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CANADIAN STUDENTS
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US STUDENTS
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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
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Clicking one of the APPLY buttons above will take you to a PDF which can be filled out and submitted to info@nwcav.com
This program has been approved by the Private Training Institution Branch (PTIB) of the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills & Training.
CURRICULUM
What is covered, How, and Why. In this course we will cover an extensive array of techniques and work with incredible amount of ingredients. Some of what we will cover includes:
- Garde Manger (knife skills, salads, canapes)
- Stocks & Soups
- Vegetables
- Art of Sandwiches
- Grains and Starches
- Legumes and Soy Products
- Eggs and Poultry
- Fish and Crustaceans
- Plating Techniques
- Menu Design
- Food Costing/Starting a Business
- Food Truck Project
- Fermentation
- Knife Sharpening
- Sous Vide
- Modernist Techniques
- Pasta/Dumplings/Asian Noodles
- Spices
- Plant-based Cuisine
- Pig/Duck/Chicken Butchery
- French Classics
- Italy & Spain
- Middle East, India, Latino and Asian Cuisines
- Pastry Fundamentals
- Bread Fundamentals
- Classic and Modern Sauces
- Plant-based cooking
- Nurtional principles of balanced cooking and eating
- Farm-to-Table
- Butter/Cheese Making
- Wine Tasting
- Charcuterie
- Fair Kitchen Practices
- Red Seal Level 1 Theory/Practical Exams*
- Practical Quizzes
- Creating Your Portfolio
- Weekly Student Menu Development Projects
- Stages at local restaurants/hotels/catering companies
- 10-Course Practical Mid-Term
- 12-Course Final Practical Project
*Culinary students with a BC address qualify for Level I of their Red Seal after completing a practical, theory exam and 1000 industry hours (the course contributes 300 hours towards this). Canadian residents or those with Permanent Resident status may also qualify for a government grant.
Our Curriculum
First off, we start with a class size of no more than 24 with at least three instructors on the floor (more on special days – menu developments, exams, etc).
Our curriculum covers the essential techniques required to transform ingredients responsibly, professionally, and creatively with the tools of the kitchen. And it also adjusts every semester to reflect changing food sensibilities, values, and artistry. But a curriculum is like a script – vital as its content may be, its context and delivery will tell the bigger story. And while we are the authors of our curriculum, we allow our students to participate in how it’s told. Many of our days are multi-themed, requiring the hands and mind to multi-task various learning opportunities. Welcome to a profession of infinite interpretations. Every basic skill, technique, dish, and theme written in our curriculum and performed in our kitchens answers the following:
- Why is this topic, technique, or dish being covered? What does it teach? How does it relate to other content in the curriculum and current industry trends?
- What is the science, history, and artistry behind it?
- How many different ways can it be made? And how does it best serve a certain type of kitchen business model? Why does one chef-instructor prefer method A and another method B? What are the pros and cons? How does this relate to a professional kitchen?
- How can the student put their own spin on this? And what can the class learn from the variations?
How You Work
Dish execution is generally done individually although students are paired at a a stove and share a double sink. Students have their own pots, pans, and other tools at their station. We have a maximum of 16 students in each class with three instructors on the floor.
As well, there are six different instructors mentoring you – each with their own areas of specialty and background.
A Typical Day
- Instructors come in about 90 minutes before class starts to set up the day’s objectives.
- We start on time, right on the dot. Each day focuses on a specific theme with specific objectives.
- The objectives are typically covered through three to four dishes (we refer to them as practices rather than strict recipes). We demo and cover theory at the same time (we have no classrooms lined with desks) then students flow into the kitchen and execute the dish. They then come back to the demo/dining area to taste and get feedback. We flow the same way through the next two dishes.
- Yes, there is cleaning, lots of prep, note-taking, team communication, dancing within one’s station, questions and answers – all the necessary hands-on and thinking tasks that make great cooking work. Students change partners weekly. There are some preparations which are performed individually, but otherwise teaming up allows us to cover more content in a day.
Not so typical days
We end many weeks with a Menu Development Day where the students can exercise their creative skills applying the learned objectives of the week. They have freedom to play with a wide range of ingredients and plating styles, so long as the technique is never compromised.
Final Practical
This is perhaps the most intensive and comprehensive practical exam of any school. It covers 2 weeks of planning and experimentation, starts with an individual menu development and eventually evolves to a team effort to create a 12-course tasting menu to an audience over two evenings. Students describe this as a highlight of their course, even grads remember the experience as a key stepping stone. In many ways, we built the curriculum backwards, starting with an ambitious apex and setting the students up from day one to achieve beyond their expectations. And it works! Our colleagues invited to these finals are often in awe of the students’ achievements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What requirements are expected of me?
Do I need industry experience?
What can I expect from my instructors?
What are some interesting stats about Northwest and its student body?
Do you teach business management principles?
Why is your program shorter than most professional culinary schools?
Is the program ITA approved for Red Seal Level I
Why don’t you have a restaurant?
Where do your ingredients come from and what value systems do you subscribe to?
What styles of cuisines will I be learning?
Do you cover wine?
What are some areas you cover which are not typically covered by most schools?
Can I work while going to school?
Where is the best area to live in Vancouver?
Are you a professionally designated institution?
Other Professional Programs
Professional Pastry/Bread Diploma
Intense, 15 week full-time professional program focusing on precision, science, artistry, classic preparations, and modern interpretations.
One Year Culinary & Pastry/Bread Diploma
Includes both the professional culinary and pastry programs, plus a 480 hour industry Co-op. For those seeking a broader set of skills and honing them with real industry experience with our guidance.