CSTC — Food Production — Trade Test Level 3
About This Course
Course purpose
This CSTC course provides a structured pathway in Food Production — Trade Test Level 3, with instructor-led learning, demonstrations, supervised kitchen production, knowledge checks, quality review and a learner evidence portfolio. Advanced level: integrate production planning, sensory evaluation, food-safety controls, cost analysis, traceability and professional handover.
Intended learners
CSTC learners on the Food Production trade-test pathway. Learners must complete kitchen induction, follow approved hygiene and safety controls, declare concerns to the instructor and never serve food where safety is uncertain.
Learning outcomes
- Work hygienically and safely
- Interpret recipes and production specifications
- Prepare products using suitable methods
- Check quality, portion, yield and storage controls
- Maintain production, cost, cleaning and handover records
- Explain decisions and reflect on improvements using accurate records.
Curriculum structure
- Commercial menu engineering: Target customers, menu contribution concepts, seasonality, production capacity, dietary requirements and commercial planning.
- Advanced cookery and product development: Advanced techniques, controlled trials, sensory evaluation, ingredient substitution, dietary adaptation and allergen controls.
- Food safety systems and quality assurance: Hazard analysis concepts, preventive controls, monitoring, corrective actions, traceability, incidents and audits.
- Specialist bakery and product consistency: Batch control, fermentation concepts, specialised finishing, shelf life, packaging, batch identification and specifications.
- Costing, procurement and capstone: Recipe costing, supplier specifications, procurement comparisons, event logistics, records, waste reporting and reflection.
Delivery and assessment
Observed hygiene, mise en place, product preparation, quality rubric, recipe/yield records, knowledge checks and an integrated production task.
- Diagnostic questions and a hygiene/safety induction.
- Formative knowledge checks and observed activities for each unit.
- Integrated production task with planning, safe preparation, cooking, presentation, cleaning and handover.
- Formal trade-test/certification decisions must use authorised criteria; course completion alone is not a formal TEVETA award.
Equipment and resources
Clean workstations, scales and thermometers where required, approved knives/utensils, cooking equipment, sanitation supplies, recipes, storage labels, temperature logs and costing sheets.
Food safety and learner responsibilities
Apply the centre’s food-safety procedures, hand hygiene, cross-contamination prevention, allergen controls and approved time/temperature requirements. Unsafe food must be withheld and reported. Follow ingredient storage and cleaning instructions and report damaged equipment, unsafe readings or suspected contamination promptly.
Results and progression
Course participation, practical competency and formal examination results are separate records. Results remain Pending / not supplied until an authorised result is received.
Curriculum alignment notice
Content provenance: CSTC-developed material, not a verbatim copy or claim of TEVETA endorsement. Before formal assessment, instructors must map units, outcomes, tasks, assessment methods and weighting to the current TEVETA-approved curriculum/chart and centre food-safety procedures.
Curriculum
01 — Commercial menu engineering
Unit overview
This unit develops competence in Commercial menu engineering: Target customers, menu contribution concepts, seasonality, production capacity, dietary requirements and commercial planning.
Expected competence
- Explain the key principles and product requirements.
- Work hygienically and follow recipes and process controls.
- Check results against product and food-safety criteria.
- Record evidence, defects, corrective actions and feedback.
Level expectation: Advanced level: integrate production planning, sensory evaluation, food-safety controls, cost analysis, traceability and professional handover.
Learning sequence
- Menu engineering and commercial production
- Forecasting, scheduling and team coordination
Practical activity
The instructor briefs learners, demonstrates, provides approved ingredients/equipment, observes the method and checks the finished product. Learners must stop and report when safety, allergen or holding conditions are uncertain.
Evidence
- Recipe/production worksheet.
- Observed safe practice and workstation care.
- Quality, yield, portion or temperature records as appropriate.
- Defect/correction record and reflection.
Resources: Clean workstations, scales and thermometers where required, approved knives/utensils, cooking equipment, sanitation supplies, recipes, storage labels, temperature logs and costing sheets.
Menu engineering and commercial production
Forecasting, scheduling and team coordination
02 — Advanced cookery and product development
Unit overview
This unit develops competence in Advanced cookery and product development: Advanced techniques, controlled trials, sensory evaluation, ingredient substitution, dietary adaptation and allergen controls.
Expected competence
- Explain the key principles and product requirements.
- Work hygienically and follow recipes and process controls.
- Check results against product and food-safety criteria.
