Catering has evolved beyond "deliver food to a venue" into an experience-driven service industry that blends hospitality, logistics, team management, design aesthetics, marketing, and compliance. This course addresses that reality by building skills to produce safe, consistent food at scale, coordinate complex events, and adapt offerings across weddings, corporate events, and social functions—while differentiating through sustainability and technology-enabled operations.
Learners progress through seven scaffolded modules, reinforced through applied case studies and module quizzes, culminating in a final exam and a capstone project requiring a complete, client-ready catering plan from concept through service execution.
This comprehensive catering course will also teach you best practices for marketing your catering business, give you insights into contract preparation and execution, and effective human resource management and basic accounting principles. Plus, you will be fully prepared to pass the Certified Professional in Catering and Events (CPCE) exam offered by the National Association for Catering and Events (NACE) and earn your CPCE certification.
Once you complete the course and receive your catering certification, you will find yourself in a field that is in demand. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that this industry will grow 8% by 2032, with 15,200 job openings for meeting, convention, and event planners projected each year, on average. Take your career to the next level and get ready to embark on a fulfilling and rewarding journey in catering and events!
Instructor(s):Chef Brooke Preston
Chef Brooke Preston is a pioneer in nutrient-dense, healing cuisine, with more than three decades of experience transforming familiar comfort foods into deeply restorative meals that support the body's innate intelligence. Her work began in 1992 with Tita's Kitchen, one of the Bay Area's first meal delivery services focused on whole, healing foods, well ahead of the wellness movement becoming mainstream. As her work evolved, so did her mission: to empower people with practical, delicious ways to reclaim their health.
Requirements:
Hardware Requirements:
- This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.
Software Requirements:
- PC: Windows 10 or later.
- Mac: macOS 12 or later.
- Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
- Any word processing application (not included in enrollment).
- Microsoft Word Online
- Adobe Acrobat Reader.
- Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.
Other:
- Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.
Instructional Material Requirements:
The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.
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Lesson 1
- Introduction to Catering
- Culinary Foundations
- Catering Operations
- Business Management
- Specialized Catering Services
- Advanced Techniques
- Sustainability and Trends
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