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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.
- Introduction to the Pastry Kitchen
- Pies and Tarts
- Quick Breads
- Cookies
- Creams and Custards
- Cream Puffs and Eclairs
- Cheesecake
- Artisan Breads
- Sourdough
- Gluten Free Breads
- Brioche and Challah Breads
- Sugar Confections
- Science of ingredients
- Science of heat
- Buttercream Cakes
- Celebration Cakes
- Souffles
- Caramel Confections
- Chocolate
- Create your own High Tea Service Midterm
- Cakes and Introduction to Cake Decorating
- Mousse Cakes
- Gluten Free, Vegan and Raw Baking
- Frozen Desserts
- Preservation Techniques
- Food Costing
- Puff Pastries, Croissants, Danishes
- Molded Chocolates
- Rolled Chocolates and Truffles
- Allergies and other Dietary Restrictions
- Portfolio Development
- Entrepreneurship
- Plated Desserts
- Plated Dessert Service: Students invite guests
Also covered during the course are hygiene and food safety, menu design, and industry stages
Anatomy of a day
A typical day at NWCAV is unique to most schools simply because we structure each day to get more done, more intensely, practically, and efficiently than other schools. Below is a snapshot; however, if you are in Vancouver, we highly suggest you spend a few hours with us in our kitchens to witness first-hand what we are all about.
- Pastry instructors arrive at the school around 7:30am. Doors open to the students at 8am. Classes start at 9:00am for Pastry.
- We gather in the common kitchen area, an all-in-one classroom/demo/kitchen area. This specifically designed theatre allows its teachers and students to perform seamlessly from one dish/technique to another.
- We start even before 9am by scaling the day’s recipes. Each station has a drawer for each partner and these drawers are transferable between stations. This is especially useful as all the tools you require are within hands reach.
- The wooden counter tops of each station table are ideal for rolling pastry dough, kneading bread dough, and each station has a marble slab for chocolate tempering, handling molten sugar, and working with temperature-sensitive mediums.
- At 9am sharp we discuss the day’s game plan, focusing on specific techniques inherent in specific recipes and dishes. We commence with precise demonstration while at the same time discussing its concise theory (most schools perform theory in room filled with desks; we do it in conjunction with our physical demos).
- Students are teamed in pairs (teams change every week) and create their own game plan before moving into the kitchen; this promotes clear communication, organization, time-management, accountability, and solidifies understanding of the demo’s key points – all, again, vital skills demanded by the industry.
- Students work in an island-configured kitchen, never facing a wall, maintaining clear lines of communication between instructors and students, facilitating movement, flow, and coaching.
- Guidelines, timelines and often deadlines are given to further promote an understanding and respect for the importance of quality communication, organization, game planning, multi-tasking, time-management, choreography, skill development, etc.. These are the very tangible industry skills which separate the home cook from the professional.
- Executed preparations are gathered, critiqued, tasted, and improvements discussed. Then the next technique/dish is demonstrated and theorized, executed, and tasted.
This sort of rhythm proceeds throughout the day, most often 3-4 times, and this integration of theory, demo and kitchen-work allows us to cover more material on a hands-on basis. More importantly, it simulates and acclimates the student to the pace, intensity, and expectations of the real industry kitchen. Other “reality advantages” our teaching/learning style gives our students:
- It exposes your strengths and, more importantly, the key skills and attributes that need further focus, nurturing, and development. Most often, the key we work on is patience, patience, patience!
- We repeat key skills, like laminations, piping, bread dough, bread shaping, croissants, tarts, pastry creams, anglaise, all for the hands to gain confidence to tackle more complex techniques such as tempering chocolate, sugar work, or cake decorating.
- Though focused on European fine pastries and breads, our curriculum covers some pastries and flatbreads from around the world, and also gluten-free and alternative substitutions. Students are exposed to many quality ingredients and preparations. Our food cost, included in the tuition, far exceeds that of most culinary schools.
- Menu development projects allow students to express their creative palate.
- We convert the last week of each term into a “mock” restaurant where students create their own menus and practice them first before executing them – as part of their final practical exams – to an invited public and industry judges
All students experience a personal growth during their education. You soon realize that professional and personal development, especially in this field, go hand-in-hand.
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 Culinary Diploma Program
Intense, 15 week full-time professional program focusing on techniques, ingredients, global cuisines, creativity, modern thinking, and mindful values.
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.