A new, ‘Advanced Diploma in Artisan Baking’ has been launched by The School of Artisan Food to make it faster and more affordable for budding bakers and food entrepreneurs to take a slice of the growing market for artisan food.
Launching in October 2018, the new Advanced Diploma, which previously lasted for a full academic year, has been restructured to run twice a year in more intense, full-time study periods of six months.
Fees have been reduced to £13,900, making the Advanced Diploma more accessible and affordable while retaining the same academic rigour and practical baking skills – it will remain the only FDQ-approved Diploma in Baking in the UK, which is equivalent to Foundation Degree level.
Based on the Welbeck Estate between Nottingham and Sheffield, The School of Artisan Food has introduced the new course structure to reflect demand. Prospective students, particularly career changers and students with families, were keen to complete the Advanced Diploma and enter the artisan food sector of the £112bn UK food industry as soon as possible.
“The School attracts 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 completely new career. Baking for somebody else or starting up your own artisan food business can be tremendously rewarding and we aim to make sure our students have both the practical skills and business acumen to be a success,” says Managing Director Julie Byrne.
Students gain a detailed, hands-on understanding of how to bake iconic British, European and International products as well as contemporary breads and pastries in state-of-the-art kitchens and baking facilities. Taught in small class sizes, students receive over 25 hours direct tuition per week by industry experts including Wayne Caddy, Mickael Jahan and Graham Dunton, as well as a range of guest lecturers and artisan producers.
To gain a thorough overview of baking production each student undertakes a work placement and is assessed on a module called ‘Creating an Artisan Business’ led by the School’s Head of Business and Enterprise Yvonne O’Donovan. Every graduate who has started their own food business in the past decade since The School of Artisan Food was set up, is still running their business.
Chris Young, Real Bread Campaign: “I’m not going to say ‘the proof of the pudding…’ Oh, I just did. The length of the list of Advanced Diploma in Artisan Baking graduates who have gone on to open their own, fantastic baking businesses, or slot right into the teams at others, speaks for itself. It really is one of the key crucibles for the rise of Real Bread, not to mention cakes and patisserie.”
The School of Artisan Food also runs dozens of short courses to teach practical food skills as well as a an Artisan Business Start-Up Certificate which gives food entrepreneurs the opportunity to test their ideas with experts before risking everything by going to market too soon.
The School holds regular open days to find out more about the FDQ-accredited Advanced Diploma in Baking. For more information and upcoming dates, visit New Advanced Diploma in Baking.
