Thomas
Hall

I chose to study this course because it is the only course of its type at university level and it continues the same studies that I previously did at The School of Artisan Food.

The course that I study covers the artisan methods of making baked goods and dairy products. This means that we use the best quality of ingredients and do not use preservatives and improver's that are used in mainstream food production for taste, colouring and to extend the shelf life of the product.

We also learn how to design/create an artisan business in one of the modules; this module assumes that many of the students on the course will want to go into running their own artisan business one day. I myself prefer the baking aspect of the course. I am a bread baker at heart and it is what I will lead my career towards.

I found this course on the last page of the UCAS website after searching for food courses. It seemed to be the perfect match for me as it was linked with The School of Artisan Food where I had already studied and knew a lot about.

The fact I had already done placement while at The School of Artisan Food doing my diploma made it an easier decision. Thanks to the schools amazing connections and my own initiative I was able to travel and bake in both Sweden and San Francisco.

I would say the most valuable thing so far is the practical baking skill. It has allowed me to get my hands back on bread dough and learn new techniques from different bakers. Helping me to understand and develop the techniques that I feel most comfortable when baking etc.

I have also learned a lot about the food industry that has made me look at the food I eat and ingredients that go into them differently.

I would say this is very valuable to understand even in the artisan career, it is always good to have broad knowledge of the sector you work on even if it is not what you want to do.

I would recommend the course to prospective students because the course really shows what small batch/artisan production is and if that is the passion they have, then there is no better place than The School of Artisan Food to learn that.

My ambition is to open an artisan bakery/eatery of some sort after gaining the full BSc in Food Science and Technology.