1000 Hills Chef School

1000 Hills Chef School is a private culinary training college in Bothas Hill, in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, less than 40 kilometres from Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. It was established in 2004 and changed ownership in 2016. The school states that it is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training, accredited as an approved skills provider by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations under number SDP 1223/16/19, accredited by Highfield International under centre number 26957, and a registered training provider with the South African Chefs Association under number TPSACA 13562. It also states that its courses are matched to South African NQF levels and that credits can count towards related degree programmes.

Teaching is full-time and campus-based, with no distance or online option advertised. The school says its curriculum is roughly 80 percent practical, that classes are capped at twelve students, and that it takes a maximum of 36 students a year. Students attend Tuesday to Sunday and gain service experience in the on-site restaurant, which opened in 2004, and a craft brewery added in 2008. Accommodation is available on campus for up to 44 students.

The first year awards three Highfield diplomas: the Level 3 Diploma for Professional Chefs in Culinary Arts, the Level 3 Diploma in Patisserie, Confectionery and Bakery, and the Level 2 Diploma in Food and Beverage Service, together with short awards in food safety, workplace health and safety, fire safety and emergency first aid. The second year leads to the Highfield Level 4 Diploma in Culinary Supervision and Management, with wine study through WSET, barista training, brewing, and artisanal work such as cheese-making and charcuterie.

Applicants are expected to be between 17 and 28 years old, to hold at least a Grade 10 certificate, and to communicate clearly in English; no subjects or admission points are required, but a personal interview attended with a parent or guardian is. Both years begin in late January and run to December. No bursaries are available and NSFAS funding is not accepted because it is a private college, and that bank student loans are accepted.