The name ‘Le Cordon Bleu’ is synonymous with quality. It speaks of a culinary education that is second to none, and has taught the likes of culinary greats of the past and present.
Through the institution’s 120 year reign it has expanded from a small Parisian cooking school to span 20 countries worldwide. Globally Le Cordon Bleu teaches 20,000 people culinary courses annually. Talk about world domination!
As self proclaimed SA foodies here at Glam, it was an honour to be invited to Le Cordon Bleu’s Adelaide home at Regency Park TAFE as part of Tasting Australia to see how Le Cordon Bleu has transitioned from just a cooking school, to an essential stepping stone for lovers of food and hospitality.
On hand to show us around was Dr. Roger Haden, the Academic Director of the school. South Australia has become a state in which the food and hospitality industries have become integral to our existence; it’s incredible to see a plethora of courses being offered that go so far beyond the mere enjoyment of a glass of SA wine or piece of SA cheese (not that Glam sees any issue with that!).
Specifically, we took close look at the newer courses, which Dr Haden emphasised as providing students of all levels with multidisciplinary understandings of food and drink cultures. What does that mean exactly? That students will gain insights into business development, event management, supporting ethical foodways, ethical understanding of the impacts of tourism, marketing experience and, of course, hands on product development.
Luckily, we got to take a closer look at the hands on section that Tafe SA and Le Cordon Bleu are so well known for. And do you know what that means? Samples! Through a near maze of corridors we discovered the brewery, cheesemaking rooms, butchers and bakeries. All of which students get to try their hand at while studying gastronomy and tourism.
The Campus Brewery at Le Cordon Bleu – Photo By Hannah Pendlebury
There was even a unique serving area with different coloured lighting to educate students on the psychology behind food and its presentation. Hot tip: if you want your guests salivating, blue lighting is a massive fail.
Decadent White Chocolate and Almond Truffles. Photo by Kelly Noble.
Patissiere and chocolatier Jen took us through what was basically a masters degree in chocolate and dessert wine in just over an hour. From production to history, quality to tasting notes and some specially added fun facts (like 22% of the world’s chocolate is consumed between 8pm and 10pm, which seems accurate) we felt like tipsy little experts upon departure. We even got certificates to prove it!
What all desserts begin as… Photo By Kelly Noble
And the incredible creations they become! Photo By Kelly Noble.
So, what did we take from our journey behind the doors of the world’s most prestigious culinary institution? Other than learning the difference between couverture (the brilliant stuff) and compound (the real nasty stuff) chocolate, the school imparted to us a newfound appreciation on the impact and importance of courses like Gastronomic Tourism for industry like ours in South Australia.
Finding and empowering people who know that they have a passion for this industry but aren’t sure where exactly they want that passion to take them; or people who are already in the profession but want to further themselves and gain accreditation that they may not even know is available, are the goals at Le Cordon Bleu.
This tour opened our eyes to a world that went so far beyond baking and wine making. If you love food, wine and hospitality but you’re not sure where to focus all that confused inspiration, these guys are the best in the business when it comes to harnessing it and taking you in directions you didn’t know possible.
For more information visit the Le Cordon Bleu Adelaide website.
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