Introduction to the Fundamentals of Chocolate and Confectionery

The "Introduction to the Fundamentals" programs are designed specifically for food enthusiasts, aspiring entrepreneurs, or professionals seeking to discover the fundamentals of Chocolate & Confectionery. Through these highly immersive and practical programs, participants will acquire the fundamentals of professional techniques. They will understand the working environment of a professional kitchen and master the most iconic French Chocolate & Confectionery recipes.

Campus

• Paris

Duration

• 2 weeks (70 hours)

Tuition Fees

• 4,500 € (Tax included)

Type of Diploma

• FERRANDI Paris certificate

Admission Conditions

To be considered for admission, candidates must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Hold a high-school level diploma
• Speak English fluently

Objectives

The main objectives of the program are:

• Master the fundamentals of chocolate work through the chocolate-making course
• Produce a range of chocolates and confectionery
• Create commercial products and displays

Program

All teaching in this program will be conducted in English, with guest chefs potentially speaking in French accompanied by simultaneous translation. Course materials will also be in English.

Candidates do not need to know the French language for admission to the program; however, it may be beneficial for daily life in Paris.

Contents

The chocolate and confectionery training program teaches students essential skills, including:

• Creation of basic productions: ganache, praliné, and almond paste
• Production of confectionery: pâte de fruit, nougats, and caramels
• Production process and different chocolate crystallization techniques
• Manual and mechanical dipping techniques
• Creation of commercial material and a window display
• Chocolate decorations for entremets

Frequency

• Classes run from Monday through Friday.
• A general week includes 35 hours of classes.

Teaching Methods

The learning methods in the chocolate and confectionery training program are designed to provide students with both technical expertise and creative skills. The curriculum combines theoretical knowledge with practical experience to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the craft.

Key components include:

• Demonstrations of professional practices
• Hands-on practice, allowing students to create all products themselves
• Integration of applied technology to understand the scientific and technical aspects of chocolate and confectionery production
• Critical analysis of their creations to evaluate texture, flavor, and presentation, fostering a mindset of continuous improvement and innovation

Career Opportunities

Upon completing the training program in chocolate and confectionery, graduates have access to diverse career opportunities, allowing them to showcase their creativity and expertise across various sectors. Potential career paths include:

• Joining artisanal chocolate shops to create exquisite pralines, truffles, and other gourmet delights
• Working for prestigious chocolate houses or high-end pastry shops, enhancing dessert collections
• Contributing confectionery skills in luxury hotels and fine dining restaurants to elevate dessert menus
• Roles in new product development or production management within the food industry
• Entrepreneurship, such as opening their own chocolate shop or launching a confectionery brand
• Teaching workshops or writing about chocolate and confectionery

Further Studies

After completing the training in chocolate and confectionery, graduates may choose to continue their studies for advanced specialization. They can pursue further training in chocolate, pastry, or confectionery offered by prestigious schools in France and internationally.

At FERRANDI Paris, graduates may enroll in the following additional programs:

• Bachelor in Culinary Arts and Entrepreneurship
• Introduction to the Fundamentals of French Pastry
• Introduction to the Fundamentals of Bread Baking & Viennoiseries
• Intensive Professional Program in French Pastry
• Advanced Professional Program in French Pastry

FERRANDI Paris is a culinary and hospitality school founded in 1920, belonging to CCI Paris Ile-de-France Education and operating as a higher education establishment (EESC). A member of the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles (CGE), it trains the elite in gastronomy and hospitality to be actors of renewal in France and abroad. With over a century of history, FERRANDI Paris has several generations of distinguished chefs and culinary and hospitality managers to its name, known for their signature culinary works and their talent for innovation.

More than a school, FERRANDI Paris is a space of discovery, inspiration and exchange that blends cuisine, management, art, science, technology and innovation. A standard-bearer of the French art of hospitality and a member of the Interdepartmental Council of Tourism, the Atout France Strategic Committee and the Conference of Excellence in Tourism, the school attracts students from all over the world every year.

Missions

FERRANDI Paris organises its institutional mission around three commitments:

• Train actors of renewal in gastronomy and hospitality: offering sound, comprehensive and recognised training courses for all professions in gastronomy and hospitality management, providing tailored solutions that meet the sector's needs, and accompanying the transformation driven by new consumption patterns, digitalisation, technical and regulatory developments and new managerial practices
• Nurture ambitions: transmitting the taste for excellence alongside unique expertise combining tradition and innovation, fostering a mindset that stimulates rigour, curiosity, audacity and the desire to innovate, and identifying and encouraging talent so that each person receives a rich and inspiring learning experience
• Defend and share cultural heritage: disseminating French culinary and hospitality skills as part of the country's cultural heritage, to inspire new vocational choices and raise up new talent.

