Professor Bernhard Schumacher

At UCB, I’m lucky enough to combine my two biggest passions: food and teaching. I’ve been teaching at the university’s College of Food for the past 24 years. As Professor of Culinary Arts Education, I lead modules such as New Product Development, Culinary Artistry, and Classical Patisserie on our FdA, BA, and MA Culinary Arts Management courses.

My culinary career started back home in Germany, where I trained as a chef and pâtissier. I spent over 15 years working my way up through high-profile restaurants and five-star hotels across Europe, moving from Commis Chef all the way to Kitchen Manager. During this time I learned about the industry first-hand, providing me not just with the essential technical skills, but also with the other competences you need to thrive in the hospitality sector – namely teamwork, culinary creativity, and professionalism. 

I always knew that I wanted to teach, and moving into my role at UCB allowed me to share my industry expertise, specialist skills, and love for food with our students. I aim to help every student find their own unique style, push their boundaries, and secure the best foundation for a successful culinary career. In the classroom, my lessons are very creative with a vital focus on active learning and practical application of theoretical principles.

I believe that learning should be fun as well as challenging, and my students say that they appreciate my very professional and fair approach. I’m proud to have been recognised for my mentoring work with chef students and contribution to the wider hospitality industry with awards such as the ‘Chef Lecturer & Mentor of the Year’ (2023)’ from the British Culinary Federation, and the ‘Worldchefs Certified Culinary Educator’ global accreditation in 2024.