospitality institutes - including Le Cordon Bleu Dusit a joint venture established in Bangkok, Thailand. Our philosophy of achieving excellence through constant practice and refinement remains the same, even as we grow to meet the needs of the contemporary culinary and hospitality industries.
In less than one year, it is possible to obtain Le Grand Diplôme Le Cordon Bleu, which is recognised worldwide by culinary professionals; it is the international passport to a rewarding and fulfilling career. At Le Cordon Bleu, we recognise that our students need a superior, well rounded education in order to succeed in today’s competitive world and we provide them with the tools to excel in less time than most other educational institutes.
While our main focus at Le Cordon Bleu is higher education, we have taken special interest in the public realm as well. We offer many fine restaurants as well as numerous bakeries and coffee shops under the Le Cordon Bleu trademark. In addition, we have expanded our activities to include various educational media such as culinary publications, instructional videos, TV series, cooking equipment, and much more. Furthermore, Le Cordon Bleu is often requested as an advisory consultant and is asked to participate in more than 50 international events, sharing our expertise around the globe. Our privileged partnerships and articulation agreements with various governments, universities, and culinary associations have allowed us to promote French Art de Vivre worldwide.
The name Le Cordon Bleu has been used for the first time in relation to culinary excellence since the 16th century when King Henry III created one of the most important orders in France, “L’Ordre du Saint-Esprit.” Symbolising 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 Le Cordon Bleu became well recognised and celebrated.
Le Cordon Bleu, as a culinary arts school, was founded in Paris in 1895 by the journalist and publisher of La Cuisinière Cordon Bleu magazine, Marthe Distel. On January 14th, 1896 the first cooking demonstration ever to be held on an electric stove was staged at Le Cordon Bleu in an effort to promote the magazine and launch the Paris cooking school. From this point on, the international reputation of Le Cordon Bleu spread rapidly. Great chefs came to the school to teach students further contributing to the world-renowned reputation of the school. As a result, students from a variety of countries were enrolling in classes as well as notable figures including Julia Child in 1950.
Today, Le Cordon Bleu has a presence in some 20 countries, including a joint venture in Thailand named Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary school, with more than another 35 international schools attended by 20,000 students of over 100 nationalities annually. Students are taught by Le Cordon Bleu Master Chefs, of which the majority come from Michelin-starred restaurants or are winners of prestigious competitions and titles such as Meilleur Ouvrier de France. They pass on their knowledge of classic French cuisine and modern international culinary techniques to our students.
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