The Intensive Chalet Course

Accessible and affordable opportunities to acquire skills as a chalet cook

One week and two week courses:  9.30am-5pm

The Avenue Cookery School specialises in one and two week Chalet Cooking Courses aimed at developing skills and confidence in the kitchen.  To cook at altitude you first need to know how to cook!  It is through a well structured but flexible approach that we develop the skills of the confident and less confident alike.

The Chalet Courses cover all aspects of work in the ski industry but, first and foremost, cooking techniques are patiently and thoroughly taught.  Once cooking skills are established, the course covers all aspects of hosting, budgeting and shopping as well as menu planning and chalet cleaning.  Diana Horsford, who leads the Chalet Courses, has many years of experience both working in chalets and, more recently, teaching all that is needed to prepare a chalet host.  Provided a candidate has reached the required standard, ‘The Chalet Cooking Course Certificate’ is awarded.

Excellent links to companies within the industry are maintained by the school, with particular attention given to the ever changing requirements that many of the companies look for in their employees.  Helpful tips on approaching an interview as well as carefully prepared menu plans play an important roll in guiding a student to the right job.

The one week course is designed for students who already have a solid cooking technique and therefore the week focuses on menu planning, hands-on cooking and presentation.  Plenty of opportunity is given to exploring individual ideas and, as many students will already have acquired jobs, practising specific recipes is very helpful.

The two week course covers all basic techniques of cooking and knife skills, and builds gradually throughout the five days in preparation for the second week of chalet menus.