A New Chapter in Professional Chef Training at Edinburgh New Town Cookery School

What’s Changing

At Edinburgh New Town Cookery School, our mission has always been to prepare students for meaningful, ambitious careers within the food and drink industry. As one of the UK’s most respected professional culinary schools, we’re always looking ahead to what the next generation of chefs will need. The industry is changing, and students are asking for training that’s flexible, future-focused, and grounded in real kitchen experience. Our new 12 Week Diploma responds to this directly, offering a modern route into the industry without losing the depth, discipline and high standards we’re known for. It’s a confident step forward for the school and part of an exciting new chapter you’ll see unfolding over the coming months. 

This change comes with a refreshed structure to our Professional Courses. After many successful years of delivering our renowned Three and Six Month Courses, we are introducing a more streamlined curriculum built around three connected 4 week blocks: the Introductory Award, the Intermediate Certificate, and the final Advanced term, which together form the new 12 Week Diploma in Professional Cookery. Each block is designed with growth in mind, allowing students to build skills steadily and consistently as they work towards a professional standard of cookery. 

The Revised Professional Courses 

The journey begins with the 4 Week Introductory Award in Cooking Skills, a fast-paced, hands-on immersion in essential techniques. Students spend most of their time in the kitchen – cooking, tasting and refining – while gaining core foundations in knife skills, preparation of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish, and the building blocks of pastry, breads, cakes and desserts. It’s a practical, confidence-building start for anyone exploring a future in food, whether they’re aiming to become a private chef, taking a gap year, changing career direction or simply looking to become a more capable and imaginative cook. 

For those looking for more, the 4 Week Intermediate Certificate broadens technical ability and knowledge. Students work through simple butchery, fish filleting, stocks and sauces, enriched doughs, introductory laminated pastries and multi-element desserts, while also learning about plating, kitchen management systems, sustainability and ethical sourcing. This term can be taken on its own by those with a solid grasp of the basics, or as the natural next step after the introductory stage, building the confidence and attention to detail needed for more advanced work. 

These two terms then lead into the 12 Week Diploma’s advanced month. This final stage fully prepares you for the world of professional cookery through complex laminated doughs, enriched French pastries, game cookery, advanced shellfish preparation and modern plating techniques. Students also begin to connect their kitchen skills with wider industry understanding, exploring areas such as entrepreneurship, branding, business acumen, recipe development and the realities of food manufacturing. WSET Level 1 is included to introduce the role of wine within gastronomy. 

What does this mean? 

Throughout all three stages, students benefit from a learning experience shaped around how modern chefs develop best: clear progression, strong technical grounding, and the ability to revisit key techniques when preparing for assessments or stepping into professional environments. Combined with immersive, real-world practice in the kitchen, this structure offers the same depth of training Edinburgh New Town Cookery School has always delivered, while making the professional pathway more accessible to a wider range of aspiring chefs. 

This new diploma marks the beginning of a fresh era for Edinburgh New Town Cookery School. It reflects our commitment to training that keeps up with an evolving industry while staying true to the quality that defines us. For students looking to take their first step into the culinary world – or for those ready to deepen their craft – the 12 Week Diploma offers a modern, focused, and ambitious route into the exciting world of professional food and drink.