Baking and Pastry, A.A.S.

Our program will feed you the practical skills and techniques to prepare for rapid employment in foodservice, hospitality, or tourism industries. Our experiential approach gives you the opportunity to flow a product from creation to service over the course of the program.

Program Overview

Blue Ridge Community and Technical College Culinary Academy’s Programs are designed to provide students with the practical knowledge and skills necessary to prepare for successful employment in an entry to a mid-level position within the foodservice and hospitality and tourism industry through a certificate or degree program.

Students will learn baking essentials which include a wide variety of classical and modern dessert techniques and presentations along with baking fundamentals from scaling ingredients to designing and constructing elaborate centerpieces, along with courses that build on immersing the student into all aspects of culinary foundations such as nutrition, safety and sanitation, origins of food, food history, food cost, product efficiency, molecular gastronomy, speed, attention to detail and culinary artistry. Practical lab experiences will help to complete the well-rounded student for entry into the workforce. Students will be able to experience the flow of their product from creation to service in this degree program.

Students in the Culinary Art Programs are subject to the Community and Technical College’s requirements for admissions, basic skills testing, and appropriate course placement, including developmental education courses, which may not count toward completion of the program. Blue Ridge Community and Technical College Catalog requirements regarding academic standards, student conduct, and graduation procedures also apply.

Program Outcomes

• Demonstrate an organized and sanitary workstation.
• Demonstrate accurate measuring and portioning.
• Identify and describe procedures and techniques for controlling food costs.
• Demonstrate accurately sized knife cuts.
• Demonstrate how to safely handle and operate knives and kitchen equipment.
• Practice team building and communication.
• Identify baking specific ingredients.
• Follow standardized recipes and production procedures.
• Identify and execute baking methods.
• Demonstrate professionalism (clean and complete uniform, on time, good attitude, respectful).

Career Opportunities

You will be qualified for an entry to mid-level position within a variety of industries.