Birmingham College of Food

School of Health, Sport and Food

Welcome to Birmingham College of Food

Thank you for taking the time to come and check out what we offer at University College Birmingham, the highest ranking university in the region as voted by students at the 2023 Whatuni Student Choice Awards. Our student support is award-winning too, as is our provision for international students.

If you are looking at joining us to carve out a career in areas including professional cookery, culinary arts management and bakery, here is a glimpse into our student and staff community - along with an insight into the enrichment we offer - to see if we are the right choice for you. 

Find out about our Whatuni awards

Professor Kali Davidson
Head of Birmingham College of Food

Welcome from Professor Kali Davidson

Welcome to the renowned Birmingham College of Food.

With a long, rich and diverse history across the food and hospitality sectors, we are one of the UK’s leading institutes for chefs, culinary arts, bakery science and global hospitality education. And it’s not only our degrees that are world class. Our facilities, training kitchens, food science and innovation suite and award-winning restaurant are just a small part of our incredible campus. 

All our teams have impressively strong links with the industries they operate in, whether that’s with governing bodies, global organisations, leading employers or a strong alumni network, so the employability opportunities are endless. We look forward to seeing you in September.

*Kali worked across industry, from fine dining in top restaurants to contract catering, before moving into education

Find out more about Kali

“This is a university with incredible facilities and student-centred staff. And that includes myself – you are always welcome at my informal ‘Talk with the Dean’ sessions, your chance to say what’s going well and what we can improve on.”

Dr Anne Coufopoulos Executive Dean, School of Health, Sport and Food

Stephen Garvey
Deputy Dean (Teaching, Learning and Digital)
School of Health, Sport and Food

Meet Stephen Garvey  

My role is to ensure we stay at very forefront of progress across the education sector and across industry, building innovative technology and skills such as immersive virtual reality into your educational experience.

We are committed to providing face-to-face teaching as we know students value this quality time with their lecturers and fellow students. But to support your academic studies, we also have a sophisticated lecture capture system that provides accessible recorded lectures, where possible.

We are very proud of the exceptional and sustained record of teaching excellence we have in the provision of our vocational educational experiences, and the future-focused curriculum we have to offer you.

*Stephen is a registered dietitian with a background in research

Read more about Stephen

Our teaching and learning

Whether you are studying to be a chef or baker, or learn the ropes for management or new product development, our aim is simple - to turn you into a stand-out professional. We have an award-winning reputation for the highest quality courses and a learning experience that sets us apart from bigger universities.

Our degrees are designed to develop you personally and professionally, with graduate advantage, employability and enrichment sessions threaded throughout the curriculum, sitting alongside really interesting theory modules. Our partnership with the University of Warwick, a top-ranking Russell Group university, also brings extra opportunities including access to guest speakers and additional resources.

Theory

Our courses are developed and taught by experienced lecturing staff, meaning they can draw on their industry expertise and years of experience to make scenario-based discussions, debates and concepts come to life, supporting the linking of theory to practice.

You will learn so much from our lecturing teams, who are passionate about their profession and eager to inspire and nurture the next generation of food professionals.

We also have many invited guest lecturers from industry participate in our courses, sharing their knowledge and experiences to enhance your learning.

Students also have a lot to bring and as a team, we will also learn a lot from you! We encourage you to share your perspectives and viewpoints, especially when reflecting on your own life and placement experiences.

Practical

Placements are key to success as employers want you to have real experience. We have excellent links with Michelin-starred and on-trend restaurants, hotels, bakery businesses, new product developers and leading brands across the region and beyond, as well as globally, so we can allocate you to a diverse range of placements.

This exposure to different learning environments opens opportunities for you when you qualify. And you will receive real-life training in our industry kitchens and award-winning Restaurant at Birmingham College of Food, specialist bakery facilities and our Food Science and Innovation Suite.

Support

Our support is exceptional, so much so, our students voted to make us the winner of the Student Support award at the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2022.

Throughout your studies, you will not only have a personal tutor, but a link tutor during placements and module leaders to support you through academic modules. And we have a whole range of additional support services available, providing you with as much or as little support as you need to succeed in your degree. Our smaller teaching groups enable all students to grow and flourish, with strong peer support and friendship.  

Our Learning and Teaching Strategy 2021-24 is key to how we approach the educational journey, focusing on three main pillars that set out our commitment to your learning and teaching experience while you are studying with us.

  • Pillar 1 – Provide accessible and inclusive teaching and learning across a wide range of vocationally-led courses
  • Pillar 2 – Develop next generation opportunities and skills through innovative, future-focused curriculum and pedagogy
  • Pillar 3 – Shape local and global sectors, promoting sustainable futures and global citizenship

Read our Learning and Teaching Strategy

Chef and bakery facilities

Our university facilities were shortlisted in the 2023 Whatuni Student Choice Awards. In our department, they include:

  • Nine industry-standard kitchens at our Summer Row site, providing a real working environment for you to master your practical food skills throughout your studies
  • Baking and product development labs with industrial ovens and high-speed mixers, and specialist chocolate production and tempering equipment. Students' goods are also sold in Cakes & Bakes

  • Spread over 9,000 sqft, our Food Science and Innovation Suite incorporates two specialist kitchens, a bespoke sensory evaluation room and a pilot plant for product development
  • Restaurant at Birmingham College of Food - our AA Gold-accredited training restaurant, where students get to put their training into practice with real guests 

Find out more about our facilities

We look forward to seeing you on campus

As you prepare to join us, here's a refresher on some of the essentials:

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