Professional Cookery and Restaurant Operations: NQ (Level 5)

What you will learn

You’ll develop professional, transferable skills for the modern hospitality industry, including:

• Professional Cookery Skills and Knowledge – mastering food preparation and presentation.
• Food Hygiene in the Hospitality Industry – maintaining safety and hygiene standards.
• Food Preparation Techniques – knife skills, time management and accuracy.
• Stocks, Sauces and Soups – building flavour foundations for professional cooking.
• Pastry and Baking Skills – creating sweet and savoury pastry items.
• Barista Skills Training – producing high-quality beverages and espresso service.
• Food and Beverage Service – customer interaction, etiquette and teamwork.
• Restaurant Operations – managing front-of-house tasks in live service settings.
• Sustainable Food Operations – understanding eco-friendly approaches to hospitality.
• Employability Skills – communication, organisation, teamwork and adaptability.

📘 Learning & Assessment Methods:

You’ll learn through a mix of practical sessions, demonstrations, theory lessons and live service practice in the College’s training restaurant and kitchen.

Assessment is continuous and includes observation, project work and portfolio evidence.

Entry requirements

✅ No formal qualifications required, though applicants should be able to work at SCQF Level 5.

✅ A keen interest in cookery, catering or hospitality is essential.

✅ Some prior experience in a hospitality or kitchen environment is beneficial but not required.

✅ A positive attitude, teamwork and reliability will support your success in this fast-paced course.

ℹ️ You maybe asked to attend interview 

ℹ️ Due to Health & Safety, Awarding Bodies stipulations or Legislation set by Governing Bodies - you must be 16 years old at the start of this course.

ℹ️ For this course, if English is not your first language

• you need to have SQA ESOL National 5 (or equivalent, click here to see equivalent qualifications)
• If you do not have a formal ESOL qualification but your language skills meet this level, you should apply for your course and then contact our Admissions team to organise an internal language assessment  here at the College.

Career Opportunities

This qualification opens the door to a range of roles across the hospitality sector, including:

👨‍🍳 Commis Chef

🍰 Trainee Pastry Chef

☕ Barista or Café Assistant

🍽️ Front-of-House or Restaurant Assistant

🎉 Events or Hotel Catering Assistant

You could work in professional kitchens, cafés, bistros, hotels, or catering companies — or progress to more advanced study.

Future prospects

After completing this course, you can progress to:

• NC Advanced Professional Cookery (Level 6)
• Further training in specialised cookery, patisserie, or hospitality management.
• Employment across the restaurant, events or catering industries.