Values

Teaching and student development at FERRANDI Paris are structured around six key values:

• High standards: to fuel ambition
• Creativity: to challenge codes, lead initiatives and stand out
• Generosity: to increase confidence, the driving force for success
• Conviviality: to encourage exchanges and team spirit
• Responsibility: to take up the challenges of sustainable development in the professions
• Integrity: all profits are reinvested in training students and apprentices, in accordance with the school's historic mission of serving the public

FERRANDI Paris holds the Bienvenue en France label, a national mark of confidence certifying the quality of the welcome given to international students on its campuses, as part of France's national attractiveness strategy for higher education.

Key facts and figures

• Founded: 1920
• Students: 2,500
• Adults in professional training: 2,000
• Instructors: 200, including 100 top-level permanent instructors and 100 working professionals
• Exam pass rate: 98% (2025)
• Employment rate at 7 months: 94% (2024 leavers)
• Technical kitchens and laboratories: 40
• Training restaurants: 4
• Campuses: 6 (Paris, Saint-Gratien, Bordeaux, Rennes, Dijon, Strasbourg)
• Institutional status: Grande Ecole, member of the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles (CGE)
• Parent body: CCI Paris Ile-de-France Education

Pedagogical approach

Training at FERRANDI Paris is built around four pillars that define the school's educational philosophy and distinguish its graduates in the professional world:

• Mastering the fundamentals: deep technical grounding in the craft skills that underpin all professional excellence in culinary arts and hospitality
• The ability to innovate: developing the creative confidence to challenge conventions and generate original proposals with real industry impact
• Acquiring managerial and entrepreneurial skills: equipping students not only to excel in a kitchen or a hotel but to lead teams, manage operations and build their own ventures
• Practice in real-life situations: learning through immersive, hands-on experience in professional environments including 40 technical kitchens and laboratories and 4 training restaurants open to the public

Each FERRANDI Paris graduate is described by the school as a desirable candidate for companies: technically faultless, responsible, able to work in a team and implement new, creative and high-impact proposals.

A school open to diversity

FERRANDI Paris welcomes young students from diverse backgrounds from all over the world, alongside professionals aiming to perfect their skills or change career entirely. The school offers qualifications in cooking, hospitality management, service and the table arts at every level, from initial vocational training through to master's-level programmes. What matters, in the school's own words, is passion for the demanding professions it trains, curiosity and perseverance.

Campuses

• Paris: the flagship campus in the heart of the capital, home to the full range of culinary and hospitality management programmes
• Saint-Gratien: located in the northern suburbs of Paris
• Bordeaux: in the heart of one of France's most celebrated gastronomic and wine regions
• Rennes: in the cultural capital of Brittany
• Dijon: at the centre of Burgundy's food and wine heritage
• Strasbourg: FERRANDI Paris's most recently added campus location

Networks and institutional memberships

• Conférence des Grandes Ecoles (CGE): member institution, positioning FERRANDI Paris alongside France's most prestigious higher education establishments
• Interdepartmental Council of Tourism
• Atout France Strategic Committee
• Conference of Excellence in Tourism
• CCI Paris Ile-de-France Education network

FERRANDI Paris consulting

Beyond its student programmes, FERRANDI Paris offers a consulting and education engineering service for companies and institutions worldwide. Services include pedagogical engineering, technical support and advice, training of trainers, and fully customised programmes for corporate clients. This consulting arm exports FERRANDI Paris's expertise globally, extending the school's influence well beyond its six French campuses.

Publications

FERRANDI Paris publishes a widely distributed range of culinary and hospitality reference books, available in French, English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, Russian, Hungarian and Dutch, reflecting the school's global reach and its role as a custodian and disseminator of French culinary knowledge worldwide.

Why FERRANDI Paris

1. Over 100 years of history as a culinary and hospitality school, member of the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles and a standard-bearer of the French art of hospitality
2. A 98% exam pass rate (2025) and a 94% employment rate at 7 months (2024 leavers), reflecting the direct professional impact of a FERRANDI Paris qualification
3. 2,500 students and 2,000 adults in professional training across 6 campuses, taught by 200 instructors including 100 permanent top-level faculty and 100 working industry professionals
4. 40 technical kitchens and laboratories and 4 training restaurants offering genuine real-world learning from the very start of each programme
5. A pedagogy grounded in mastering fundamentals, the ability to innovate, managerial and entrepreneurial skills, and real-life practice
6. A space of discovery blending cuisine, management, art, science, technology and innovation, uniting the greatest names in the sector around the challenges of renewal in hospitality and culinary creativity
7. Global reach through consulting services, international partnerships, the Bienvenue en France label, and publications translated into 10 languages