Culinary Arts Programs at VIU

Calling all foodies

Shape your passion and creativity into a rewarding career that can take you anywhere in the world.

The chefs training at the Culinary Institute of Vancouver Island is internationally recognized. Students gain hands-on, real-world experience working in state-of-the-art kitchens.

What to expect

You will cook in our professional kitchens and learn the high-volume cooking skills employers look for. At VIU you get more hands-on experience than most other culinary schools. And you practice new skills often to ensure you remember what you’ve learned.

You will learn from talented chefs in commercial kitchens. Students also work in the Discovery Room fine dining kitchen in Nanaimo.

What you learn

You learn the culinary skills you need to start a career in world-class hotels, resorts, restaurants, bakeries and more. You develop a chef’s palate and learn to develop your own recipes and menus. And you gain the leadership and communication skills you need to move up in the culinary world.

Red Seal and apprenticeship

• Red Seal is a program that sets the standard for skilled tradespeople across Canada
• it shows you have reached the high standard of training and experience that top employers look for
• earning your Cook Red Seal involves three levels of progressive training and work-based training hours as an apprentice
• graduates of the Culinary Arts certificate and Culinary Management Diploma will receive Professional Cook 1 and Professional Cook 2 certification and earn work-based apprenticeship hours
• you then work in the industry to build your work-based apprenticeship hours followed by Professional Cook 3 and Cook Red Seal

You can begin working as a cook in a wide range of culinary enterprises or even start up your own business.

Contact Us

If you have questions or would like to shadow a class please contact:

Buddy Wolfe, Program Chair

buddy.wolfe@viu.ca