- Record evidence, defects, corrective actions and feedback.
Level expectation: Advanced level: integrate production planning, sensory evaluation, food-safety controls, cost analysis, traceability and professional handover.
Learning sequence
- Advanced methods and sensory evaluation
- Dietary adaptation and allergen-control plans
Practical activity
The instructor briefs learners, demonstrates, provides approved ingredients/equipment, observes the method and checks the finished product. Learners must stop and report when safety, allergen or holding conditions are uncertain.
Evidence
- Recipe/production worksheet.
- Observed safe practice and workstation care.
- Quality, yield, portion or temperature records as appropriate.
- Defect/correction record and reflection.
Resources: Clean workstations, scales and thermometers where required, approved knives/utensils, cooking equipment, sanitation supplies, recipes, storage labels, temperature logs and costing sheets.
03 — Food safety systems and quality assurance
Unit overview
This unit develops competence in Food safety systems and quality assurance: Hazard analysis concepts, preventive controls, monitoring, corrective actions, traceability, incidents and audits.
Expected competence
- Explain the key principles and product requirements.
- Work hygienically and follow recipes and process controls.
- Check results against product and food-safety criteria.
- Record evidence, defects, corrective actions and feedback.
Level expectation: Advanced level: integrate production planning, sensory evaluation, food-safety controls, cost analysis, traceability and professional handover.
Learning sequence
- Hazard analysis and control monitoring
- Traceability, incidents and corrective action
Practical activity
The instructor briefs learners, demonstrates, provides approved ingredients/equipment, observes the method and checks the finished product. Learners must stop and report when safety, allergen or holding conditions are uncertain.
Evidence
- Recipe/production worksheet.
- Observed safe practice and workstation care.
- Quality, yield, portion or temperature records as appropriate.
- Defect/correction record and reflection.
Resources: Clean workstations, scales and thermometers where required, approved knives/utensils, cooking equipment, sanitation supplies, recipes, storage labels, temperature logs and costing sheets.
04 — Specialist bakery and product consistency
Unit overview
This unit develops competence in Specialist bakery and product consistency: Batch control, fermentation concepts, specialised finishing, shelf life, packaging, batch identification and specifications.
Expected competence
- Explain the key principles and product requirements.
- Work hygienically and follow recipes and process controls.
- Check results against product and food-safety criteria.
- Record evidence, defects, corrective actions and feedback.
Level expectation: Advanced level: integrate production planning, sensory evaluation, food-safety controls, cost analysis, traceability and professional handover.
Learning sequence
- Advanced baking control and consistency
- Product finishing, storage and packaging
Practical activity
The instructor briefs learners, demonstrates, provides approved ingredients/equipment, observes the method and checks the finished product. Learners must stop and report when safety, allergen or holding conditions are uncertain.
Evidence
- Recipe/production worksheet.
- Observed safe practice and workstation care.
- Quality, yield, portion or temperature records as appropriate.
- Defect/correction record and reflection.
Resources: Clean workstations, scales and thermometers where required, approved knives/utensils, cooking equipment, sanitation supplies, recipes, storage labels, temperature logs and costing sheets.
05 — Costing, procurement and capstone
Unit overview
This unit develops competence in Costing, procurement and capstone: Recipe costing, supplier specifications, procurement comparisons, event logistics, records, waste reporting and reflection.
Expected competence
- Explain the key principles and product requirements.
- Work hygienically and follow recipes and process controls.
- Check results against product and food-safety criteria.
- Record evidence, defects, corrective actions and feedback.
Level expectation: Advanced level: integrate production planning, sensory evaluation, food-safety controls, cost analysis, traceability and professional handover.
Learning sequence
- Commercial costing and purchasing decisions
- Capstone catering project and quality review
Practical activity
The instructor briefs learners, demonstrates, provides approved ingredients/equipment, observes the method and checks the finished product. Learners must stop and report when safety, allergen or holding conditions are uncertain.
Evidence
- Recipe/production worksheet.
- Observed safe practice and workstation care.
- Quality, yield, portion or temperature records as appropriate.
- Defect/correction record and reflection.
Resources: Clean workstations, scales and thermometers where required, approved knives/utensils, cooking equipment, sanitation supplies, recipes, storage labels, temperature logs and costing sheets.
Advanced Menu and Production Planning
Advanced Methods, Presentation and Consistency
Costing, Procurement and Waste Reduction
Quality Leadership and Event Review
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