Soup and a sandwich in Ballsbridge

IF YOU have an interest in and a flair for, food, but are less than enthused by the notion of working as a chef, the one-year full-time PLC course in delicatessen management at Ballsbridge College of Business Studies, Dublin, is well worth considering.

This course combines hands-on training in catering with business modules and, according to course co-ordinator Clodagh Dunne, is an ideal starting point for people who are hoping to take up careers in delicatessen or sandwich bar businesses or even supermarket management.

Ballsbridge College, with its business expertise that has been built up over many years, is the ideal venue for this course, she says.

Irish eating habits have changed beyond recognition in recent years and in towns and villages throughout the country there has been a proliferation of lunch-time eateries and delicatessen/sandwich bars. Nowadays almost every supermarket has its own deli counter pizzeria and salad bar. Hence, there should be some good opportunities for people who gain the right sort of training in this area.

"This course is designed to give students a good knowledge of, and practical experience in, one sector of the catering industry - the delicatessen business, which is primarily based on the lunch-time trade.

The course combines a study of retailing with catering. In the past, the problem has been that people have had either catering or business skills, but not both. .. People in the delicatessen business have complained to us of the difficulty of obtaining suitably trained staff. . . This course is bridging that gap, Colgan explains.

The programme is only in its first year, but its director anticipates that, typically, course graduates will work in delicatessen businesses or on supermarket deli counters for a couple of years before moving into management.

A minimum of five passes at Leaving Certificate is required for entry to the course, on which up to 20 places are offered. While a knowledge of or background in catering is regarded as an advantage it is not essential. Zero knowledge is presumed and everyone on the course starts from scratch.

The catering components of the programme include nutrition, health and hygiene and a considerable amount of practical work, which means that students learn to cook. Culinary areas covered include stocks, soups and sauces; batters, scones and griddling; breads and yeast cookery; cake and pastry making; vegetables; savoury dishes, including pasta and rice dishes; meat and fish cookery; international cuisine; large-scale cooking; edible gifts - cakes, preserves, Easter eggs and importantly, the serving and presentation of food. Food that is for sale, however delicious it may be, must also look good.

Meanwhile, the business courses cover computer applications, marketing, a start-your-own-business module, business administration and computerised accounts. Visiting speakers and class visits to exhibitions, food demonstrations, markets and equipment suppliers are further features of the programme.

The course also includes work experience and students can expect up to three work placements each of two weeks' duration, during the year.

According to Colgan the college has a network of contacts, but students are also encouraged to find their own placements. This year, companies offering placements include Superquinn, where students rotate around the pizzeria, salad bar and cold meats counters, small-scale, specialist delicatessens - Fothergills in Rathmines, Dublin, and the Douglas Food Company, Donnybrook, Dublin, and lunch-time restaurants like Cornucopia in Dublin's Wicklow Street.

A variety of assessments are used on the course which leads to an NCVA award. There are both written and practical exams, continuous assessment and project work. Students must be prepared to stand for four hours each morning and then sit down to business studies on the afternoons.

"It's hard work," says Colgan, "initiative is important and students have to do a lot of research.

The aim of the course is to be as realistic as possible and expose students to real-life situations." There's a shortage of skilled people in the field and already this year's crop of students have jobs awaiting them when they qualify, she says.