|
 
THE SILWOOD SCHOOL OF COOKERY
Study towards a passport to the great kitchens of the world.
 
Food is a marketable skill and at Silwood
students are given the tools with which to achieve
a highly successful career in the food industry.
|
Silwood School of Cookery, founded by Lesley Faull as a small family run business, opened their doors 45 years ago in 1964. Over the years, Silwood has become a top South African culinary institution, today headed by her daughter Alicia Wilkinson and assisted by her daughter Carianne Wilson. The school specialises in a broad based education equipping graduates with the classic skills required in world class kitchens internationally. They are enormously proud that graduates are sought after worldwide and their achievements are formidable.
Bustling Silwood Kitchen remains in the original farm buildings of a free burger land grant of 1795 in Rondebosch, the heart of educational Cape Town, home to the University of Cape Town and The Diocesan College for Boys. The school is surrounded by spacious organic gardens where students relax between lessons, pick and use their home grown herbs and vegetables.
 
Silwood offers three consecutive, one year courses culminating in a Silwood Grande Diploma Course.
The Silwood Certificate Course - one year full time food education in both hot kitchen and pastry.
The Silwood Diploma Course - exposure to various types of industry kitchens enabling the student to ascertain the type of establishment where their skills are best suited.
The Silwood Grande Diploma Course - a one year apprentice year in an establishment best suited to further the students career.
 
The Certificate Course:
A very intensive one year food education in both hot kitchen and pastry. The course not only teaches the students how to cook but equips them with the basic management skills and tools needed to run a professional kitchen.
Practical classes are taught in groups no larger than 12. Students attend practical classes from Monday to Thursday, Fridays are theory days.
All dishes prepared in practical classes are demonstrated beforehand. The students prepare the dishes under supervision and the end product is assessed. Presentation, portion size, skill in execution and taste are the basic criteria used for marking.
Apart from learning the technical skills needed to produce world class food, students acquire the fundamental skills needed to run a professional kitchen. This is done by hands on application - students learn to choose and purchase the best ingredients while staying within a strict budget. Mastering these fundamentals at the start of a food career is invaluable.
Students are also required to work for catering functions each term. Top caterers hire and pay the students when they have large functions, offering valuable experience in the field.
  
Caramelized pear and haloumi bruschetta
At Silwood the demonstration kitchen is used for
the many guest speakers, celebrity chefs and lecturers,
which forms part of their recipe for success.
  
To be awarded the Certificate Course the student must pass:
· All baking and cooking practicals - pass mark of 60%
· Weekly tests and knife skills tests
· A skill exam in June and a mystery basket exam in November
· A three course Cordon Bleu Exam in June and November
· An International project and practical exam
· Two baking exams
· A seasonal fruit and vegetable chart pertaining to the Western Cape
· A formal cake and novelty cake
· The Cape Wine Academy Wine Course
  
Written exams consist of Theory of Cookery and Food Cost, International Cookery, Theory of Baking and Sugar Craft, Nutrition, French Menu Reading, History of Food, Art of the Table and Food Service.
Silwood has an extensive library as well as student computers and wireless internet access.
  
Here the students are preparing a traditional baked fruit cake. Steamed, insulated by newspaper and sprinkled with water every 20 minutes. The beauty of this method is that although the cake can be made a few days before serving the final effect is mellow and mature.
The baking course at Silwood specialises in this demanding aspect of cookery. Students will learn the art of pastry making, the preparation of superb country house cakes in all their splendour including wedding, Christmas and birthday cakes - all part of their extensive repertoire.
|
Alicia Wilkinson gives a few pointers on pears, "Packham pears are most versatile and you can count on them being easily available with their wonderful flavour and juicy texture. They are a favourite eating pear. Forelles are so decorative and the way to peel them is to peel in one direction, giving them a lovely neat, uniform look. Like apples, pears discolour, keep turning in the sugar syrup poaching liquid, or you can use hanepoort grape juice with its lovely mellow musky sweetness, while lemon juice adds a touch of tartness."
See Tru-Cape’s Rich Bounty of Apples and Pears Inspire & Recipes
 
The Diploma Course:
After successfully completing the Certificate Course students may apply for the Diploma Course. A one year course aimed at exposing the student to various types of food establishments. Each student will work in five of these experiencing the reality of restaurants, hotels and catering kitchens. The student not only sees what type of establishment best suits their skills, but in addition experiences different kitchen designs, ordering and stock taking systems and general management operations.
 
