Learn the essential skills and techniques that will lead to a lifetime of restaurant-quality cooking, with Leiths’ 24-week Professional Online Cooking Course and Certificate.
Professional Course
Intermediate
Certification
As an aspiring cook, you’re probably quite comfortable in the kitchen, and feel confident cooking your favourite crowd-pleasing dishes.
However, as someone who is continuously inspired by food, you’d love to take your skills just that little bit further. Learning to cook with an attention to detail, perfectly balanced flavours and a precise technique is near impossible to accomplish alone.
Unfortunately, not everyone can attend their dream cookery school. With work, family and travel to consider, it can sometimes feel like a never-ending wait for the perfect opportunity to arise.
But what if your dream cookery school could come to you?
Leiths School of Food and Wine is the most prestigious and respected cookery school in Britain. Having provided professional training for hundreds of career cooks from their kitchens in London, they are now bringing their expert teaching directly to your home.
★★★★★
"The online Essentials Course gave me a chance to learn at my own pace, whilst being connected with other individuals like myself who wanted a new future in food or to expand their repertoire. The course members were from all over the world and of all different abilities."
Elainea Emmott, Food Photographer
★★★★★
"I completed the Essential Cooking Certificate at Leiths and absolutely loved it. They’re such a talented bunch of people and I couldn’t recommend their classes more."
Emma Hatcher, Cookbook Author & Blogger
This 24-week course will guide you through all the fundamental cooking skills, techniques and practices that every cook needs to thrive in a modern professional kitchen.
Each week, you will unlock a new batch of video-based sessions that take you step-by-step through the process of cooking everything from choux pastry to shellfish. With Workshop’s unique hands-on method of learning, you’ll be cooking from day one with no need to read pages of theory in advance.
By joining the course, you will have access to the following through the Workshop app:
In addition to the core aspects of the course, you will also get:
Average cooking time: 3 hours per week
Assessment
To receive your Certificate of Completion, you can undertake a 3-part assessment covering skills you have learnt during the course.
If you are opting for the full Leiths Essential Certificate, your mentor will review your progress to determine whether you’re ready for the practical two-day exam taking place at the school in London. This accreditation comes at an additional cost of £600, and provides the same certification as the £3,330 Essential Cooking Certificate: Daytime Course offered in-person at Leiths School of Food and Wine.
Stock forms the foundation of a wide range of dishes and is fundamental to produce deep, rich flavours in your food. Alongside the ability to handle your knives with precision and accuracy, it’s crucial that you master these skills in order to become a capable, confident cook.
Learning to cook and emulsify eggs are essential skills you will use time and time in the kitchen and will help form an understanding of the relationship between proteins, liquids and fats.
You’ll learn how to make a sweet and savoury shortcrust pastry by hand and by machine by blind-baking a pastry case using the right techniques.
You'll learn the basics of vegetable cookery, including stir-frying and roasting vegetables, perfectly smooth mashed potato, the basic ratios of vinaigrettes, and how to create stable and unstable emulsified dressings.
You’ll create two flavour-packed dishes to learn about how to prepare and cook tender cuts of meat and pan sauces.
You'll learn how to whip egg whites to different stages of peaks to create the perfect Swiss meringue with whipped cream. You'll then learn how to make a sugar syrup to create a raspberry coulis.
In these sessions, you'll be learning how to prepare and cook two different types of fish; flat fish and round fish. You'll learn how to fillet, skin and gut fish, and how to grill and pan-fry fish fillets, which are necessary skills you can apply to all kinds of fish cookery.
In these sessions, you'll be adding to your repertoire of pastry skills to produce choux pastry! With Hannah, you'll learn how to make choux pastry for both savoury and sweet dishes; gougères, profiteroles and eclairs!
We'll be covering how to prepare and cook three different shellfish; mussels, prawns and squid to create some great dishes! When buying shellfish, try to get them from a reputable supplier, and try to use them as soon as you can after purchase (ideally within 24 hours).
You'll be using a time plan to help you produce a roast. This exercise will challenge your time management and mise en place skills, as it requires getting lots of different elements together for a planned time of service.
You'll be learning how to create fresh pasta by hand and by machine to make a basil pesto tagliatelle and lemon ricotta filled tortellini!
In these sessions, you'll be learning some basic bread making techniques so that you can hopefully build your intuitive baking knowledge. Using your own judgement is necessary for baking because so many different factors affect the processes at play when using only a few ingredients.
You’ll learn how to stew meat, to slowly cook a Moroccan lamb tagine and a smoky chilli. You'll learn how to brown lamb and mince, how and why to deglaze the pan and two methods of cooking rice.
In these sessions, you're going to learn to make a simple whisked cake topped with strawberries and whipped cream, a lemon and macadamia whisked cake and a rubbed-in cake in the form of scones. Have your ingredients ready at room temperature for your first whisked cake!
You're going to learn the creaming and melting methods for baking cakes. We'll bake a lemon curd victoria sponge, a gingerbread cake and a carrot cake.
You'll be learning how to create a simple crème anglaise custard and two techniques for making caramel to produce a praline parfait.
