Prospectus

food skills

Food Skills at Plumpton College

If you are passionate about baking, food production and learning practical culinary skills, Food Skills at Plumpton College offers an exciting way to start your journey. Our current Level 1 Food Skills programme for 14–16 learners is designed for young people who want to develop confidence, technical ability and industry awareness through a mix of practical and theory-based learning.

Students learn in Plumpton’s state-of-the-art training kitchens in the AgriFood Centre and benefit from a hands-on introduction to key areas. These include baking, food production and elements of butchery, alongside trips that help bring the food industry to life.

Food is one of the UK’s most important industries, spanning bakery, butchery, food manufacturing, hospitality, retail, product development and specialist artisan production. Studying Food Skills at Plumpton College gives learners the chance to build practical skills early, understand how food businesses operate, and explore future pathways into employment, apprenticeships or further study.

Plumpton already delivers specialist food training across bakery, butchery and wider food industry programmes, including pioneering apprenticeship development in baking and award-winning butchery training.

Get started

At Plumpton College, students learn in industry-standard facilities designed to reflect real working environments, from specialist workshops and laboratories to working farms, equine centres and outdoor learning spaces across the South Downs.

Campus Life at Plumpton College

Our excellent residential facilities accommodate up to 203 students in modern comfortable rooms. Rated by Ofsted as ‘Outstanding’ across all areas, you’ll find them a fantastic place to stay.

Learn more

The Food Skills Sector

The food sector offers strong career potential for young people who enjoy practical, creative and technical learning. The UK food chain contributed £147.8 billion in gross value added in 2024, highlighting its importance to the economy, while the wider UK jobs market recorded 707,000 vacancies between May and July 2026. Food Skills can open the door to a wide range of roles, including baker, butcher, production operative, product developer, food technologist and retail specialist, as well as progression into hospitality or entrepreneurship. This makes it a strong starting point for learners looking to build practical skills in a vital and wide-reaching industry.

Sources: gov.uk, ons.gov.uk

NEWS PLUG IN

Why Study Food Skills at Plumpton College?

  • Specialist food focus from the start
    Learners can explore baking, food production and elements of butchery on a course designed specifically to introduce the food industry. 
  • Industry-standard training kitchens
    Students learn in Plumpton’s AgriFood Centre, with professional-standard training kitchens, demonstration space and individual workstations.
  • Hands-on practical learning
    The course combines practical activity with theory, helping learners build confidence by doing as well as understanding.
  • Exposure to the wider food sector
    Field trips to local production sites help students understand how ingredients and food products move through the supply chain.
  • Learn within an established specialist provision
    Plumpton’s wider food offer includes bakery, butchery and apprenticeship training, including nationally recognised and pioneering programmes. 
  • Clear progression potential
    The current offer is focused on Level 1 for 14–16 learners, with a future Level 2 route under consideration. The wider Plumpton environment supports progression into further study, apprenticeships and work. 

Our Personal Development Programme supports students

We ensure students have the knowledge needed surrounding personal finance, health, wellbeing and careers. Furthermore, we seek to develop their skills in being able to put that knowledge into practice in their daily and future lives. We aspire to develop their attitudes and values so that they have opinions about key aspects of society and know how to appropriately share their own and also challenge other people’s opinions.