Auckland Cooking Schools
Cooking schools in Auckland and New Zealand are not your typical academic education. They are cooler, funkier, and a more concise reflection of NZ personality. The few you’ll discover are owned, designed and developed by local and regional chefs and promote the bounty of the surrounding countryside. They also focus on community, and in some cases even deliver a kind of magical group therapy you can only get when you combine a gathering of disparate people in a room cooking.
If you’re pursuing a job as chef or cook in Auckland or elsewhere in New Zealand be aware of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). This government entity regulates the educational assessments for particular trade industries, including that of cooks and chefs. Larger cooking schools will likely run their programs according to the NZQA standards.
The culinary makeup of Auckland is unique—the population is a generous mix of English and Polynesians. In fact this is a bilingual city, English and Maori are both spoken.
Living in Auckland
The city is multicultural in population with a consistently mild climate. If you dig water sports, fishing or sailing then the Auckland harbor, stuffed with sailboats, should be inspirational. The growth in the restaurant and food service industry is estimated to continue as the population increases with international immigrants. And at the same time business and industry are positioned for solid growth, as well.
Become part of the industry and build solid professional relationships with membership in the New Zealand Chefs Association. You’ll have access to a corps of NZ chefs, industry news, job resources and local and national culinary events and chef competitions.
Popular Auckland Cookery Schools
Sileni Estate Culinary School
Run as an adjunct to a regional winery in famed Hawke’s Bay, Sileni culinary school delivers a number of classes built for enthusiasts, tourists and for student and professional chefs and cooks. Each class teaches you how to manipulate ingredients and flavors for a 3-course meal. Here’s a chance to learn cooking alongside celebrity chef, Andy Glover, executive chef at Sileni.
New Zealand School of Food and Wine
Located in Christchurch, this is nevertheless one of the country’s largest and most mainstream culinary schools. The 16-week Certificate in Cookery provides ambitious student chefs with all the skills necessary to launch a solid career. You learn basics of food storage, selection, preparation and presentation; menu development; knife skills, use of professional kitchen equipment, and wine pairing. Besides the Certificate in Cookery, academic programs and degree majors include: Certificates in Restaurant and Café Management, Hospitality and Cookery, Sommelier, and Western Cookery and Wine. Get hands-on experience in the on-site Hay Restaurant.
New Zealand Naval Cookery School
Even the national Navy needs cooks. Recruits eager to learn cooking are routed quickly in training to the Naval Cookery School. Ever dreamed about cooking for an army, then here’s your chance. Learn your way around a ship’s galley, how to select, store, prepare and present meals in a Naval framework, including daily meals, events and formal occasions. You’ll earn the opportunity to work your way up in the galley hierarchy, eventually managing a galley of chef and cook assistants. And if you’re competitive you’ll have ample opportunity to put your skills to the test when you head-to-head with other Naval chefs during the year.