This unique course will provide you with the skills and knowledge to work in the artisan food industry, meeting the increasing demand for high quality food that is sustainably produced. This course is delivered by professional artisan food specialists at The School of Artisan Food – based on the Welbeck Estate – alongside food technology specialists at Nottingham Trent University. You’ll study the functionality of high-end food ingredients, and practical skills such as breadmaking, patisserie and viennoiserie, butchery, charcuterie and cheesemaking.
If you have any questions about our Artisan Food course, you can now chat to our experienced lecturers and course leaders through Unibuddy.
Why choose this course?
This course is delivered by professional artisan food specialists at The School of Artisan Food - based on the Welbeck Estate - alongside food technology specialists at Nottingham Trent University.
- Teaching will be split between The School of Artisan Food, based in North Nottinghamshire on the Welbeck Estate, and Nottingham Trent University Brackenhurst Campus.
- You'll benefit from a free shuttle bus, which will take you from Brackenhurst Campus to the Welbeck Estate for your lectures and classes.
- You'll have access to newly refurbished, purpose-built training rooms and a demonstration theatre at The School of Artisan Food. Meanwhile, you'll also have access to all the facilities at Nottingham Trent University including our library, Employability team and food laboratory.
- The School of Artisan Food has an outstanding reputation for the quality of training it provides, and you'll benefit from staff who are some of the most skilled and experienced artisan producers and practitioners in the UK, Europe and beyond.
- This degree will equip you with the skills necessary for employment within the wider food production industry.
Student profiles
What you'll study
During this course you'll learn the skills needed to work in the artisan food industry. From developing practical expertise and producing a range of food products, to setting up an artisan food business. You'll also study the functionality of high-end food ingredients, and practical skills such as bread-making, patisserie and viennoiserie, butchery, charcuterie and cheese-making.
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Year One
Artisan Bread Production
Through a mixture of theory and practical bread making sessions, develop your understanding of the fermentation process and critical key stages to bread making. You’ll also learn about recipe formulation, and raw bread material function in fermented baking.
Patisserie and Viennoiserie
Gain a knowledge of the ingredients, artisan production methods, baking techniques, and vocabulary associated with artisan patisserie and viennoiserie. This module will also equip you with the necessary technical skills needed to produce a variety of different artisan products.
Artisan Dairy Production
This module will provide a background to the UK dairy industry including sourcing, quality of milk and cattle breeds. You’ll gain an in-depth knowledge of the production of dairy products, including a range of cheese types and undertake practical sessions to manufacture hard and soft cheeses, cream, butter, yoghurt and ice cream.
Food Chemistry
Understand the key scientific principles relevant to food science, including the constituents of food and the effects these have on both their properties and functions. You’ll also develop the skills necessary to undertake simple laboratory analysis of food and interpret the data.
Artisan Business Entrepreneurship and Marketing
Gain the skills needed to plan an independent artisan business, including an overview of the key choices facing a start-up business, and developing a realistic marketing proposition for an artisan food business. You’ll also explore sustainability, ethical and health issues relating to food production, consumption and quality, and how this relates to producers.
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Year Two
This is a placement year for students on the three-year course.
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Final year
Consumer Nutrition and Health
Gain an understanding of human nutrition and the ability to analyse foods for macronutrients associated with nutrition and allergies. Throughout this module, you’ll also learn how consumer nutrition needs and trends affect product development, processing and packaging
Advanced Artisan Bread Production
Develop your bread-making skills further, developing more complex techniques and the theoretical knowledge behind them. You’ll also be exposed to larger batch production, and the requirements of this scale of production.
Artisan Business Operations and Finance
This module will provide you with the tools needed to operate an independent artisan business and understand the associated finance including feasibility, and start-up options.
Artisan Business Planning
Learn how to develop a financially robust business plan for an artisan start-up and pitch to investors. You’ll gain an understanding of return on investment and its application in business planning, and risk management within an artisan food business.
