You and Me Together Fono
Join us for this opportunity to contribute your voices to the development of our Pacific strategy, which connects and integrates Waikato Pacific communities to Wintec.
For those passionate about the art of crafting exceptional food and baked goods, our culinary arts and bakery programmes offer an exciting pathway to turn your passion into a rewarding career. With the ever-growing demand for skilled professionals in the culinary industry, these qualifications open the door to a world of opportunities.
Completing a culinary qualification at Wintec equips you with the skills to thrive as a chef or baker in a commercial kitchen. You will master the art of cookery and baking while gaining invaluable knowledge in menu design and costing, supply management, event catering, and other essential skills to excel in the industry.
Our programmes also prepare you to deliver outstanding service in the food and beverage environment. From creating beautifully crafted coffee as a skilled barista to ensuring seamless customer interactions, serving exquisite dishes, or managing café operations, you will learn industry-leading techniques and best practices to succeed in hospitality.
All qualifications are nationally recognised, providing a strong foundation for your culinary or bakery career. Additionally, we offer specialised short courses and professional programmes in areas such as food safety and barista training, tailored to enhance your expertise.
"The style of teaching and learning is different and far better than anything else I have ever experienced. When I studied in India, it was very traditional and stressed me out. Here at Wintec, while there is definitely theory, practical knowledge is where the focus is. The tutors really care and look after every student to ensure they are thriving mentally and doing the best job they can. "
Cookery
Hospitality
Professional programmes/short courses
Take a look behind the scenes
Careers in hospitality and cookery
Waiters or waitresses will be busy looking after the needs of diners in restaurants, clubs, hotels and cafes. They will explain the menu, take orders, serve food and drinks and anticipate their client’s needs. Clearing tables, polishing cutlery and assisting in the restocking of food and drinks is also part of the everyday duties.
Preparing, serving and selling fresh food and drinks are the skills of a food counter assistant. Food counter assistants will also be answering questions from customers about the food on display, checking to ensure food is kept fresh and at a safe temperature, managing the till, weighing, pricing and packing orders, and managing staff and work rosters.
Maitre d' are responsible for the overall smooth running of a restaurant or café. They greet customers as they arrive, organise their seating, introduce them to their waiter, and ensure their dining experience goes without a hitch. They supervise the staff, check bills, order stock, and organise the cleaning and closing of the restaurant each evening.
Chefs prepare and cook food in hotels, restaurants, cafes, and bars. They could also be involved in designing, planning and pricing menus, training and supervising staff, buying food supplies and equipment, keeping records, and keeping work areas clean and tidy.
Caterers manage and coordinate the preparation of food for functions or events. They could help cook the food, meet with clients to plan the event, coordinate staff, organise seating and any additional equipment needed, pack up after the event, and do administrative tasks such as billing.
Experience opportunities
Chef for a Night
Chef for a night is an opportunity to find out what it's like to study cookery at Wintec and work as a chef.
Graduate profiles
Joel Miller
Chef de partie to a royal family
Wintec cookery graduate Joel Miller couldn’t be happier with the way his life is going right now. The 22-year-old Hamilton chef has a dream job as chef de partie to a royal family in Bahrain.
We talk to Joel about his study journey from Wintec to Bahrain and find out just what it takes to land your dream job.
We talk to Joel about his study journey from Wintec to Bahrain and find out just what it takes to land your dream job.
Emma Galloway
Emma Galloway
Cookbook author, food stylist, photographer and award-winning blogger at My Darling Lemon Thyme
Trade Certificate Level 3 of Professional Cookery (now known as Culinary Arts)
From a young age Emma Galloway knew she wanted to work with food. In her last year of high school, she got a part-time job in a local Raglan café, and the year after she made the decision to study cookery at Wintec.
“Not only did I want to increase my knowledge, I also knew that having a qualification behind me would mean better work opportunities both here and overseas.”
While studying Emma worked in the industry in different jobs, varying from working in, and then running, the kitchen of a café to working for two top catering companies in Australia. This involvement in the industry while training made the move to full-time work once qualified straightforward, and after working as a chef for six years after graduating, she now works as a freelance recipe developer, food stylist and photographer; writes columns in both Cuisine and Nourish magazines, creates recipes for her blog and works with selected brands to promote their products.
