Asmita Mukherjee | Hyderabad 
Le Cordon Bleu, a renowned institution in culinary arts for over 130 years, continues to uphold its status as a global leader by preserving traditional French culinary techniques while embracing modern innovations. Despite facing challenges like declining enrolments and economic downturns affecting the hospitality sector, Le Cordon Bleu remains resilient. Asmita Mukherjee spoke with Chef Marco Ardemagni, Chef Lecturer, Le Cordon Bleu London to know more about the new tends in the culinary industry.
Le Cordon Bleu has a rich history dating back to 1895. How has the institution evolved over the years to maintain its status as a global leader in culinary education and hospitality training?
Le Cordon Bleu is considered to be the guardian of French culinary techniques through the programmes that continue to preserve and pass on the mastery and appreciation of the culinary arts that have been the cornerstone of French gastronomy for over 500 years. We continue to evolve by combining innovation and creativity with tradition through the establishment of programmes that focus on the demands of a growing international culinary & hospitality industry. This balance between tradition and innovation has been key to sustaining our status as a global leader.
How does Le Cordon Bleu incorporate cutting-edge technologies, such as advancements in plant-based culinary techniques and nutrition, into its curriculum to prepare students for today’s dynamic culinary landscape?
Le Cordon Bleu has been synonymous with culinary excellence for 130 Years. While we remain committed to teaching traditional culinary techniques, we also embrace modern innovations and technological advancements. This is evident in our programmes such as the Diploma in Plant-Based Culinary Arts and Diploma in Gastronomy, Nutrition, and Food Trends. Both designed to be completed in just 3 months, making it ideal for both beginners and seasoned professionals looking to expand their knowledge and skills. By consistently updating our curriculum to reflect emerging trends, we ensure that our students graduate with the expertise required to thrive in today’s dynamic culinary landscape.
Le Cordon Bleu offers a wide range of programs, from intensive courses to specialised diplomas and bachelor and masters degrees. How do these programs set industry standards, and what makes them distinct from other culinary schools worldwide?
Over the last century Le Cordon Bleu has seen revolutionising change as we evolved from a Parisian cooking school to an international network of culinary arts and hospitality institutes. However, our philosophy of achieving excellence through constant practice and refinement remains the same, even as we grow to meet the needs of the contemporary culinary and hospitality industries.
We enable aspiring culinary professionals to turn their ambitions into reality by offering a wide range of culinary arts, wine, management, and hospitality programmes. In 2022, the French Ministry of Culture selected Le Cordon Bleu to provide culinary workshops at the iconic Hôtel de la Marine in Paris.
We recognise that our students need a superior, well rounded education in order to succeed in today’s competitive world and we provide them with the tools to excel in less time than most other educational institutes.
Throughout the curriculum, students benefit from the expertise of renowned chefs, through observation and hands-on practice. By graduating with Le Cordon Bleu, students become part of a great tradition of excellence.
Could you provide insights on the opportunities available for Indian students at Le Cordon Bleu campuses? How does Le Cordon Bleu cater to the specific needs and aspirations of students from India?
Le Cordon Bleu is proud to welcome students from around the globe, including India. We offer a wide range of programmes and courses across our locations, from the classic French to plant-based and global cuisines. Besides the first-class training, Le Cordon Bleu institutes offer an extremely diverse environment. So Indian students would be learning alongside students from every corner of the world, from a diverse range of backgrounds.
And of course, speaking for the London campus, students are based in a city with some of the most amazing restaurants in the world, right at their fingertips!
From your perspective, what are the emerging trends shaping the global culinary industry today? How is Le Cordon Bleu adapting to these trends to ensure its graduates remain at the forefront of the industry?
Some of the major trends which are having the most influence on the industry today are concerning sustainability and food waste. Consumers are more aware of how food production can impact the environment around the world, so they are looking to chefs and hospitality businesses to provide a more sustainable way to enjoy the food they want to eat.
Le Cordon Bleu is always quick to respond to trends by providing the most up to date curriculum to keep our students at the forefront. In addition to touching on topics such as plant-based cuisine and zero waste cooking in our classic diplomas, we have developed programmes to address the changing trends specifically. In London, this includes our Diploma in Plant-Based Culinary Arts: Cuisine and Diploma in Plant-Based Culinary Arts: Pâtisserie, Diploma in Gastronomy, Nutrition and Food Trends, Diploma in Pâtisserie Innovation and Wellness and the degrees we deliver in partnership with Birkbeck, University of London which includes the BBA Culinary Industry Management, MSc Hospitality Innovation Management and MSc Culinary Innovation Management.
The hospitality institutes have experienced a global decline in student enrollments. Is Le Cordon Bleu encountering similar challenges? What do you believe are the contributing factors? If so, how is LCB addressing this issue? Additionally, what distinguishes your institution from others in the same category?
Le Cordon Bleu has certainly experienced some challenges around declining enrolments, which is not unique to us.
With the global economy struggling, and speaking for the UK specifically, there being a cost of living crisis, people have become more discerning about how they are spending their money. One of the first things that people will save money on is eating out and leisure activities. In addition, more people are working from home, so businesses that relied on office workers are missing a big chunk of their customer base. Over the last few years, many businesses in the hospitality industry have struggled to stay afloat, with a lot of closures or reductions in operating hours happening. This has understandably made the industry a less desirable career path to those who may have been considering joining a hospitality institute previously.
Thankfully now we are seeing this start to turn around, and confidence returning to the sector .We continue to offer first-class education, expert teaching chefs and lecturers, a solid network of alumni and industry partners to support all our students during and after their studies, to ensure they get the best start possible in the industry. Our programmes and courses are regularly updated in line with current industry needs, so we can offer students the most relevant training in the business.
With 35 schools in over 20 countries, how does Le Cordon Bleu maintain consistency in its teaching and uphold its standards of excellence across diverse cultural contexts?
As mentioned, our institutes are synonymous with culinary excellence and we remain committed to teaching traditional culinary technique. However, we understand that students in each country need to be able to adapt the skills we teach to their culture or chosen cuisine.
The beauty of our teaching is that it can be applied to any cuisine, and it is important for us to demonstrate this adaptability to our students. Our diplomas incorporate global cuisines in the curriculum, and we incorporate local ingredients and dishes into the lessons depending on the location, in addition to teaching classic French dishes.
In certain institutes, we have designed diplomas that specifically focus on the cuisine of that country, such as in Brazil, Peru and Spain.
We are incredibly fortunate to have a team of teaching chefs and lecturers with very diverse backgrounds and experiences, who can understand and identify with our wonderfully global student body.