You'll learn how to use powdered and leaf gelatine to create a water-based orange jelly and a fat-based panna cotta with almond crumble.
Learning how to joint a chicken is a great skill for utilising your chicken for all of its meat and the carcass. In these sessions, you'll also be cooking soy glazed chicken and griddling chicken breasts!
In these sessions, you're going to learn some basic butchery and meat cooking skills by learning how to cook a steak and how to prepare and cook a rack of lamb. You'll also be creating two combination sauces, and revising some skills you already know. Let's get started!
In these sessions, you'll be making two brunch dishes, American-style pancakes and eggs benedict which includes hollandaise sauce. These are great recipes to have under your belt for entertaining!
You’ll bake a gluten-free clementine and almond cake, gluten-free focaccia and a vegan chocolate cake. You’ll learn to use alternative ingredients to create delicious food for people with dietary requirements.
In these sessions, you're going to be using a lot of different skills that you've learnt to cook a start, main course and dessert for a dinner party.
You’ll learn how to present your food and basic food photography that will help your dishes look more appetising. We’ll be working with all the elements mise en place so that we can focus on the presentation!
You’ll be revisiting some skills from the course, uploading photos as you go along. Your photos will be assessed by your mentor, and you’ll receive feedback on how you did. You can only do your assessment once, so please make sure you’ve done your mise en place and that the phone camera can demonstrate your skills as clearly as possible.
Stock forms the foundation of a wide range of dishes and is fundamental to produce deep, rich flavours in your food. Alongside the ability to handle your knives with precision and accuracy, it’s crucial that you master these skills in order to become a capable, confident cook.
Learning to cook and emulsify eggs are essential skills you will use time and time in the kitchen and will help form an understanding of the relationship between proteins, liquids and fats.
You’ll learn how to make a sweet and savoury shortcrust pastry by hand and by machine by blind-baking a pastry case using the right techniques.
You'll learn the basics of vegetable cookery, including stir-frying and roasting vegetables, perfectly smooth mashed potato, the basic ratios of vinaigrettes, and how to create stable and unstable emulsified dressings.
You’ll create two flavour-packed dishes to learn about how to prepare and cook tender cuts of meat and pan sauces.
You'll learn how to whip egg whites to different stages of peaks to create the perfect Swiss meringue with whipped cream. You'll then learn how to make a sugar syrup to create a raspberry coulis.
In these sessions, you'll be learning how to prepare and cook two different types of fish; flat fish and round fish. You'll learn how to fillet, skin and gut fish, and how to grill and pan-fry fish fillets, which are necessary skills you can apply to all kinds of fish cookery.
In these sessions, you'll be adding to your repertoire of pastry skills to produce choux pastry! With Hannah, you'll learn how to make choux pastry for both savoury and sweet dishes; gougères, profiteroles and eclairs!
We'll be covering how to prepare and cook three different shellfish; mussels, prawns and squid to create some great dishes! When buying shellfish, try to get them from a reputable supplier, and try to use them as soon as you can after purchase (ideally within 24 hours).
You'll be using a time plan to help you produce a roast. This exercise will challenge your time management and mise en place skills, as it requires getting lots of different elements together for a planned time of service.
You'll be learning how to create fresh pasta by hand and by machine to make a basil pesto tagliatelle and lemon ricotta filled tortellini!
In these sessions, you'll be learning some basic bread making techniques so that you can hopefully build your intuitive baking knowledge. Using your own judgement is necessary for baking because so many different factors affect the processes at play when using only a few ingredients.
You’ll learn how to stew meat, to slowly cook a Moroccan lamb tagine and a smoky chilli. You'll learn how to brown lamb and mince, how and why to deglaze the pan and two methods of cooking rice.
In these sessions, you're going to learn to make a simple whisked cake topped with strawberries and whipped cream, a lemon and macadamia whisked cake and a rubbed-in cake in the form of scones. Have your ingredients ready at room temperature for your first whisked cake!
You're going to learn the creaming and melting methods for baking cakes. We'll bake a lemon curd victoria sponge, a gingerbread cake and a carrot cake.
You'll be learning how to create a simple crème anglaise custard and two techniques for making caramel to produce a praline parfait.
You'll learn how to use powdered and leaf gelatine to create a water-based orange jelly and a fat-based panna cotta with almond crumble.
Learning how to joint a chicken is a great skill for utilising your chicken for all of its meat and the carcass. In these sessions, you'll also be cooking soy glazed chicken and griddling chicken breasts!
In these sessions, you're going to learn some basic butchery and meat cooking skills by learning how to cook a steak and how to prepare and cook a rack of lamb. You'll also be creating two combination sauces, and revising some skills you already know. Let's get started!
In these sessions, you'll be making two brunch dishes, American-style pancakes and eggs benedict which includes hollandaise sauce. These are great recipes to have under your belt for entertaining!
You’ll bake a gluten-free clementine and almond cake, gluten-free focaccia and a vegan chocolate cake. You’ll learn to use alternative ingredients to create delicious food for people with dietary requirements.