Food Industry Employability
Throughout this module you'll develop a portfolio and professional social media profile. You’ll also be given support with developing your continued professional development, and engage with our university employability team to improve your future graduate work prospects.
You'll also choose one optional module:
Artisan Butchery and Charcuterie
Gain an insight into traditional butchery methods and techniques focusing on three main meat animals - pigs, cattle and sheep. You’ll be introduced to basic anatomy, knife skills, an overview of livestock production, and the principles of transforming meat into charcuterie using curing, fermentation and smoking.
Advanced Patisserie, Viennoiserie and Chocolate
Learn about the ingredients, advanced artisan production methods, and baking techniques required to produce a range of chocolate products, chocolate patisserie, and French patisserie and viennoiserie products. You’ll also develop knowledge of the composition of various cocoa beans, learning how and where they are grown.
96% of students agreed the staff were good at explaining things (School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, National Student Survey 2020)
How you’re taught
On this course your teaching will be split between The School of Artisan Food, based in north Nottinghamshire on the Welbeck Estate, and Nottingham Trent University Brackenhurst Campus.
Applied practice is integral to this course and you'll be supported to gain relevant industry experience with the opportunity to take a year-long placement. On successful completion of the FdSc, there is the potential to complete a top up year on the FT BSc (Hons) Food Science and Technology course. With this academic route there would also be the opportunity to incorporate a secondary placement year in between studies. Students will be supported by the NTU Placement Office and School of Artisan Food in providing advice and knowledge on a range of suitable placements including placements with smaller artisan producers.
Assessment methods
Year 1 coursework (75%) and practical (25%)
Year 2 coursework (75%), written (16%) and practical (9%)
Contact hours
A full-time student on average can expect to spend 1200 hours a year learning which will typically be broken down as follows:
Year 1 lectures/seminars/workshops (26%) and independent study (74%)
Year 2 lectures/seminars/workshops (26%) and independent study (74%)
You'll be taught by professional artisan food specialists at The School of Artisan Food alongside food technology specialists at Nottingham Trent University.
Careers and employability
Your future career
On completion of the course you will be fully enabled with all the entrepreneurial theories and skills to help you create your product and outline your business plan.
If you feel you need additional support to realise your business proposition, the NTU Enterprise Centre are able to provide additional support to entrepreneurs and new businesses.
Facilities
The School of Artisan Food has an outstanding reputation for the quality of training it provides, and you’ll benefit from staff who are some of the most skilled and experienced artisan producers and practitioners in the UK, Europe and beyond.
They also boast newly refurbished, purpose-built training rooms and a demonstration theatre, which all include state-of-the-art specialist equipment.
Meanwhile you’ll also have access to all of the facilities at Nottingham Trent University including our library, Employability team and food laboratories.
Entry requirements
What are we looking for?
- A-levels – DDE; or
- BTEC Extended Diploma – MPP; or
- 64 UCAS Tariff points from three A-levels or equivalent qualifications; and
- GCSEs – English and Maths grade C / 4.
Applicants without A-levels will have their applications assessed for subject compatibility.
Other qualifications and experience
We consider equivalent qualifications and combinations, please see UCAS course search for details and use our calculator to help you work out how many UCAS points your qualifications relate to.
We may also consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry, or beyond the beginning of a course where applicable, for example, into year 2. Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route.
Contextual offers
As well as assessing your application and qualifications, we use contextual data and information to make offers for this course. Depending on your circumstances, we may make you an offer up to two grades below the standard entry criteria. Find out how we assess your application.
Getting in touch
If you need any more help or information, please email our Admissions and Enquiries Team or call on +44 (0)115 848 4200.
What are we looking for?
We accept qualifications from schools, colleges and universities all over the world for entry onto our courses. If you’re not sure how your international qualification matches our course requirements please visit our international qualifications page.
This course does not attract Tier 4 sponsorship.
Foundation courses
If you need to do a foundation course to meet our course requirements please visit Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC). If you’re already studying in the UK at a school or college and would like to know if we can accept your qualification please visit our foundation courses page.