Caramelised pears with Spanish Serrano Ham
in puff pastry dotted with pine nuts and
caramelized onion with gorgonzola.
Perfect for a light lunch with a green salad.
Each day at Silwood the students prepare a full three course buffet lunch for senior guests, an exercise in practical catering. Often the dishes are in the finest tradition of country house cooking, a secret of their success. When qualified Silwood students are both competent and confident, ready to cope with the vicissitudes of the culinary world and to succeed with distinction in their chosen careers.
 
Granny Smith and Golden Delicious are among the
excellent varieties from Tru-Cape. While Braeburn
make a delicious eating apple, Cripps Pink has that
fresh crispness that makes it an ideal apple for
salads or to serve with one of the creamy blues.
 
Sticky pork ribs served with caramelized pears. The
style of cooking taught at Silwood, extremely
practical as well as utterly delectable and adaptable.
To be awarded the Diploma the student must pass:
All five in-service blocks - pass mark of 60%
· A mystery basket exam
· A 7 course Cordon Bleu Exam
· A written restaurant management exam
· A restaurant feasibility study project
· A recipe book project
· A fresh cake practical exam
· A wedding cake practical exam
· The International Wine Course (Cape Wine Academy)
 .jpg) 
Moroccan pork tagine, chorizo and Cripps apples ideal for a Sunday evening supper party with a delectable cheese onion bread.
 
The Grande Diplome Course
After completing the diploma course, students will have a realistic understanding of the type of kitchen to which they are best suited. The Grande Diplome is a one year apprentice year where the student is employed by the type of establishment best suited for his/her future career.
The aim of which is to hone the individual skills they will need to flourish in their chosen field. Establishments include five star hotels, restaurants, private game reserves, catering establishments, bakeries and guest houses.
The student is assessed every three months and has to organize and execute a function for 24 guests, put together a portfolio of evidence of the years’ work and pass a written exam to be awarded the Grande Diplome.
 
Granny Smith and raisin chutney to serve with a brie together with crisp digestive biscuits made without sugar, healthy oat bran and wholewheat flour all enhancing the taste of the cheese and served at one of the many small catered functions prepared by Silwood’s students.
  .jpg)
Fresh apple infusion made with piquant ginger,
Granny Smith apples, fresh apple mint, a touch
of honey, scented cloves, cinnamon and vanilla.
Silwood students have thoroughly distinguished themselves and are working in South Africa and internationally; London, Ireland, Australia, Spain, USA and Austria, privately catering for the full spectrum of celebrities from Elton John, the Beckhams, Hugh Grant, Lord Spencer, Steven Segal to Leonard de Caprio and the Thatcher family. Working in restaurants such as the ‘Fat Duck’, ‘Maze’, ‘Rathsalla House’ and many others. They have opened their own restaurants, headed up top hotel kitchens and become food editors of well known magazines. Their appointments are numerous, prestigious and a tribute to their training.
See REACHING FOR YOUNG STARS.
THE SILWOOD SCHOOL OF COOKERY
Silwood Kitchen, Silwood Road, Rondebosch, 7700
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Tel: +27 (21) 686-4894/5 Fax: +27 (21) 686-5795
E-mail: cooking@silwood.co.za
website: www.silwood.co.za/index.php
Production SHOWCOOK.COM
Photography by Franz Lauinger
Back to COOKERY SCHOOLS REACHING FOR YOUNG STARS
|
Loading ...
