Nutrition in Culinary Practice: The Accreditation (Daytime Course)

Learn the key principles of nutrition and cooking for optimal health

We realised several years ago that there was a lack of good hands-on practical cookery training combined with solid nutritional education and that was how our NICP course in partnership with Pure Package was born. With health and wellbeing at the top of our minds more than it ever has been, we've been delighted to see the shift towards a nutritionally balanced style of cooking. Our course has evolved to reflect new and delicious trends. Professionals as well home cooks will find this course enlightening and inspirational.

– Camilla Schneideman, Managing Director at Leiths

Ready to master nutritional theory and culinary techniques?

Our food choices have never been more important. Nutritious food provides vital fuel to power our health and wellbeing and help us reach our full potential. Among the endless supply of information available, how can you separate nutritional facts from fiction and confidently cook up the best meals for a healthy diet?

Nutrition in Culinary Practice is our professional cookery course, offering a combination of nutritional theory and cooking tuition, with an accredited qualification.

If you’ve ever dreamt of launching a bespoke catering service, working as a private chef, becoming a health and fitness professional, running a healthy food business, or simply providing your family with healthy food, it’s important to learn the principles of nutrition and how to apply this knowledge effectively in the kitchen.

Our industry leading tutors and nutritionists are highly skilled and experienced in their fields. They will inspire and guide you in how to develop, and practically apply, your love of nutritious food, through their grounded, professional approach. You’ll also find yourself in a class of like-minded food lovers and build a supportive network of student colleagues.

We have partnered with the trained nutritionists behind The Pure Package, so that each session is guided by a nutritional specialist, offering a comprehensive understanding of the nutritional make up and effects of various foods. Our Leiths chefs will lead you through hands-on cooking sessions to put the nutrition theory into culinary practice, whilst never compromising on flavour.

This accredited course offers the opportunity to master the fundamental principles of nutrition that can change the way you approach food forever, and gain a repertoire of interesting recipes and culinary techniques that can improve the wellbeing of those that you cook for.

This 10 week course runs one day per week, and runs as a 4 week course in the summer two/three days per week (10.00-16.00).

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This is an incredible opportunity to learn the key principles of nutritious cooking, taught by experienced experts. I'm incredibly proud of the curriculum we've crafted and wish the course had existed when starting my own business.

– Jennifer Irvine, Founder of The Pure Package

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Nutrition in Culinary Practice: The Accreditation is ideal for anyone with professional culinary ambitions as well as professional and private chefs wishing to develop a healthier style of cooking, keen and confident home cooks who want to develop a repertoire of nutritionally balanced dishes for themselves or their families. Students gaining the NICP Accreditation will go on to...

• Become a knowledgeable, diverse, and accomplished home cook who can cook for dietary needs

• Develop a healthier style of cooking in a professional environment

• Become a private chef who can evidence an offer for clients that provides the nutritional choices they need

• Work and travel abroad e.g. become a chef in wellness retreats or private villa

• Advise fitness clients on how to eat more healthily in a practical way

• Develop food blogs, explore food journalism, and write cookbooks

• Launch a catering business or cook for private clients

Leiths graduates have gone on to become chefs in the country's best restaurants, leaders of the London food scene, celebrated TV chefs, editors and stylists at top food publications or successful food entrepreneurs.

Course Content

The Nutrition in Practice course is a 10-week course which you will attend once a week, or as a 4-week course in the summer which you will attend two-three times a week. Two expert mentors (one professional chef, one nutritionist) will guide you through all the fundamental nutritional theory and practical cooking skills needed to create healthy dishes and bespoke meal plans both at home and in professional environments.

Leiths teachers will assess your progress throughout the course and students will be required to complete a theory and practical assessment at the end of the course to be eligible for the certificate.

You will be assessed by your 5 day client menu plan, a theory exam and a practical cooking exam taken at the end of the course.

Successful students will qualify with a certificate accredited by the Nutritional Therapy Education Commission.

Culinary Skills Covered Nutritional Theory Topics How it Works

• Essential knowledge and techniques to create healthy dishes and menus for yourself or clients

• Alternative, healthier cooking methods including an introduction to sous vide cooking, thermomixes and dehydrators, fermentation and raw foods

• Calculations to determine a client’s nutrient requirements

• Use of apps to calculate macronutrients as part of your recommended requirements

• Experiment with new ingredients to diversify your meal planning

• Develop an impressive repertoire of delicious and flavoursome nutritional recipes

• Build an understanding of alternative ingredients and techniques to adapt classic recipes to suit dietary requirements

• Portion control – how to know how much of each food group to serve

• Food presentation skills and simple but effective food photography

• Carbohydrates and • how they affect blood sugar levels

• Essential fats and oils and how to use the ‘better’ oils for the healthiest results

• Proteins and essential proteins including vegan options and how to get the best flavour using the healthiest cooking methods

• Vitamins, minerals, herbs and spices and how to maximise their impact on your cooking

• Allergies, food intolerances and gut health

• Cooking for clients at different life stages

• Cooking for clients with eating disorders

• Raw food

• Fermenting and its benefits

• An Introduction on how to use professional equipment for healthier cooking, including thermomix and sous vide machine

• Client skills, how to deal with clients practically and in relation to their likes and dislikes

You’ll join the professional fast track as you hone your technical abilities, preparing you for a more professional cooking environment, or equip you to become an exceptional home cook with a holistic knowledge of nutrition in your approach. You will learn to plan your time in the kitchen and the importance of mise en place (a chef’s term for preparing ahead of service).