“My study at Wintec set me up with the knowledge and confidence to work in the fast-paced hospitality industry. Even though I no longer work as a chef, I still call on the knowledge gained when developing new recipes and when tackling big projects like writing my two cookbooks I’d use time plans like I remember doing all those years ago at Wintec.”
“Even though experience is often just as valuable as professional training, I really believe that having a solid foundation in cookery, understanding processes and the whys and hows, will set you up for success in the long-term.”
One of the highlights of her time at Wintec? The tutors, of course!
“Not only did I want to increase my knowledge, I also knew that having a qualification behind me would mean better work opportunities both here and overseas.”
While studying Emma worked in the industry in different jobs, varying from working in, and then running, the kitchen of a café to working for two top catering companies in Australia. This involvement in the industry while training made the move to full-time work once qualified straightforward, and after working as a chef for six years after graduating, she now works as a freelance recipe developer, food stylist and photographer; writes columns in both Cuisine and Nourish magazines, creates recipes for her blog and works with selected brands to promote their products.
“My study at Wintec set me up with the knowledge and confidence to work in the fast-paced hospitality industry. Even though I no longer work as a chef, I still call on the knowledge gained when developing new recipes and when tackling big projects like writing my two cookbooks I’d use time plans like I remember doing all those years ago at Wintec.”
“Even though experience is often just as valuable as professional training, I really believe that having a solid foundation in cookery, understanding processes and the whys and hows, will set you up for success in the long-term.”
One of the highlights of her time at Wintec? The tutors, of course!
“Their enthusiasm was infectious and their practical knowledge, tips and experience from working in the industry were super helpful.”
Josh Emett
Critically acclaimed chef, Josh Emett, came from humble beginnings growing up on a dairy farm just outside Hamilton.
After studying to be a chef at Waikato Polytechnic (now Wintec) he quickly progressed to fine dining restaurants in Auckland and Melbourne and then moved to London and worked for Gordon Ramsay for over 10 years, quickly becoming head chef at the world renowned Savoy Grill before opening restaurants for Gordon Ramsay in New York, Los Angeles and Melbourne.
On returning to New Zealand, Josh and his business partner Fleur opened Madam Woo in Queenstown, and have since opened three more Madam Woos in Dunedin, Takapuna, and Hamilton, with Christchurch due to open in February.
“As someone who just wanted to get into a kitchen and start working, Wintec’s hands on practical learning was a perfect fit. Through Wintec’s connection to industry I gained work experience in Auckland’s Cin Cin restaurant which resulted in a full time job and my career as a chef began.”
Josh Emett
Chef
Cookery graduate. 2012 Wintec Honorary Award Winner
Facilities
Studying at Wintec means practising in our prized student-run training restaurant, Windows. Windows is a fully functioning, licensed training restaurant that serves and cooks for paying public guests. Cookery students will learn in two large commercial kitchens and a production kitchen.Events
News
Top New Zealand young apprentices compete at WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017
Thirteen young New Zealanders are getting ready to shine at the 44th WorldSkills International competition in Abu Dhabi from 15-18 October. They will meet more than 1500 competitors from 76 other member countries and regions. Together they will compete in 51 skill tournaments at the world’s biggest vocational education and skills excellence competition.
The New Zealand team includes florists, carpenters, waiters, mechanics, plumbers and chefs. They all have been undergoing intensive skill training with the assistance of their respective employers and skill experts over the past few months.
CEO of WorldSkills New Zealand Malcolm Harris says these young people demonstrate technical abilities both individually and collectively to execute specific tasks for which they study or perform in their workplace.
“We have a great team and participating in the WorldSkills International Competition in Abu Dhabi will be an invaluable experience for them. They have increased their work skills, but just as importantly, have grown as individuals.
Skills competitions showcase and inspire world-class excellence and introduce the youth to a variety of career options.
“We are very happy with the depth of talent attending this year’s international skills competition,” says Malcolm Harris “I believe these young, talented New Zealanders will encourage others to take up skills careers and develop through WorldSkills competitions.”
