Introduction to Pastry and Baking
The purpose of this award is to equip learners with the knowledge, skills and competence to produce a range of baked goods, including breads, pastries and hot and cold desserts.
Minor Award New for 2026
Course Overview
The purpose of this award is to equip learners with the knowledge, skills and competence to produce a range of baked goods, including breads, pastries and hot and cold desserts.
This course is scheduled to run 1 evening a week, Tuesday & Wednesday evenings from 5:30pm to 9:30pm for 12 weeks.
Please note all Learners must have competent written and spoken English (CEFR B1 or Higher).
What will I study ?
Learners will be able to:
1 Explain the scientific principles underpinning the processes used in baking and pastry production
2 Describe standards and grades for baking ingredients and products including flours, starches, fats, sugars, sweeteners, liquids, eggs, leavening agents, gelatin, salt and pre-prepared products
3 Describe the commodities, both fresh and convenience, used in the production of hot and cold
desserts including fruits, flavourings, colourings and chocolate
4 Prepare a range of baked dishes
5 Prepare a range of breads including brown and white soda breads, muffins, sweet and savoury scones, basic and enriched yeast breads
6 Prepare a range of products using fresh and convenience pastry including short, sweet, choux and
puff
7 Prepare a range of sponges and sponge products, including fatless and enriched sponge, coating and
filling as required
8 Prepare a range of cold desserts, including eggbased dishes, cold soufflés, cheesecakes, waterices, meringues, tuilles and brandy-snaps, fruits, and sauces
9 Prepare a range of hot desserts, including batters, milk puddings and hot soufflés
10 Describe a range of Irish cheeses and their quality points
11 Prepare a cheese board using appropriate accompaniments
12 Implement cost and quality control considerations in the production and service of pastry, baking and
desserts
13 Carry out all tasks, duties and skills using safe and hygienic personal and professional practices, taking direction from appropriate personnel
14 Implement best practice in food hygiene and workplace safety.
Why should I do this course ?
- On completion of this programme learners will have the skills, knowledge, and competencies to work independently under supervision in a professional kitchen. Applicants may pursue a variety of roles within the service sector/industry.
What are the entry requirements ?
Applicants must be 16+ years of age on entry to the course.
- Competent written and spoken English (CEFR B1 or Higher).
- Non-EU/EEA applicants must have permission to work in Ireland.
- Applicants should have a standard of knowledge, skill and competence equivalent to NFQ Level 4 when accessing a Level 5 programme.
What is the certification ?
QQI Level 5 Minor Award Pastry, Baking And Desserts (5N2084)
Fee Information
Fees apply to all part-time programmes.
A fee waiver is in place for applicants in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment. You can check your fee waiver eligibility with Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP), INTREO or your Local Employment Service (LES) office.
Learners in employment may also be granted a fee waiver under the Skills to Advance Initiative. For more details on this please contact Claire at [email protected]
Still have questions ?
Contact our Kerry College Admissions Offices – Tralee on 066 714 9696, Killarney on 064 662 2593 or [email protected]
Part-time Courses - FAQs
FET is short for Further Education & Training. Kerry College is an integrated college of FET. This means we do both progression-focused further education programmes and a range of employment-focused skills training programmes.
We enroll twice each year - January and September.
Part-time programmes run on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings, Friday afternoons, Saturday mornings, and increasingly online.
This depends on the course you choose.
Some courses have long waiting lists, others - not so much. Places are filled on a first-come, first-served basis so the best advice we can offer is to apply in plenty of time.
We enroll over 1000 applicants to our part-time courses each year - so it's always busy.
As places are offered based on the date of application, our team could be working their way down through the list.
That said, always check.
You can call Mary on our Part-time courses team at 066-7149696.
Although all of our part-time courses are fee-paying, we do have a DEASP Fee Waiver in place for those in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment.
This is subject to a waiting list and demand for course places.
Most part-time courses run at Kerry College are Minor awards.
A Minor award is commonly referred to as a module - but also as a component certificate or a certificate of unit credit.
These single 'modules' may be completed and certificated individually. All minor awards are linked to a major award that allows learners to collect and build their minor awards and work towards gaining a major award.
Applications for all part-time programmes should be made online - via the Kerry College website or www.fetchcourses.ie
FETCH COURSES is the national application system for all FET course applications.
All new applicants must set up a free account on www.fetchcourses.ie. You must use this to apply for all further education and training progarmmes anywhere in Ireland.
For existing Fetch Courses account holders, login and apply as before.
You can reset your password using your email or mobile phone. When you do, make sure you keep it for future reference.
Bear in mind, FETCH uses your PPS number to identify you - so although you might be able to set up a second account - it won't work properly.
If you're still stuck, contact our Admissions team on 066-714 96 96
No, aside from the DEASP Fee Waiver, all part-time courses are fee-paying.