Austrian course pushes number of CFSP graduates past the 200 mark
CESA has just completed the first CFSP course to run on mainland Europe. CFSP (Certified Food Service Professional) is the professional foodservice qualification designed to give graduates an holistic understanding of the way commercial kitchens operate. The course was run in Lienz, Austria, for Liebherr Commercial Refrigeration. It attracted fourteen candidates from seven countries, including Singapore, Canada and Russia, eleven of whom passed.
All the candidates work for Liebherr Commercial Refrigeration in a variety of different fields, including sales, marketing and product management. “The mix of both career disciplines and nationalities reflects the growing recognition of the value of the CFSP qualification,” says Keith Warren, director of CESA, which operates the programme in Europe. “We are currently in talks with organisations in Germany, Sweden, Russia and India about launching versions of the programme for each country.”
The prime mover behind the Lienz course was Thierry Pelherbe, who is based at Liebherr-Export AG, Switzerland. He took the course himself and passed – claiming the distinction of being the 201st successful CFSP candidate since its launch in Europe in 2009. “CFSP gives a true insight into every aspect of running a commercial kitchen,” he says. “As a supplier, it makes us better understand our customers’ needs and will help us give them a better service.”
Keith Warren adds: “CESA is the UK representative Association within EFCEM (the European Federation of Catering Equipment Manufacturers) and we anticipate that CFSP will form part of its strategy to improve and develop product knowledge in the foodservice industry across Europe.”
CFSP is accredited by the University of West London and has the objective of improving the levels of professionalism in the food service sector by creating a universally recognised and respected industry ‘standard’ for knowledge and experience. It’s an on-going educational process with a dedicated website for members to build up a network of contacts.
CFSP covers every area of food production, including food safety, distribution, kitchen design, new technology and sustainability. It is open to anyone who has three years or more management experience in the foodservice industry and is suitable for both operators and those in the supply chain. To achieve certification students must gain an holistic view of the foodservice operation through independent study, attending a one day seminar and passing a three hour exam.
The Catering Equipment Suppliers Association (CESA)is the authoritative voice of the catering equipment industry, representing over 160 companies who supply, service and maintain all types of commercial catering equipment – from utensils to full kitchen schemes. For more information on CESA visit www.cesa.org.uk