English language entry requirements
If English is not your first language you need to show us that your language skills are strong enough for intensive academic study. We usually ask for an IELTS test and we accept some alternative English language tests.
- For a list of our language requirements please visit our English language page.
- If you need to do a pre-sessional English language course to meet the English requirements please visit our pre-sessional English course page.
Help and support
If you have any questions about your qualifications or about making an application to the University please email our International Team for advice.
NTU may admit a student with advanced standing beyond the beginning of a course, through an assessment of that student's prior learning, whether it is certificated or uncertificated. Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available to these prospective students, such as recognising experiential learning or transferring to a similar course at another institution, otherwise known as credit transfer.
All prospective students who wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning should initially contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.
How to apply
Ready to join us? Then apply as soon as you can. Just click the Apply button at the top of the page and follow the instructions for applying. Make sure you check the entry requirements above carefully before you do.
Writing your application and personal statement
Be honest, thorough and persuasive in your application. Remember, we can only make a decision based on what you tell us. So include all of your qualifications and grades, including resits or predicted grades.
Your personal statement is a really important part of your application. It’s your chance to convince us why we should offer you a place! You’ve got 4,000 characters to impress us. Make sure you use them to show how your skills and qualities are relevant to the course(s) you’re applying for. For more hints and tips, take a look at our page on how to write a good personal statement.
Keeping up-to-date
After you’ve applied, we’ll be sending you important emails throughout the application process so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
You can get more information and advice about applying to NTU on our Your Application page. Good luck with your application!
Getting in touch
If you need any more help or information, please email our Admissions Team or call on +44 (0)115 848 4200.
Please read our notes on the University's commitment to delivering the educational services advertised.
Please note this course is not open to students who require a Tier 4 visa.
You can apply directly to the University for an undergraduate course if you’re not applying to any other UK university in the same year. If you are applying to more than one UK university you must apply through UCAS.
Apply as early as you can so that you have time to prepare for your studies. If you need a visa to study here you need to plan this into your application.
- For a step-by-step guide on making an application to the University please visit our how to apply page.
- For advice on applying for a visa please visit our visa information page.
- For advice on how to write a good personal statement please visit our personal statement page.
Keeping up-to-date
After you’ve applied, we’ll be sending you important emails throughout the application process so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
Good luck with your application!
Getting in touch
If you need any more help or information, please email our Admissions Team or call on +44 (0)115 848 4200.
Please read our notes on the University's commitment to delivering the educational services advertised.
Fees and funding
Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there’s no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding pages will answer all your questions.
Getting in touch
For more advice and guidance, you can contact our Student Financial Support Service.
Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2494
Additional costs
Your course fees cover the cost of studies, and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team, and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses.
Library books
Most study modules will recommend one or more core text books, which most students choose to purchase. Book costs vary and further information is available in the University’s bookshop. Our libraries provide a good supply of essential text books, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) – meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you might think! There may also be a supply of second-hand books available for purchase from previous year students.
Field trips
All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may be the opportunity to take part in optional field trips, which do incur additional costs.
Placements
If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement which can help to cover these living costs.
Print and copy costs
The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.
Other costs
All students will also be expected to provide their own steel-toe-capped safety boots and working overalls.
International fees and scholarships
For information on international and EU fees and advice on how to pay, please visit our international fees page.
We offer prestigious scholarships to new international students holding offers to study at the University. For details and an application form please visit our international scholarships information.
Additional costs
Your course fees cover the cost of studies, and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team, and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses.
Library books
Most study modules will recommend one or more core text books, which most students choose to purchase. Book costs vary and further information is available in the University’s bookshop. Our libraries provide a good supply of essential text books, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) – meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you might think! There may also be a supply of second-hand books available for purchase from previous year students.
Field trips
All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may be the opportunity to take part in optional field trips, which do incur additional costs.
Placements
If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement which can help to cover these living costs.
Print and copy costs
The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.
Other costs
All students will also be expected to provide their own steel toe-capped safety boots and working overalls.