Leiths teachers will assess your progress throughout the 10 weeks of the course and students will be required to complete a theory and practical exam at the end of the course to be eligible for the Accreditation. Successful students will leave with a fantastic qualification in practical cooking skills, kitchen theory and professional hygiene.

Each week, you will complete homework in preparation for the following session. Typically this will be specified reading, short answer questions and an optional cooking challenge for you to cook for yourself at home and reflect upon. We estimate this may take up to four hours per week.

In addition, you will prepare a five day client menu plan for a 'client' with specific nutrition requirements for submission at the end of the course.

In total, we estimate that you will need to allocate up to six hours per week for home study and cooking.

This is an intensive course and students often find they need to scale down other commitments in order to get the most out of it. It is hard work but immensely rewarding.

You may be disqualified from the examinations if you have not completed the required 80% of the course.

We realised that there was a definite gap in the market for a programme that would educate students about nutrition in a theoretical and practical way. Not only professionals but keen amateur cooks will find this course enlightening and inspirational.

– Camilla Schneideman, Managing Director of Leiths

Practicalities

Practical Information Bookings/Fees School Facilities

Uniform and Equipment

Any cooking equipment required will be provided for you. We advise you to wear loose fitting clothes and solid shoes for cooking (no heels or open toed shoes please).

You may wish to bring a notepad and pen to take notes in theory sessions.

Allergies and Intolerance

You will be required to cook with meat and fish on this professional course.

We are happy to make adjustments where possible. Please see our allergy and dietary restrictions advice here.

How the days work

Your cooking sessions will take place in the mornings and you will enjoy eating what you have cooked for lunch. Theory sessions take place in the afternoons led by the Nutritional Therapist. There may also be food to take home on some days and a Pure Package cool bag will be provided.

Homework

You will do some course work at home, putting together a five day menu plan. If you can allow an equal amount of time for this as the time you spend in class, you will get the most out of this rewarding course.

Fees

£3,630 (£400 deposit)

Before enrolling, we highly recommend that you book an initial chat with one of our friendly tutors. Due to the current situation we are currently offering 1:1’s by phone and video. You’ll have an opportunity to talk about yourself, what you are hoping to achieve and we can discuss our courses and their suitability for you. We can of course talk you through our current social distancing and health and safety policies and explain what to expect in the new academic year as well as answer any questions that you may have. You should allow up to half an hour for the appointment.

Places are offered on a first come, first served basis.

To secure a place on this course a deposit of £400 is payable as well as your agreement to the terms and conditions, which you can read here. Your signed enrolment form should be sent to:

Registrar

Leiths School of Food & Wine,
16-20 Wendell Road, London,
W12 9RT, UK

or E-mail: registrar@leiths.com

All remaining professional courses fees will be due at least six weeks before the course start date.

Please note: Payments for professional courses must be made by either bank transfer, cheque or a debit/credit card payment. We do not accept American Express.

Credit

Credit for this course is available (exclusions apply).

Lendwise is a specialist loan provider dedicated to education finance, allowing you to pursue your culinary aspirations. Repayments would be at a fixed interest rate throughout your loan term, personalised to your profile. There are no fees or penalties for early repayment of your loan.

Contact Lendwise to apply directly. Be sure to read the terms before committing. Please note that other sources of funding may be available

Leiths School of Food and Wine is located over four floors of a light and airy space on a residential street between Shepherd's Bush and Chiswick in West London.

The school comprises four kitchens, three of which are used for the full time students while the fourth is used for recipe development, corporate team building, one day workshops, photography and filming.

The kitchens are all air conditioned and equipped with gas ovens and hobs of the same design and high standard employed by most professional restaurants and catering kitchens, giving students access to all the equipment needed to learn to cook professionally.

The demonstration kitchen on the ground floor is fitted with LCD screens and cameras enabling students to see the close up details of each step of the dishes and techniques demonstrated by the teachers and outside lecturers.

Students have access to a library of cookery books and magazines for reference, a student dining room, changing facilities and WiFi. There are computers at their disposal.

Course Details

Course Formats Bookings/Questions Covid Health & Safety

We offer Nutrition in Culinary Practice in various formats, so you can achieve your culinary ambitions in a way which suits your schedule and lifestyle:

Nutrition in Culinary Practice: The Accreditation; Daytime Course: A daytime course which runs once a week over ten weeks, or as a four week course in the summer running two/three days per week.

Nutrition in Culinary Practice: The Accreditation; Evening Course: An evening course running on Tuesday and Thursday evenings each week from 6:30pm until 9:30pm, for ten weeks. There will be two full Saturday sessions, which run from 10:00am until 4:00pm. Please check the dates and times above to ensure that you are available for all sessions.

Nutrition in Culinary Practice: The Accreditation; Online Course: Our flexible, 20 week online course which involves approximately 3-4 hours of cooking and/or study time per week.

No matter which format you choose, on completion of the course you have the opportunity to gain your Nutrition in Culinary Practice Certificate externally accredited by the Nutritional Therapy Education Commission (NTEC). On the daytime and evening course you will also obtain a full Leiths Accreditation. Online course students will have the opportunity to enroll for the full NTEC accreditation by attending a one day course at the school. You will get the opportunity to cook in a professional kitchen, sit your NTEC assessment and have feedback on your five day plan from the Pure Package Nutritional Therapist.

If you would like to talk to us about a place on the Nutrition in Culinary Practice course starting in January, April or August 2021, please email us at registrar@leiths.com to arrange a chat with one of our experienced and approachable tutors, or call 020 8749 6400.

Here is a summary of our full Covid-19 Health & Safety Plans, with all the key points and information you need for a safe return to our kitchens. We will be updating our procedures as necessary.

Prices & Booking