New Zealand Certificate in Cookery (Level 4)

Andrew Thompson - Cookery

“I was a mechanical engineer for 12 years running and programming machines but when the industry started to slow down it was time for a change of career for me. Friends suggested I get into cooking and now that I’m into it, I realize engineering and cooking oddly have a skill set in common. You’re controlling heat, working with different steels, need good hand-eye co-ordination, and you have to keep your tools sharp.”

“My brother studied cheffing here and he’s gone on to do really well. This training has a good reputation and it’s local. The best part of the course is the good vibe of the people and the environment. You’re made to feel welcome and the tutors treat you as an equal or a colleague rather than as a student. They get better outcomes by doing that so it works well both ways.”

“Baking is a challenging part of the course for me because I’m too rough and knock too much air out of cake mixes, but it’s also the area I want to get involved in.”

“This qualification will enable me the freedom to travel and work. My first priority is to get full time work and save. I’m new to the industry so I’ll have to start at the bottom but if you show you’re keen and you’re onto your work, you can progress fast. I’d love a baker’s job and eventually want to have my own baking business.”

Yasmin Bainbridge - Cookery

“I’ve always had a passion for food because my Mum was a good cook and my Grandad had a café in Malaysia. I’ve also prepared food for our church since I came to New Zealand 10 years ago, and I have a cup cake stall at the market in Dargaville. I have two kids and I thought it may be too late for me to study, but as soon as I saw the pamphlet for this course everything fell into place.”

“I applied directly, doors opened and I love it. I’m learning new techniques, I enjoy the campus environment, and the tutors and other students are so supportive. I had to go back to Malaysia when my Mum passed away and the tutors found a way to make that possible for me. We have several international students and so I’m ‘mumsie’ to them. They come to me for advice, and in turn I’m learning from the other Kiwi students.”

“The only challenge for me is the commute from Dargaville four days a week and juggling that with family, but my husband is a huge support and helps make this possible. It’s so worth it because I’m learning so much about food and food safety, and the course sets me up for my vision.”

“I want to get a job in a commercial kitchen after this course, and longer term I want to create my own café that is a place where I can tell people the story of the food. It will be about fresh healthy eating and Asian food fusion.”

Rookie Zhu - Cookery

“Every day after school as a child, I would watch Mum making food, then as an adult I was working in food technology in China. I wanted to change from checking on food, to learning how to cook it. I have a family member and a friend here and they helped me check out courses. Auckland was too big and I wanted be in a quiet town so I chose NorthTec.”

“Learning here is so different than in China because there they tell you how to solve the problem. Here you learn how to solve the problem yourself. I love deciding on and planning the menu and choosing my on dish to go on it. I also like the international mix and support of the other students and the calm manner of the tutors – especially in helping me with English.”

“Getting this qualification will give me more choices. I already work in a café in town, and when I finish I want to find work in a restaurant. When I have more experience and have learnt more, I’d love to own a café.”

Caitlin Foster - Cookery

“I love the people here. Anyone who is into hospitality is a certain sort of weird that I really enjoy. It’s part of who we are. I was going to get into hairdressing but I realized I love cooking more. I also realized that within hospitality I prefer back-of-the-house.”

“Getting to eat everything I make is a stand-out of the course along with the students and the absolutely amazing tutors. The tutors are great people with a huge amount of industry experience. The fact that we do food services here for different groups and events is a cool way to get real customer experience.” 

“The work load at level 5 is a bit of a challenge but I like a challenge and it keeps me occupied outside of class hours. I always did well at school, but here we can go beyond what is expected or think outside the square and get rewarded for it.”

“Management and business are part of our level 5 content which really suits me because after this I’m keen to go on and do an accounting course. I’ll then get some work experience, but my dream is to run a chain of restaurants in New Zealand and Australia. They would provide a desert café from 8am until 4pm and then become a restaurant from 4pm until midnight. This place and this course are giving me the knowledge, skills and confidence I need to step up and step out.”

Iwi – Te Aupouri

Hapū – Ngati Kahu (Whangaroa)

Leah Land - Cookery

“I was choosing between studying cookery or social work and actually, cookery chose me. I looked into this programme, read student profiles and realised cookery was second nature to me.”

“I’m from a big family so as soon as I was high enough to reach the bench, I was part of food preparing for family gatherings and weddings. As a young adult, people asked me to help cater for events so I already had some experience and really enjoyed that experience. I therefore decided to get the qualification to back it.”

“The best part of doing the course is learning things that I didn't know existed. It has expanded my horizons, including learning French cookery terminology and history. Key influencers, such as Auguste Escoffier (from France), have developed cuisine and cookery as we know it today. We get a window into other cultures. And our tutor is amazing. He has a calm and humble approach in the kitchen and I aspire to be more like him.”

“The real surprise – and delight – to me is that a couple of tutors have chosen me to work side-by-side with them at their personal events. One was being part of a prize for the winner to have two chefs come to their house and cook for them, and the other was to cook for a birthday function where a High Court judge was present. I love that the experience is exposing me to different situations.”

“Another surprise was our tutor’s imaginative intro into level 4. We had a ‘get back into it day’ where we played cricket and had a shared lunch of food we all brought that originated from our culture or our Mum’s home cooking. We have a diverse group with six international students and we all have different strengths to bring to the table. We love to share our knowledge and learn from each other.”

“I want to complete the Diploma in Cookery, get some more work experience, then travel, eat and explore different cuisine all around the world. We’ve just done the City and Guild’s Food Safety Certificate which is internationally recognised, and I managed to gain a distinction so that’s a plus for my CV.”

“My diploma will give me a ticket to life. A qualification gives you somewhere to step from and to step to. Thank you so much to all my inspirational tutors.”

Shahn Allen - Cookery

“I adore food – and I love learning how it’s made so other people can enjoy the best of it too. Having done level 4, I’m back now to get the diploma because it will give me more opportunities for work and a better life for my growing family.”

“I previously loved to bake cakes but as my horizons have broadened, my passion has moved from bakery to butchery. I’m a carnivore, I can cook a mean steak, and I love learning about the cuts to the extent that I’m wondering about doing a butchery apprenticeship.”

“With international students in our class, the pace is a bit slower sometimes because of language, but they’re keen and bring a different perspective to the mix. The tutors here are fantastic and keep us all enthusiastic and interested. Sharlene is awesome and Amanda rocks!”

“I’m keen for work experience when I get my diploma, and working in a butchery shadowing the staff for a while would be great learning. The dream for me is to run a family restaurant that gives the whole family a comfortable affordable experience and exposure to delicious food.”

Iwi - Ngati Whatua

Sam Fish - Cookery

“I have a massive passion for food and I love the constantly pumping hospitality industry with its long days meeting different people.”

“I used to love helping my Mum in the kitchen when I was a kid but my family wanted me to get into the construction industry because that’s what my Dad and my uncle did. I discovered my passion for food with some chance work doing food prep when I was living in Warkworth.”

“I moved up here for a fresh start, enquired about training and I’m now learning a lot about the industry I have a passion for. Everything here is a challenge and that’s what I love about it because I want to do well. We do roasting, baking, entrees, mains, plating, presentation and customer service in the front of house. I’m the youngest here and I like watching what other people do. There’s more bookwork than I expected but I’m pushing through it in my independent way.”

“This course will open up a career for me. It will give me a ticket to full time work. I’d really love to jump on a cruise ship and stop in different places with different cultures to learn about their food.”

“If you want to chance at something, just do it. I kept telling myself I couldn’t do this, then one day I told myself to shut up. And I just got on with it.”