Wintec is a proud supporter of the New Zealand Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics Skills team (NZITP Skills team), which was selected from last year’s 2016 WorldSkills New Zealand National Competition held and hosted by Wintec. The apprentices were also selected through ongoing performance evaluation.
Wintec will host the WorldSkills national competition again next year.
“We’re all about celebrating skills excellence in young people, and our support of WorldSkills is one of the ways to demonstrate this,” says Wintec’s chief executive Mark Flowers.
“WorldSkills competitions give visibility and importance to professional education. In an increasingly globalised world, highly skilled young talent will lead the way in evolving new technology and our future workforce.”
A delegation from New Zealand Industry Training Organisations (NZITO) and institutes of technology will attend the competition and the WorldSkills Conference, which will focus on ‘Skills Strategies for a Globalised World’.
The 2017 NZITP Skills Team members are:
Andrew Champion – BOC Welding competitor from Feilding, employed by RCR Energy.
Alex Banks – Resene Automotive Refinishing competitor from Wellington, employed by Stokes Valley Collision Repair in Lower Hutt.
Chabbethai Chia – etco Electrical Installation competitor from West Auckland, employed by Team Cabling in the North Shore.
Hunter Turner – The Skills Organisation Plumbing and Heating competitor from Kohimarama, Auckland, employed by J&J Plumbing & Gas in South Auckland.
Jarrod Wood – Aircraft Maintenance competitor from South Auckland, employed by Air New Zealand at the Auckland Airport.
Kimberley de Schot – Restaurant Service competitor from Christchurch, employed by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) in Burnham.
Logan Candy – Automotive Technology competitor from Gisborne, employed by the NZDF in Palmerston North.
Logan Sanders – etco Industrial Control competitor from Wellsford, employed by Dalton Electrical in Auckland.
Nicholas Todd – Cooking competitor from Otago, employed by the NZDF in Christchurch.
Nicole Keeber – Floristry competitor from Whakatane, employed by Bouquet Floral.
Sarah Browning – ACG Yoobee Graphic Design Technology competitor from Nelson, employed by Adcorp in Wellington.
Shea Keir– Industrial Mechanic Millwright competitor from Waikato, employed by Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts in Tokoroa.
Todd Hamilton – Carpentry competitor from Hawkes Bay, employed by the NZDF in Palmerston North.
About WorldSkills NZ:
WorldSkills New Zealand is an independent, non-profit charitable trust founded in 1986, dedicated to encouraging young people to excel in vocational skills. This is achieved through exposure to competitions at regional, national and international levels.
About WorldSkills International:
WorldSkills International is the global hub for skills excellence and development. Through international cooperation and development between industry, government, organisations, and institutions, we promote the benefits of, and need for, skilled professionals through grassroots community projects, skill competitions, and knowledge exchange. We show how important skills education and training is for youth, industries and society by challenging young professionals around the world to become the best in the skill of their choice.
Visit WorldSkills NZ on Facebook and check out the website. Follow the competition on WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017’s website.
Image: NZITP Skills team 2017
Disclaimers
Pathways
To check what you need to gain entry to a course, review the entry criteria available on each programme page. These assist you in understanding what qualifications or experience are typically required to gain entry. You can contact our team at info@wintec.ac.nz or 0800 2 Wintec at any time for further guidance.
About the faculty
We offer a range of courses covering the areas of hospitality, cookery, and restaurant and beverage service. The programmes provide diverse opportunities for graduates and a broad range of career paths.
The training and qualifications have local, national and international relevance, which is achieved through best- practice facilitation, modern facilities, current industry technologies, flexible delivery, and contemporary practices.
Prospectus (course guide)
The Wintec Prospectus (otherwise known as a course guide) outlines everything you need to know about Wintec. It contains information about the Wintec campuses, student life, and the programmes that are on offer.
Access your copy of the Wintec Prospectus
The Wintec Prospectus (course guide) is available by downloading the file - click on a document below to access the file. Alternatively, to request a copy via email or the post, please complete the form below.
Request an emailable or printed copy of the Prospectus
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