Education Portal

Join us for our Open Evening at Leiths on Thursday 5th February 2026, 6:30–8:30pm, and discover how the Culinary Diploma can launch your career in food.

 
Book Now

Diploma Certificate - Course Details

Refining your culinary skills to the highest standard, the Diploma Certificate is the final stage of three accredited qualifications that form the Leiths Culinary Diploma.

Over six weeks of intensive, full-time study, you’ll master advanced techniques that would take years to learn in a professional kitchen. Laminate puff pastry by hand, clarify consommés and prepare lobster dishes from scratch.

Plus, choose from specialist culinary modules, integrated work experience and assessed placements that reflect your future in food.

 

Why this course?

The Diploma Certificate is the final stage of the three-part culinary training at Leiths. Over six weeks of intensive, full-time study, you’ll refine your skills to an advanced professional standard, working on complex techniques such as laminated puff pastry, clarified consommés, intricate seafood preparation and plated desserts. The course is designed to elevate your precision, creativity and confidence in a professional kitchen environment.

You can tailor your pathway by selecting specialist modules and completing an assessed industry placement with one of Leiths’ partner employers. On completion you graduate with the full Leiths Culinary Diploma alongside an externally accredited Level 4 Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts, ready to step into a wide range of professional food careers.

Course Specification

How it works

Overview

The Leiths Culinary Diploma is a renowned, industry-focused professional course consisting of

  • Culinary Skills: Core Certificate (Modules 1-6)
  • Culinary Skills: Professional Certificate (Modules 7-12), and
  • Diploma Modules 13 to 18 (also including Module Options and/or Work Experience Placement)

Diploma Modules 13 to 18 (including Module Options) are delivered as a full time only course. Most of the learning time will be in the Leiths Culinary School kitchens, with time also spent in the demonstration room. Students will study the Diploma Modules (inc. Optional Modules) between 3 and 4 days per week at Leiths Culinary School. Theory revision, compulsory online courses and coursework are completed at home. Diploma Modules 13 to 18 are delivered over 6 weeks, with a practical assessment taking place after all lessons have finished.

Students completing both the Professional Modules (7-12) and Diploma Modules (13-18) will be enrolled onto the Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality (CTH) Level 4 Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts.

Study Options

Full-time

The full-time Professional Certificate is delivered daytime only with students at the Leiths Culinary School up to 3½ days per week, with additional study at home. This course is delivered over 6 weeks, with a practical assessment taking place the week after all lessons have finished.

More information can be found here.

Modules 13 - 18

The course comprises 6 modules

  1. Complex sauces and garnishes
  2. Complex meat, game and pâtés
  3. Complex doughs
  4. Complex seafood
  5. Canapés and hors d’oeuvres
  6. Patisserie
Skills Included

Skills include:

  • Preparation and cooking of crab
  • Preparation and cooking of scallops
  • Preparation and cooking of lobster
  • Advanced fish cooking (various methods)
  • Mousselines
  • Bisque, bouillabaisse and consommé
  • Plating and presentation
  • Food safety, handling and storage
Example Recipes

Example recipes include:

  • Crab and scallop ravioli with bisque sauce
  • Lobster, fennel and avocado salad with brioche and prosciutto crumb
  • Pan-seared scallops with dashi broth and pickled vegetables
  • Halibut with cucumber and dill beurre blanc and samphire
  • John Dory with mussles, celeriac, apple and chives
  • Hake Kyiv with parsnip puree, café de Paris butter and pickled girolles
Assessment

Assessment is comprised of

  • Continual assessment – students will be assessed at points throughout the course on specified assessment days. These are cooking sessions where a student will demonstrate their ability to perform a selection of key skills from the modules to a set standard through a number of recipes. Students will be made aware of these recipes prior to the kitchen session.
    • Continual assessment will make up 20% of the certificate
  • Practical assessment – students will be set one practical assessment in the week after the final week of lessons have been completed. Students will be made aware of the practical assessment recipes prior to the assessment.
    • Practical assessment will make up 45% of the certificate
  • Theory assessment – students will sit a short, multiple-choice paper during the final week of the course. This is to assess their knowledge of food theory.
    • Theory assessment will make up 10% of the certificate
  • Marks from the Culinary Skills: Core Certificate and Culinary Skills: Professional certificate will make up a component of the final Diploma certificate. For students who have completed only the Professional certificate, only these marks will be used.
    • Marks from previous certificate(s) will make up 20% of the Diploma certificate
  • Coursework – students will complete coursework, including menu planning and costing
    • Coursework will make up 5% of the Diploma certificate

Students must complete all compulsory online courses (e.g. Level 2 Food Safety) and achieve an attendance of ≥80% to be eligible for the Leiths Culinary Diploma.

Qualifications

By completing this course, you will gain the following qualifications:

  • Culinary Skills: Diploma Certificate
  • Leiths Culinary Diploma

All three certificates (Culinary Skills: Core Certificate, Culinary Skills: Professional Certificate and Culinary Skills: Diploma Certificate) are required to achieve a Leiths Culinary Diploma.

Grading Criteria

The overall qualification is also graded Pass, Merit or Distinction.

  • Fail 0 – 54%
  • Pass 55 – 69%
  • Merit 70 – 84%
  • Distinction 85+%

Additional Information

Course Fees

The Culinary Skills: Professional Certificate – £9,950

Course fees include all core teaching, ingredients used during practical sessions and access to the school’s professional facilities and resources. Some uniform and equipment items are also included, depending on your chosen qualification. Full details are provided upon enrolment.

More information can be found here.

Uniform & Equipment

Included in your course fees:

  • 3x Leiths aprons

Full details will be provided before your start date, along with guidance on ordering through our approved suppliers.

More information can be found here.

Entry requirements

Students should be eligible to study in the UK. Students may be required to provide evidence of English language proficiency, equivalent to an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test report result of >5

Chat to one of our team or book a call with our Admissions Team to find out more.

MasterclassMeat

See Also

Study Guide

The teaching style here at Leiths is absolutely exceptional. There’s always two teachers in the classroom at any one time, so I’ve never had to wait more than about 30 seconds if I have a question or concern before the tutor is immediately by my side.
Kate McCombeDiploma graduate
The teachers here offer so much, I love the variety of topics that we cover and different cuisines. I grew up in Asia so I love when we cover those cuisines and different skills from all around the world, and also obviously still sticking to traditional values and methods but having a variety, it’s really amazing.
David NicholsonYacht chef and Diploma graduate

Book a Tour

Experience what makes the Diploma so special with a 1-to-1 tour of our Culinary School.

Come to an Open Event

Watch Diploma-style demonstrations, meet the teachers and taste life at Leiths.

Chat 1:1 with Us

Our Admissions team love to answer your questions and offer course suggestions to suit your goals.

Try a Taste of Diploma Life

Sample culinary training Leiths-style with a hands-on class.

Enrol on a Course

Made your decision? Book on a course here and start your future in food.