Where does the name Tante Marie come from?
How old must I be to attend a course?
What age are the students?
Are the courses suitable for both men and women?
Do you take overseas students?
As an overseas student, how good does my English have to be?
What is the Level 4 Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts and is it different to the Cordon Bleu Diploma?
Does the School provide the food ingredients?
What do I need to bring with me?
What sort of food will I cook?
Do we get to eat the food we make?
How do I know which course to take?
How many students are there in a class?
Which course is best for gap year students?
Can you help me find employment when I have finished the course?
Where are you situated?
Is the School residential?
What is there to do in Woking?
What is the pass rate on the Diploma courses?


Where does the name Tante Marie come from?
Tante Marie was a legendary French cook who set new standards in French cuisine in the early 20th century.

How old must I be to attend a course?
16 years on commencement of the course. There is no upper age limit.

What age are the students?
All ages, usually between 16-55, but we have had a number of older students, including a gentleman of 82! We can accept students on from 16 years old and over and Tante Marie fully
recognises its responsibilities for child and vulnerable adult protection. Where
students are under 18 years old, we will ask for the consent of a parent or legal
guardian prior to enrolment on the course and will communicate closely with
them during the enrolment process as well as the course.
All of our teaching and administrations staff have been DBS Checked
and Tante Marie has a written Child Protection Policy which is available by clicking here.

Are the courses suitable for both men and women?
Absolutely. The ratio recently has tended to be approximately 60% female, 40% male, depending on the course.

Do you take overseas students?
Yes! Tante Marie is licensed to enrol students under Tier 4 of the Points Based System and is a Highly Trusted Sponsor. Students from outside of the European Union, who require visas, can study on our Cordon Bleu Diploma courses and earn the Level 4 Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts - two internationally recognised qualifications. Our courses have always been very popular with students from all over the world. At any one time we may have Japanese, Korean, Thai, US, Brazilian, Australian and New Zealand students, to name a few, studying with us, as well as students from the British Isles.

As an overseas student, how good does my English have to be?
Our overseas students are required by immigration law to have acceptable English in order to obtain their visa. Non-EU students must have English to the CEFR B1 standard. unless you come from an English speaking country! If you are in doubt, please call us in person to discuss your options.

What is the Level 4 Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts and is it different to the Cordon Bleu Diploma?
The Level 4 Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts is on the governments Qualifications Credit Framework and is offered to all students who complete the Cordon Bleu Diploma or Intensive Cordon Bleu Diploma. There are no extra exams or tests to sit. Students who would like to obtain this qualification, as well as the Cordon Bleu Diploma, will have to pay a small processing fee and will then gain the qualification along with membership of the Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality.

Does the School provide the food ingredients?
Yes. All ingredients and equipment are supplied.

What do I need to bring with me?
We provide everything you need: our fees are all inclusive, including all ingredients, chef’s whites or aprons (according to the course), professional knives, and your own Tante Marie recipe manual.

What sort of food will I cook?
Both classical cordon bleu and contemporary recipes and techniques are taught. Examples of recipes can be found in the professional course section of this website.

Do we get to eat the food we make?
Yes, students eat lunch in the school each day and can take home some food prepared in class. The only exception is on our 1-Day Demonstration Days when our staff & students cook the lunch provided.

How do I know which course to take?
Some indication can be gathered from our course details on this website, but if you are in doubt, give us a call and we are happy to advise on suitability of courses.

How many students are there in a class?
Classes are small. A maximum of 10 students per class with 1 teacher and sometimes an assistant depending on the course topic. Because of the size of our facilities we can run several classes on the same course in parallel.

Which course is best for gap year students?
We run a number of suitable courses. Our 1 term Cordon Bleu Certificate Course is very popular with gap students who wish to obtain ski chalet work and other short term employment. We also have courses of 1, 2 and 4 weeks duration. The Certificate Course is excellent for those looking for the best choice of jobs in their gap year, but our 4 week Essential Skills course is also suitable for employment with a number of ski and other holiday companies.

Can you help me find employment when I have finished the course?
Employment prospects are excellent for those Diploma graduates wishing to pursue a career. The Principal is always happy to advise personally on suitable work prospects and Tante Marie has excellent contacts in all areas of the hospitality and catering industries. Our Certificate graduates are sought after by employers such as ski chalet, summer villa and yacht companies; and our four week Essential Skills course provides such opportunities as well. Some of these companies come to Tante Marie to recruit students but in any event we can invariably help to place you through our contacts.

Where are you situated?
Woking, Surrey. A large town 25 minutes from London by train. Woking has excellent train and public transport links and is close to London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports. The School is approximately a 15 minute walk from the railway station or a short taxi ride. Woking has excellent shopping and entertainment facilities, with its own theatre, cinema and leisure centre.

Is the School residential?
No. Most students who come from afar stay with "homestay" families, which we can recommend, or in local rented accommodation.

What is there to do in Woking?
Woking is a busy modern town within easy reach of London. It has excellent shopping facilities; an indoor sports centre, two theatres and a cinema complex. Not far away is the University town of Guildford with its own many cultural amenities.
Visit the Woking website

What is the pass rate on the Diploma courses?
In the last 12 months, the average pass rate has been 95% on our Diploma courses and the percentage of students going directly into a job upon graduation is also at 95%.