Programme Edges

Learning Beyond the Classroom Walls

Facilitates students' active involvement in local, regional, and international culinary competitions, along with the opportunities to participate in international exchange programmes with organisations abroad.

Learning Beyond the Classroom Walls

Basic Information

The programme offers specialised training in trade-specific skills for individuals aspiring to careers in the European bakery, pastry, and confectionery sectors. It equips students with advanced competencies and comprehensive knowledge in pastry and bakery production techniques, encompassing chocolate and sugar artistry, applicable in hotels, restaurants, and independent patisseries.

Equips students with advanced knowledge in baking and pastry arts and science, food hygiene and safety, complex skills, work attitude and ethics so as to improve their career potential and competencies, and to develop their generic and artistic skills as a professional pastry chef.

Provides training on the overall and artistic skills required as an European Baker and Pastry Chef with an aim to enhance their analytical and practical skills with a kitchen management focus, to help them explore their career aspirations by becoming life-long learners.

Mode of Study Full-time

Duration of Study 2 Years

Offering Campus(es) / Venue(s)

International Culinary Institute¹ ²

Study Places International Culinary Institute - 145

Professional Recognition

Students who study food preparation and catering programmes are required to take the food hygiene and safety module. Students who have attained the specified score or above at the relevant examination will be awarded the “Basic Food Hygiene Certificate for Hygiene Managers” which is recognised by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in Hong Kong.

Graduates of Diploma in Bakery, Pastry and Confectionery (QF Level 3) who meet the following entrance requirements can sit for the “Certified Pastry Cook” Trade Test that is jointly offered by the International Culinary Institute and the Handwerkskammer Koblenz (Chamber of Skilled Crafts) HwK Koblenz, Germany. Successful candidates will be awarded “Certified Pastry Cook”.

Minimum 22 years of age
Minimum of 1 year’s relevant work experience
Relevant Certificate in Hygiene and Safety

QF Level

QF Level: 3
QR Registration No.: 15/002730/L3
Validity Period: 01/09/2015 - 31/08/2026

Remarks

Class venue: VTC Kowloon Bay Complex / VTC Pokfulam Complex.
Class and training venues include but not limited to International Culinary Institute, VTC Pokfulam Complex, VTC Kowloon Bay Complex, Tin Shui Wai Training Centre, Western Training Restaurant at Pokfulam, The T Hotel, Cafe Manson, Training Café and Western Training Restaurant at Kowloon Bay.

Notes

Medium of Instruction: English supplemented with Chinese (Cantonese).
Students may be required to attend classes on other VTC campuses. VTC reserves the right to cancel any programme, revise programme title, content or change the offering institute(s) / campus(es) / class venue(s) if circumstances so warrant.
Students enrolling for this programme must maintain the health standards required of a food handler throughout the duration of training. This encompasses taking a medical check, at students’ own expenses, which includes chest X-ray, urine routine, stool routine, stool culture, hepatitis A virus Ab lgG.
For students who have a negative hepatitis A virus antibody result, a vaccine is recommended.
Students are required to have a medical check, purchase and wear the designated uniform and shoes where applicable, at their own costs. Institute reserves the right not to admit students who fail to follow this clause.
Items listed in the curriculum are key modules only, more modules are included in the programme.
Upon completion of the food hygiene and safety module, students may sit for the “Level 2 Award in Food Safety and Hygiene” examination offered by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), UK at their own expense. Successful candidates will be awarded a certificate.
Subject to training requirements, students may be arranged to attend lessons or to undergo practical training which may be scheduled on evenings, Saturdays, Sundays or Public Holidays at other campuses or venues.
The programmes are geared to prepare students for employment after graduation. Graduates may articulate to Professional Certificate / Professional Diploma programmes after having accumulated work experiences in the industry. For enquiries, please call the Institutes at 2538 2200.

Entrance Requirements

Completion of Secondary 6 (under the New Senior Secondary academic structure); OR
Completion of Secondary 5 with a pass in the HTI / CCI / ICI bridging course; OR
Completion of 2-year Certificate programmes offered by HTI / CCI / ICI; OR
Equivalent

Articulation / Employment

Articulation

Students who have successfully completed the Diploma programmes offered by the Hospitality Discipline may articulate to Higher Diploma programmes offered by the Discipline. Offering of study place is subject to the applicants' relevant English language qualification and interview performance.

Career Prospects

Upon graduation, graduates may start their careers in operative positions like Junior Pastry Chef in patisseries, bakeries, cafés, restaurants, hotels, resorts, theme parks, clubhouses and more. By accumulating relevant experience in the industry, they can advance to supervisory positions such as Demi-Chef, Chef de Partie, and Pastry Sous Chef. Equipped with management know-how in bakery and pastry operations and business, graduates may also choose to open their own bakery, pastry shop or café.

Curriculum

Fundamentals of Chocolate and Confectionery
Fundamentals of Bakery Preparations
Contemporary Confectionery Arts
Food Production Management
Food Hygiene and Safety, Nutrition, Environmental Practices
Food and Beverage Cost Control
Restaurant Service and Operations
Vocational English & Putonghua
Integrated Learning Experience (Bakery, Pastry and Confectionery) *

Remarks

Depending on the job nature and study programme, the Integrated Learning Experience will be arranged at an appropriate time during the period of study.

Tuition Fees

1st Year Tuition Fees (HK$)

$15,720

2nd Year Tuition Fees (HK$)

$13,505

Remarks

The study duration of Diploma programmes in International Cuisine is normally 2 years. The tuition fee is payable in two installments each year.
In addition to tuition fees, students will be required to pay other fees, such as caution money and students’ union annual fees. Students of Diploma programmes in hotel-and-tourism, Chinese Cuisine and International Cuisine will be required to purchase uniform, safety shoes or reference books where applicable.
Some students may be required to study bridging modules or enhancement programmes to support their study; or to attend additional training, industrial attachments, public examinations for which separate fees will be charged.
Tuition fees are subject to annual review. The tuition fee levels for 2nd Year will be reviewed subject to inflationary adjustments and other relevant factors.
The information listed above is only applicable to local students.

Programme Highlights

WorldSkills Lyon 2024

Jeff Kwok, a graduate of the ICI Diploma in Bakery, Pastry and Confectionery (QF Level 3), earned a Medallion for Excellence in the Bakery category in WorldSkills Lyon 2024 competition.