Hospitality and Catering Principles qualifications and training courses

Last Updated: 19 May 2023

A Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles can help you get a job in the hospitality and catering industry or move up in your career in the sector. There are options focussed on food and beverage service, front office, house-keeping and professional cookery.

These qualifications are also designed to give you the underpinning knowledge that can help you achieve the apprenticeship in hospitality.

The Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles is for anyone who works, or wants to work in hospitality and catering.

You don't need any previous experience, the qualification can be achieved within a college environment or within employment. This contributes to the achievement of the apprenticeship at level 2 and level 3.

Available to deliver in the following:

England
Wales – please check QiW website for available funding
Scotland
Northern Ireland

Interested in delivering this qualification?

Find out more about how to become an approved City & Guilds centre or fill out our online customer application form.

General Information

What Is Involved In Studying This Course?

You'll cover things like:

food safety
effective teamwork
preparation, cooking and finishing different foods
health, safety and security in the hospitality working environment.

This qualification gives you greater flexibility when studying and allows you to transfer credits across qualifications. You will be awarded credits for each course of study you complete.

You'll learn in a group with your training provider, or at work. You'll be assessed with multiple choice online tests.

Which Level is right for me?

Level 2
You have some knowledge and basic skills in the catering industry - probably from a role where you work under supervision. You want a formal qualification that will help you in your hospitality career. You may be taking the qualification as part of an apprenticeship.

Level 3
You've worked in the catering and hospitality industry for some time - you have plenty of experience, and you might already supervise others or manage resources. You want a formal qualification that could help you move into a management role in the catering and hospitality sector. You may be taking the qualification as part of an advanced apprenticeship.

What Careers Can This Lead To?

The Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles can help you find work in a variety of roles including:

Catering/Restaurant manager
Chef
Fast food service assistant
Food processing operative.

When you have completed these qualifications you might want to move on to:

Level 2/3 NVQ in Hospitality (7132/7133)
Levels 2/3 Diploma in Professional Cookery (7100)
Level 2/3 Diploma in Professional Food and Beverage Service (7103)

What Is Involved With Delivering This Course?

To deliver these qualifications you will need suitably qualified staff to carry out training and assessment.

You will also need suitable facilities to carry out the required training to enable learners to achieve industry standards.

You can get fast-track approval if you offer - 7132 Level 2 Diploma in Hospitality or 7133 Level 3 Diploma in Professional Cookery.

To find all the resource requirements, download the qualification handbooks from the centre documents section.

Anyone can take this qualification, but you must make sure all your learners can access the resources they need to complete it.

Level 2

This level will suit you if you have some knowledge and skills in the industry - probably from a role where you work under supervision. You want a formal qualification that will help you in your hospitality career. You may be taking the qualification as part of an apprenticeship.

What Careers Can This Lead To?

The Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles can help you find work in a variety of roles including:

Catering/Restaurant manager
Commis Chef
Pastry Chef
Fast food service assistant
Food processing operative.

When you have completed these qualifications you might want to move on to:

Level 2/3 NVQ in Hospitality (7132/7133)
Levels 3 Professional Cookery (7100)
Level 2 Professional Food and Beverage Service (7103)

Level 2 Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles (7091-32)

Last Registration Date: 31 Aug 2026 Supportive services: Learning Assistant

Level 2 Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles (Professional Cookery)

Accreditation No: 600/0832/5 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
Credits: 26 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
Guided Learning Hours: 148 - 218 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
Total Qualification Time: 260 The total time for the qualification
Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
Last Certification: 31/08/2028 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
Qualification fees in the UK: £36.30 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 2 Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles (Food Service)

Accreditation No: 600/0834/9 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
Credits: 14 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
Guided Learning Hours: 100 - 128 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
Total Qualification Time: 140 The total time for the qualification
Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
Last Certification: 31/08/2028 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
Qualification fees in the UK: £36.30 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 2 Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles (Food Production and Cooking)

