High school diploma

Minimum age 18 years

Good knowledge of the Italian language

To have students learn the art of cooking directly in the field through the FGA Method. One year of practical and theoretical classes and three months of curricular internship to boost one’s professional life. We offer practical, intensive and effective courses that not only allow students to learn the main techniques of cooking, communication and management, but above all to make them truly understand the true meaning of being a restaurateur, learning the secrets of the trade that will then allow them to enter the working world with the characteristics of a true professional. During the lessons, the goal is to make the student understand the mechanisms of the different segments of the industry (cooking, baking, pastry making, dining service) that will make him or her a prepared and creative Restaurant Manager, able to set up the operational processes and supervise the management – of his or her own business, the family business or the restaurant he or she is going to manage.

During the course of study we connect students with the professional network of this sector.

– We arrange meetings with owners, employees and supervisors of companies belonging to the agribusiness sector that are closely involved in the production, distribution, control and serving of food: they are useful for the student to understand the catering sector in a comprehensive way.

– We take students and advise them to visit organic markets, olive and wine farms, renowned fish and meat retailers, and the places a chef needs to know to make an excellent choice of raw materials.

– We partner with international events such as Identità Golose and Taste of Milano, for which students are allowed privileged access, thanks to the agreements these organisations have with the school.

– Thanks to the integration with event activities, catering and at the Al Cortile restaurant, students have the opportunity to directly confront the job market that awaits them. And get a head start right away.

STUDY PLAN: HAUTE CUISINE MODULE.

Knives and cuts: safety, dexterity, techniques

Vegetables and tubers, soups and side dishes. Italian, international and modern

Vegan “gourmet,” alternative sauces and proteins

Eggs, from a basic ingredient to a protagonist in the kitchen

Theory and techniques of basic sauces

Fondues and risottos between tradition and creativity

Fresh egg and filled pasta

Raw materials no waste: meat and pork

Raw materials no waste: fish

Cheeses, cured meats: history, production and organoleptic analysis

Classic and modern trattoria: tradition today and low-cost cooking

Techniques: steaming, low temperature, smoking and drying

Fermentation: history, basic chemistry and techniques

The siphon: contemporary use in cooking

Spices. History, knowledge and organoleptic analysis.

Bread making: from flour to bread with sourdough, poolish and biga

Contemporary pizza: making it, regenerating it, seasoning it

Large leavened goods and desserts: history, traditions and types

Gourmet ice cream: creative recipes and how to use them

Catering desserts: theory, technique and presentation

Savory pastries and banquets: from amuse bouche to large numbers

History and culture of contemporary classical gastronomy

Calculation and strategy of a restaurant’s food cost

Principles of nutrition, physiology of nutrition, diets and nutritional criticality.

Sensory analysis: a “blindfolded” lesson

Signature cuisine and sustainable cooking

Food Design: plating, table setting, food photography

Cooking for the intolerants: cooking well “without”

New services: delivery, take away, street food

Kitchens from around the world

Test of service

Final exam.

STUDY PLAN: COMMUNICATION MODULE

History of gastronomy

History of food, from the Neolithic to the future

Food publishing in Italy and publishing logics

Basic writing techniques: writing for work

Communication theory and techniques: making yourself understood, being persuasive, public speaking tips

Multimedia communication techniques for food, from the web to social networks

Food storytelling, technical theories and writing workshops

Interviews and the use of sources

From marketing plan to communication plan

The communications agency: doing press office, PR, consulting

Digital & Social Food Marketing tools and strategies

Multi-sensory marketing for the restaurant industry

Food criticism 2.0 and the new food professionals between old and new media

Professional deontology of criticism and the journalistic and non-journalistic professions

Alternative, viral, unconventional, effective communication

Knowledge of raw materials: history and production of cheeses and cured meats

Tasting techniques and sensory analysis

Professional critique of a dish

Personal branding: communicating one’s professionalism

STUDY PLAN: MANAGEMENT MODULE

Food&Beverage cost control

Methods of sales price formation

Yield management in restaurant enterprises

Menu Engineering

From idea to brand realisation: thinking about the right format for your business goals

Feasibility analysis (Business plan)

The budget in the restaurant industry

The start-up world: bureaucracy related to starting a restaurant business

Vendor management, procedural system and inventory management

New trends and formats in the restaurant industry

Fundamentals of marketing and communication plan

Geomarketing – market and customer needs analysis

Wine marketing and wine list

Crisis management: managing and communicating crisis

Delivery today: an overview of applicable business models

Digital marketing for foodservice

Human resource management

The importance of room service: technical characteristics of a room and opportunities

Management of orders, customer relations, reservations, room-to-kitchen relationship

Sales techniques

Designing and implementing cocktail, spirits and bar offerings

STUDY PLAN:

The hall as a profession and career prospects

Interview, CV and presentation of one’s professionalism in the world of work

Service styles, yesterday today and tomorrow

Dining service and back office

Managing reservations and customer flow

Service protocol and teamwork, relationships

The commercial and strategic role of room service

Customer psychology, menus and orders

Wine list, cocktails and spirits: guiding the choice

Sales techniques and objectives

Crisis management and customer care

Housekeeping: pre and post service

Safety, labor rights and duties

The certificate issued at the end of the course is a passepartout for the working world even at an international level given the accreditation that Food Genius Academy has received over the years thanks to the preparation of its students, the authoritative collaborations and the instructors the school uses. Food Genius Academy is also an Accredited Institution for Employment Services of the Lombardy Region, i.e., an institution registered in the Regional Register of DBNs (registration number 1217) that offers training for the technical-professional profiles and skills that the working world requires and that emerge from the ever-changing reality. FGA issues a Regional Certificate of Competence on the basis of regional certification delivery standards: a useful tool for the purposes of entering the labor market, job relocation or for resuming studies in a vocational training pathway. Being an FGA student gives you the right skills and opens doors to the working world.

The HACCP certificate( Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) this is necessary for anyone working in the food and beverage field administration (for example, chefs, bartenders, restaurateurs, pizza makers, food processors, etc.,). The HACCP Certificate is obtained after attending a legally required course covering topics such as microbiology, chemistry, physics and legislation, the HACCP system, its application and sanitisation, and taking and passing a test demonstrating the skills acquired. Food Genius Academy students, as required by Regulation (EC) 852/04 obtain the certificate required by regional regulations as part of their training.

After the course and the curricular internship, you are ready to join the staff of a restaurant of any kind (starred, street-food, trattoria), hotel, or foodservice company. You will be able to fill a variety of roles, including: F&B Manager, Executive Chef, Food Consultant, Entrepreneur-Restaurant, Food Controller in the large-scale retail sector. Or start your own business in catering.