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Passionate about food? Love cooking and baking? Then why not develop your interest further and turn it into a successful career? It's no secret that the food and hospitality industry is one of the fastest growing businesses globally, and graduates have the opportunity to work anywhere in the world.

Capsicum Culinary Studio, South Africa’s largest chef school, will be hosting an Open Day on Saturday, July 20, from 9:00 to 12:00 for those who want to enrol in the school’s next intake and for those still deciding what to study next year.

Attendees to the Open Day, which takes place at each of the school’s six campuses around the country - Boksburg, Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha, Johannesburg and Pretoria - can interact with talented chef lecturers, all leaders in the culinary field, and chat to expert advisors who will assist in making their culinary dreams come true.

Celebrating its 21st year in operation, Capsicum’s wide range of courses include:

The Advanced Professional Chef is for the future leaders of the culinary industry. It covers all major theoretical, practical and workplace components of kitchen operations, culinary practice and patisserie skill elements. It also includes effective leadership, self-development and communication, as well as sustainability and effective business management modules.

The Professional Cookery Programme covers all major theoretical, practical and workplace components of kitchen operations and culinary practice. It includes a focus on soft skills, such as kitchen supervision, self-development and communication and equips learners to enter the workforce confidently upon completion.

The Professional Patisserie Programme is for the learner who identifies with meticulous detail and patient practice. The course covers all major theoretical, practical and workplace components of kitchen operations, patisserie practice and the basics of advanced pastry applications. Cost control and operational business management principles are a core focus.

The Assistant Baker Skills Programme focuses on artisanal bread and craft baking to develop future bakers and people with artisan excellence. The skills are applicable to all sectors, from small to large-scale retail bakeries, restaurants and big hotels.

The Occupational Kitchen Hand Programme is the ideal steppingstone for those already working in the industry or those wanting to gain entry to a career in restaurant, catering and hotel kitchens. It brings together elements of food preparation and focuses on the basic skills required to operate in the food service industry.

Students can also combine two programmes, such as the two year Combination Professional Cookery and Professional Patisserie Programmes or the one year Combination Occupational Kitchen Hand and Assistant Baker Skills Programmes.

Capsicum Culinary Studio’s qualifications are internationally recognised. It’s accreditation means that they offer and confirm competency, authority and credibility through each of their programmes. The accrediting bodies they are registered with provide the curriculum requirements, as well as quality-checking their teaching and training processes while setting and assessing final external exams where applicable, alongside certifying their aligned programmes and successful graduates.

Capsicum is registered with several industry bodies, including City & Guilds, a global leader in skills development; The Culture, Art, Tourism, Hospitality, and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA) and the Quality Council For Trades & Occupations (QCTO).

It also has partnerships with the Swiss Education Group (SEG), an alliance of five separate Swiss Hospitality Schools; the Business & Hotel Management School (BHMS) in Lucerne, Switzerland; Placement International, a Swiss recruitment and placement company specialising in the luxury hospitality industry; the American Hospitality Academy (AHA), the Culinary Institute of America and youth travel specialist OVC.

Since it was established in 2003, Capsicum Culinary Studio has produced over 8 000 alumni, many of whom are now working in top positions and at leading institutions all over the world. Employers range from acclaimed restaurateurs to large multi-national hotels and resorts. Others have taken the entrepreneurial route and established their own hospitality-inspired businesses and consultancies.

For more information go to Capsicum Culinary Studio Open Day, contact Capsicum Culinary Studio on +27 86 111 2433 or email chef@capsicumcooking.co.za to arrange a visit.

Capsicum Culinary Studio campuses are located at:

• Boksburg: Unit 6, Bartlett Lake Office Park, Cnr Leith and Trichards Roads, Boksburg
• Cape Town: 6th Floor, Rex Trueform Office Park, 263 Victoria Rd, Salt River.
• Durban: 300 Granada Square, 16 Chartwell Dr, Umhlanga Rocks.
• Johannesburg: 3 Keyes Ave, Rosebank.
• Nelson Mandela Bay: 1 Newmarket Rd, Greenacres, Gqeberha.
• Pretoria: Menlyn Square, Ground Floor, South Building, 134 Aramist Ave, Waterkloof Glen.