Requirements

Training and Partner Schools

Think this could be the best job in the world but don’t have the necessary experience or qualifications to attend Host Academy?

Quarterdeck requires all hosts to have previous experience working in a professional kitchen or to attend a week, or longer, culinary course, before attending Host Academy. If you do not have any formal training please consider taking a cooking course at a local culinary school, or attending our partner school listed below. We do not require a specific course, but have provided the skills we think are important to master. If you have questions or are unsure if a course is suitable please contact us.

What to look for in a week long culinary course

The main objective of the course should be to provide students with as much hands on experience preparing different types of dishes, for various dietary needs. We hope that by the end of the course students are able to ensure that foods are stored, handled, prepared, and cooked in a safe and hygienic manner. We want the students to learn the basics of cooking and leave with the skills and confidence it takes to be in charge of every aspect of a meal. The course should teach everything from food handling and safety, meat cutting and cooking, to garnishing and plating techniques during the week.

Recommended competencies to look for:

  • Basic Knife Skills - How to properly hold a chef’s knife and techniques on how to cut various foods
  • Food Safety and Handling - This is one of the most important lessons
  • Menu and Meal Planning - Implementing a meal plan for the week based on different dietary restrictions and needs.
  • Vegetables - Best ways to peel and cut vegetables; how to maintain bright pigment in vegetables; various ways to cook (simmer in salted water, braise, blanch, fry, etc); various vegetable main courses and side dishes.
  • Breakfast - How to properly fry, poach and scramble eggs; how to make french toast; how to cut fruit and make fruit platters; how to make pancakes/crepes
  • Starches - How to cook rice, quinoa, pasta/cous-cous, and potatoes (understanding the difference between starchy vs waxy). Discuss different potato recipes including mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, Jackson potatoes, etc
  • Meat - Show various ways to cook meat with dry heat cooking, and moist heat cooking. Learn techniques such as stuffed chicken breast, roast chicken, coq a vin, pulled pork, pork loin/chops, braised beef/pot roast
  • How to make sauces - White sauce (how to turn a basic white sauce into a cheesy Béchamel, a garlic and herb sauce for pasta, a spicy creamy jalapeño sauce to enhance the flavour of a stuffed chicken breast, etc.), hollandaise sauce & bearnaise sauce, tomato sauce, and wine sauce with herbs
  • Desserts - No bake desserts, basic cake skills
  • Food Presentation - People are said to eat with their eyes first, meaning that they notice how a dish is presented and garnished and have an opinion on the meal before they even have their first bite

The Rouxbe
Recommended online culinary training course

Fresh Tracks

We strongly recommend an in-person course. For those who are not in the position to attend a course we recommend the online course by Rouxbe called” The Cook's Roadmap: An Introduction”.

To access the course
  1. Create an account here
  2. Verify your Email Address and then you should be signed up for a month.
  3. Login and navigate to the courses page and find "The Cook's Roadmap: An Introduction".

Complete the course in your own time and send us the course completion certificate you receive.

Fresh Tracks
Recommended host training course

Fresh Tracks

Fresh Tracks offer one-week residential courses in North Cornwall, designed to provide you with the necessary skills to become all-around great hosts and get the most out of your season. They teach you how to prepare and cook chalet-style meals whilst hosting large numbers of guests. The course is specifically aimed at winter seasons, but the skills and techniques are transferable to summer seasons and yacht hosting roles.

For more information please check out freshtrackschaletschool.com or give them a call on 07497368663.

What's Included
  1. High-quality accommodation for 7 nights in chalet-style cottages in Cornwall, 200 meters from the beach (linen and towels provided).
  2. 7 days fully catered, including cooked breakfasts, cakes, hot lunch, and 3 course evening meal.
  3. Collection from local train station/airport and ample parking available.
  4. Comprehensive 6 days tuition and personal references on request.
  5. Fresh Tracks Course Manual, Cookbook, and Chalet Host CV Writing Kit.
  6. Level 2 Food Hygiene Course.