In these sessions, you're going to be using a lot of different skills that you've learnt to cook a start, main course and dessert for a dinner party.
You’ll learn how to present your food and basic food photography that will help your dishes look more appetising. We’ll be working with all the elements mise en place so that we can focus on the presentation!
You’ll be revisiting some skills from the course, uploading photos as you go along. Your photos will be assessed by your mentor, and you’ll receive feedback on how you did. You can only do your assessment once, so please make sure you’ve done your mise en place and that the phone camera can demonstrate your skills as clearly as possible.
Once you've met all the requirements to complete this course, you'll receive a verified Certificate of Completion.
After successfully completing this course, you will be invited to attend an assessment weekend at Leiths if you'd like to receive full Leiths accreditation for an additional £600.
We're currently gathering reviews for this course. In the meantime, take a look at what students are saying about our other courses to give you a flavour of what’s to come…
Leiths Online Cookery School is a winning partnership between Leiths School of Food & Wine - the esteemed cookery school - and education technology pioneers, Workshop.
From its London school, Leiths has been equipping aspiring cooks with the skills to flourish in the food world since 1975. Through Workshop's unique hands-on learning experiences, Leiths is bringing the best of in-person teaching directly into people's kitchens around the world.
Putting the learner first is a founding philosophy common to both organisations. High-quality content delivered by top educators in the cookery world, tailored expert feedback and a close community network make it a joy to learn with Leiths Online.
Before enrolling, feel free to request a tour of the course below and you'll see how Leiths Online reimagines the learning experience.
Discover how easy it is to learn with Leiths Online Cookery School by trying this FREE taster session from the Essential Cooking course.
In this 'Knife Skills' Stir Fry session, Leiths' Chef, David, will guide you through precise knife techniques, ingredient preparation and a swift step-by-step stir-fry method.
You’ll be able to log into the Workshop app and access your class group discussion shortly before your start date so that you can chat away and get acquainted!
You’ll have access to your course dashboard for a total time of 12 months after your start date.
Units (including video sessions and supporting materials) will become available week-by-week as your class progresses through the course.
Shortly before your course start date, you will be invited to introduce yourself to the rest of your class via messaging on the Workshop app.
Each week, your class will unlock a new unit encouraging you all to cook the same dishes within the same week. At the end of every session, you will be asked to upload a photo of your dish, which your class and mentor will be able to view, like and provide feedback on.
If you would like a taster of the step-by-step online video format, we recommend you try the free taster session for Unit 1, Session 2: Knife Skills: Stir Fry using the link above. This session is representative of the way in which you will complete cooking sessions on the course.
Your class will be moving forward at a pace of 1 unit per week, however after each unit is unlocked you have the freedom to complete each session entirely at your own pace. You will also have the ability to schedule your sessions for times that suit your lifestyle.
This course has been carefully designed to make sure the advantages of real-world learning experiences are still embraced online. You will therefore be taken through the subject matter week-by-week to give you the chance to digest what you’ve learnt whilst progressing at a steady pace alongside your classmates. Unlike a real-world course though, you will also have the opportunity to revisit sessions and practice whenever and wherever you like!
Yes, we’ll send you a full equipment list after you have purchased the course. Make sure to keep an eye on your emails (including your spam folder) for this!
With 1-5 practical sessions to complete each week, you can typically expect to be cooking for a combined total of about 3 hours a week.
Your Certificate of Completion will be awarded if you pass a 3-part assessment at the end of the course.
This assessment will challenge you to replicate skills you have learnt throughout the course with minimal assistance. You will be asked to upload photos at different stages of the process and your mentor will grade and give feedback on completion.
The opportunity to earn a full Leiths-accredited Baking Certificate at an additional two-day practical assessment in London, at the cost of £635.
There’s no need to worry if you have a holiday booked or have to miss a week or two during the course. You’ll have access to your course dashboard for a total of 12 months from your start date, and so you’ll have plenty of time to catch up if you need to.
You can contact your mentor directly through the app at any time, and will receive a response within 48 hours. Your mentor will also be able to grade and comment on your photo uploads with any feedback they may have.
All Leiths Online courses are 18+ or require parental consent for those between 13-18. The exceptions are our Teens courses, which are exclusively for 13-18-year-olds.
The accreditation weekends at Leiths school in London have a wine element to them and are only for those aged 18 and over.
This course can directly award you with a Certificate of Completion, but it is also possible to earn the full Leiths Essential Certificate with the skills you learn in this course.
At the end of the course, your mentor will review your progress to determine whether you’re ready for a practical two-day exam taking place at the school in London (for over-18s only). This accreditation comes at an additional cost of £635, and provides the same certification as the £3,330 Essential Cooking Certificate: Daytime Course offered in-person at Leiths School of Food and Wine.
If you book your place over 30 days before your course start date, you can cancel your booking and claim a full refund within 30 days of your purchase.
If you book your place within 30 days of the course start date, you can claim a full refund within 14 days of your purchase.
If you have a coupon, you can redeem this when purchasing a course on the checkout to receive your discount.
Please be aware