Accreditation No: 600/0838/6 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
Credits: 16 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
Guided Learning Hours: 98 - 142 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
Total Qualification Time: 160 The total time for the qualification
Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
Last Certification: 31/08/2028 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
Qualification fees in the UK: £36.30 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 2 Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles (Front of House Reception)

Accreditation No: 600/0839/8 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
Credits: 14 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
Guided Learning Hours: 100 - 107 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
Total Qualification Time: 140 The total time for the qualification
Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
Last Certification: 31/08/2028 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
Qualification fees in the UK: £36.30 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 2 Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles (Food and Beverage Service)

Accreditation No: 600/0841/6 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
Credits: 16 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
Guided Learning Hours: 110 - 153 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
Total Qualification Time: 160 The total time for the qualification
Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
Last Certification: 31/08/2028 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
Qualification fees in the UK: £36.30 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 2 Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles (Beverage Service)

Accreditation No: 600/0848/9 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
Credits: 13 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
Guided Learning Hours: 91 - 108 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
Total Qualification Time: 130 The total time for the qualification
Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
Last Certification: 31/08/2028 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
Qualification fees in the UK: £36.30 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 2 Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles (Housekeeping)

Accreditation No: 600/0849/0 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
Credits: 13 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
Guided Learning Hours: 97 - 114 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
Total Qualification Time: 130 The total time for the qualification
Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
Last Certification: 31/08/2028 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
Qualification fees in the UK: £36.30 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 2 Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles (Hospitality Services)

Accreditation No: 600/0851/9 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
Credits: 15 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
Guided Learning Hours: 105 - 141 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
Total Qualification Time: 150 The total time for the qualification
Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
Last Certification: 31/08/2028 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
Qualification fees in the UK: £36.30 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 2 Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles (Kitchen Services)

Accreditation No: 600/0853/2 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
Credits: 13 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
Guided Learning Hours: 99 - 111 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
Total Qualification Time: 130 The total time for the qualification
Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
Last Certification: 31/08/2028 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
Qualification fees in the UK: £36.30 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 2 Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles (Professional Cookery - Food Preparation and Cooking)

Accreditation No: 600/0854/4 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
Credits: 26 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
Guided Learning Hours: 168 - 198 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
Total Qualification Time: 260 The total time for the qualification
Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
Last Certification: 31/08/2028 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
Qualification fees in the UK: £36.30 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 3

Level 3 is ideal if you've worked in the industry for some time and you might already supervise others or manage resources. You want a formal qualification that could help you move into a management role. You may be taking this as part of an advanced apprenticeship

What Careers Can This Lead To?

The Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles can help you find work in a variety of roles including:

Catering/Restaurant manager
Chef
Fast food service assistant
Food processing operative.

When you have completed these qualifications you might want to move on to:

Level 2/3 NVQ in Hospitality (7132/7133)
Levels 3 Professional Cookery (7100)
Level 2 Professional Food and Beverage Service (7103)

Level 3 Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles (Professional Cookery) (7091-33)

Last Registration Date: 31 Aug 2026

Level 3 Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles (Professional Cookery)

Accreditation No: 600/0862/3 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
Credits: 26 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
Guided Learning Hours: 186 - 230 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
Total Qualification Time: 260 The total time for the qualification
Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
Last Certification: 31/08/2029 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
Qualification fees in the UK: £40.00 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Additional information for centres

LEARNING ASSISTANT IS AVAILABLE FOR THIS QUALIFICATION

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Here you can find all documents related to this suite of qualifications.

By clicking on the section headings below, you can access a variety of documents such as the qualification handbooks and assessment materials, Statements of Purpose, and recognition letters from industry and employers.

Some documents may be password protected. Passwords can be retrieved by logging in to Walled Garden and visiting the Administration section of the relevant qualification catalogue page.

Interested in delivering this qualification?

Find out more about how to become an approved City & Guilds centre or fill out our online customer application form.

Hospitality and Catering Principles (7091)