Lizzie Lack is CFSP #700 as momentum gathers for FEA’s ‘invaluable training course’
It’s everything you want and need to know about commercial kitchens – and over 700 people taking the course in the UK, Ireland and Dubai now have the knowledge. CFSP, the Certified Food Service Professional, is the training initiative set up by FEA to raise professionalism throughout the industry. It gives students an holistic understanding of how a foodservice kitchen operates.
“We are hugely proud of all the graduates who have taken the CFSP course,” says Paul Anderson, chair of FEA. “It’s a tough ask, and a real achievement for each and every one of them. The fact that over 700 professionals can now add CFSP after their name is a testament to the program’s success – as the momentum gathers, here’s to reaching 1,000!”
The success of CFSP is reflected not only in its momentum in the UK, Ireland and Dubai, but also in the fact that it has been exported to countries around the world – FEA estimates that thousands of people all over the globe are now CFSP certified. Upcoming courses are due to be held this year in the UK, Dubai and Sweden.
One of the key attractions of the CFSP initiative is that it’s designed for anyone involved in foodservice – operators, dealers, manufacturers, designers and consultants. For the individual, it’s a powerful, CV-enhancing piece of training, recognised by the Continuing Professional Development Certification Service and officially CPD certified. For the organisation or business they work for, CFSP is a way to raise the professionalism and morale of the workforce, giving individuals the knowledge to improve understanding and performance while boosting their self-esteem.
The 700th graduate is Lizzie Lack, who is financing manager for ITW Food Equipment Group’s Leasing & Finance division. “I wanted to improve my knowledge and understanding of the wider foodservice industry,” she says. “I took CFSP to support my development and progress. When the study guide arrived I was a little taken aback at the vast amount of information it contained… I wasn’t prepared for how varied the content would be! But it gave me such a great sense of achievement when I heard that I had passed.”
She adds, “I recommend the CFSP programme, whether you’re new to foodservice or have been in it for years. It gives an excellent overview of the industry, kitchen design, sustainability and more. It’s an invaluable training course.”
CFSP involves at-home study, based on the course’s training guide, ‘Introduction to Foodservice,’ followed by a day-long seminar and an exam. It costs £1,050 plus VAT (discounted to just £660 + VAT for FEA and FCSI members). The next UK seminar takes place in December 2023 in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. For more information email Jocelyn Shawyer of FEA, Jocelyn.shawyer@fea.org.uk.