The Bachelor’s Degree Programmes of the Culinary Arts Institute at Varna University of Management are the first accredited in Eastern Europe that allow acquisition of higher education in the field of hospitality and culinary arts, combining theoretical and practical training.
The educational programmes Gastronomy and Culinary Arts and Hospitality and Culinary Arts are fully delivered in English and lead to the award of two degrees – one from VUM and a second one from our strategic academic partner Cardiff Metropolitan University in the UK. The Programmes feature enhanced practical training, research elements and innovative approach to culinary arts.
Students acquire important theoretical knowledge in accounting, pricing, marketing, business communications, human resources management and more, studying more specialized modules such as culinary arts technology, innovation and creativity in gastronomy and culinary arts, international F&B management, special event management as well. Their practical training takes place in the professional environment of the Culinary Arts Institute at VUM under the guidance of foreign and Bulgarian Chef Instructors with extensive practical experience in premium-class restaurants in Europe, Asia, North and Latin America.
Despite the uniqueness of these programs, the constant desire of CAI Chef Instructors to learn and develop gave birth to the idea of creating and introducing several new and modern disciplines in the learning process. With a lot of diligence and attention to detail, they have created a uniquely combined set of short intensive modules, designed to stimulate the growth of our students as professionals in the HoReCa industry, such as Waste control management, Molecular cuisine, Social Media Marketing for Chefs, Food photography, Bartending and more.
We believe that students need the right environment to learn well. The kitchen where our students work is designed in the most ergonomic way. Contemporary equipment welcomes them every day, as we cooperate with the manufacturers of some of the iconic Michelin starred restaurants worldwide. We are proud that the Culinary Arts Institute has the best- equipped facilities in this part of Europe.
We limit the number of students per class to 25 to provide every student with an independent workstation that gives the comfort zone to create and learn. An innovative pastry kitchen, a laboratory and a sensory analysis room helps students learn more about contemporary culinary arts. We also have a Training restaurant designed for a wide range of activities for up to 60 guests.
An important advantage of studying in the Culinary Arts Institute at VUM is the opportunity for our students to join the teams of some of the best restaurants in the world. In the course of their studies, students undertake practical internships of up to 12 months, which are funded under the Erasmus+ Programme. Thanks to the extensive and sophisticated network of active international partners of VUM, our students have the opportunity to work with some of the best chefs in the world, to gain valuable experience in high-class restaurants and to work in Michelin starred ones. Thus, they get a real opportunity to create contacts, gain skills and experience in a real environment and lay the foundations for their future successful realization.
In addition to the internships, we encourage and support our students to participate in various events and competitions. In 2019 the CAI student Kristina Dimitrova won the title Pastry Chef of the year at the Bulgarian National Culinary Cup and Nikolay Dimitrov took the cup in the “Beef meat” category. At the same event in 2022 a CAI dream culinary team smashed the competitors and brought the trophy in our showcase and the young 19-year-old Andonia Filumena Tsarvenkova took the gold in the Beef category again. In February 2023 our student Aleksander Aleksandrov blew the minds of the jury and audience by grabbing 3 gold medals and the title “Young Chef of the Year” at the 12th International Culinary Competition of South Europe, that took place in Thessaloniki, Greece. And those are just several examples of the high quality of education and the professional knowledge and skills our students acquire at CAI.
There are many benefits of studying in the Culinary Arts Programmes at VUM and the most significant one is the numerous career opportunities, both in Bulgaria and abroad. Our graduates find successful realization within all the sectors of the hospitality and tourism industry. By completing the Culinary Arts Programmes they are practically prepared for professional and career development as executive chefs, sous chefs, pastry chefs, restaurant and hotel managers, F&B managers, sommeliers, business consultants and entrepreneurs in the fields of hospitality, gastronomy and culinary arts and more.
At VUM we prepare our students for the highly competitive global labor market and provide them with practical advice and expertise. VUM maintains excellent contacts with business partners in Bulgaria, Europe, the USA, and more, thanks to which our graduates have the opportunity to spend up their practical training and to successfully start their career in various partner institutions and organizations all over the world.
More information about the culinary programmes of Varna University of Management can be found at https://www.culinaryartseurope.com/. Follow us on social networks (https://www.facebook.com/culinaryartsinstitute & https://www.instagram.com/culinaryartsinstitute/) to learn more about our daily practices and various events.
✅ If you have questions, write to us at admissions@vum.bg;
✅ If you need a consultation, call us on +359 886 050 166;
✅ And do not hesitate! Apply online at www.vum.bg.
