New Zealand Certificate in Cookery
Food & Beverage
A course by
UCOL
Develop your creativity and practical cooking skills in a professional kitchen environment. Gain hands-on experience in training restaurants and learn to prepare a range of cold larder, hot kitchen, patisserie, and dessert dishes using complex preparation and presentation techniques.
STUDY FREE
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NZQA Level 4 Certification (120 Credits)
Entry
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Core skills this course teaches
Health and Safety Practices
Monitor and maintain health and safety, food safety and security practices within a commercial kitchen environment.
Workplace and Customer Relationships
Manage workplace and customer relationships professionally.
About This Course
The New Zealand Certificate in Cookery at Level 4 offered by UCOL is a one-year full-time programme providing 120 credits aimed at developing intermediate-level cookery skills. Learners gain practical experience in commercial kitchen settings, including the UCOL training restaurants 'Ambitions' and 'Visions'. The course covers health and safety, food hygiene, professional kitchen practices, and a wide variety of culinary techniques. It includes modules in Cookery Fundamentals, Applied Complex Cookery Skills, Restaurant Cookery and Professional Practice, and Industry Cookery Skills. The programme prepares students for employment in commercial kitchens, catering businesses, cafes, and institutional catering.
Course Content
- Cookery Fundamentals: health, safety, hygiene, kitchen equipment operation, recipe interpretation, preparation techniques, food safety and nutrition, basic and complex cookery skills, stocks, soups and sauces.
- Applied Complex Cookery Skills: advanced cookery techniques, team communication, sociocultural skills, nutrition applications, menu writing, patisserie and desserts preparation.
- Restaurant Cookery and Professional Practice: working in commercial kitchens, team and sociocultural skills, complex dish preparation, professional standards.
- Industry Cookery Skills: developing employment opportunities and skills relevant to the hospitality sector.
Entry Requirements
NCEA Level 2 or equivalent academic achievement or on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Executive Dean
Build towards these roles
Commercial kitchen cookCatererCafe kitchen staffInstitutional catering staff
Build skills in these industries
HospitalityFood ServiceCatering
UCOL is a polytechnic built around the kind of learning that actually sticks — hands-on, practical, and grounded in the real world. With campuses across the lower North Island and a programme range that stretches from trades and health to creative arts and IT, it's a strong fit for learners who want a clear path into work without unnecessary detours. Whether you're fresh out of school, changing direction, or building on what you already know, UCOL is set up to meet you where you are.
