Leiths School of Food and Wine is the industry-leading cookery school offering professional chef diplomas, enthusiast courses, and online cooking courses.

Leiths was founded by Caroline Waldegrave OBE and Prue Leith CBE in 1975, and more than 4500 chefs have trained at Leiths over the past 45 years.

The syllabus is truly international, encompassing everything from Peruvian cuisine to authentic Italian, and is updated every year in line with emerging food trends.

Students enjoy exciting guest lectures from Michelin starred chefs, as well as field trips to food markets and a vineyard.

The course will give you the lifetime skills you need for wide-reaching opportunities in the food industry. Many opt to work in food media, set up highly successful catering companies, develop recipes for food box companies and supermarkets, launch their own restaurant or other food business, and to work in food sustainability.

Programmes

Leiths offers a choice of professional courses.

The famous Leiths Diploma runs from September to June each year. The Diploma is a Level 4 qualification, and after nine months, candidates are ready to head out into the working world and start earning. Because there is a national shortage of chefs, Leiths graduates are in demand, and follow a surprisingly wide range of career paths.

If graduates need a little help finding work, they need only ask Leiths List, the school’s jobs agency. Over the years, the team at Leiths List have built up unparalleled industry contacts, from television production companies and top restaurants, to families looking for private chefs at locations around the world.

Another option is the popular Essential Certificate, which is held over four weeks, full time, in August. This wonderful course is a great option for students wishing to cook professionally during a ski season or GAP year.

For those interested in health and wellbeing, Leiths offers Nutrition in Culinary Practice, a unique, fully accredited professional course combining the theory of nutrition with hands-on cookery tuition.

Both Nutrition in Culinary Practice and the Essential Certificate are also available as immersive, user- friendly online courses, specially designed by the learning technology specialists at Workshop.

Candidate profile

Leiths are committed to Equal Opportunities and people of all ages and backgrounds feel included; so much so that The Independent Schools Inspectorate praised the supportive, inclusive atmosphere at the school.

Diploma students are generally aged between 18 and 65 and include school leavers, university graduates and career changers.

Get in touch

To book an informal interview, which can be via video link, prospective students should email registrar@leiths.com. For more information about the school’s COVID-19 policy, please visit www.leiths.com/covid-19. More information about Leiths’ professional courses can be found at www.leiths.com.

Industry testimonials

“Everybody looks up to Leiths to produce the best graduates.” – Yotam Ottolenghi

“If ever anybody comes to me for a job and I hear they’ve trained at Leiths, I want them.” – Rick Stein

“Leiths is the Oxbridge of the food world.” – Tim Hayward