Tante Marie Culinary Academy launches new diploma

The Tante Marie Culinary Academy in Woking has launched a new diploma in culinary and hospitality management.

The CTH Level 5 diploma was launched this week, alongside the academy's new training restaurant, the Restaurant at Tante Marie, which will be the location for the students' year-long training placement.

Taught over a minimum of 12 months, and entirely delivered through on-site practical training, the course will be open to graduates of the Tante Marie Cordon Bleu diploma and the CTH Level 4 diploma.

It will be a professional qualification aiming to prepare chefs for a career in the kitchen and provide a foundation in all aspects of running a hospitality business, including professional kitchen management, procurement, customer relationships, business principles in hospitality, and human resource management.

It will be taught under guidance from restaurant operations manager, Marco di Michele, and head chef Sue-Lee Jones.

Tante Marie's managing director and principal, Andrew Maxwell, said: "This is such an exciting time for Tante Marie. The knowledge and skill gained by the apprentices in the new training restaurant will be key to the new qualification. Our students will be able to gain a real insight into exactly what it takes to run a successful hospitality business. Our professional courses and Cordon Bleu Diploma qualification have put Tante Marie on the map as a leading international cookery school."

The independent cooking school, which was founded more than 60 years ago, recently re-opened at new premises in after moving from its former property, Woodham House, also in Woking. Its notable alumni include Neil Rankin, founding member of the London restaurants Pitt Cue, John Salt, and the Smokehouse.

The new diploma comes amid research from tourist board VisitEngland last month, which found that there was a shortage of skilled chefs across the UK.

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