MA in Culinary Entrepreneurship
Course Overview
The MA in Culinary Entrepreneurship is a UK Level 7 research-informed programme running one year full-time or two years part-time in the culinary arts and gastronomy portfolio at LSCAHM. Content is aligned with Craft Guild of Chefs practice, Institute of Hospitality operations frameworks and City & Guilds culinary standards.
By graduation you are producing a research-quality venture plan for a restaurant, product, private-chef or food-content business, tested against real markets and defended in a dissertation or sponsor project.
Key Features
- One year full-time or two years part-time, on-campus, online or by distance learning.
- Modules aligned with Craft Guild of Chefs and Institute of Hospitality practice.
- Live mentoring input from operating chef-founders in the London market.
- Access to the annual industry-careers day and standing employer network.
- Final dissertation or sponsor consulting project for a food business.
- Named programme-tutor and small tutor-visible cohorts.
What You Will Learn
- Venture design across restaurants, products, private chef and content lines.
- Culinary concept development and menu-market fit testing.
- Financial modelling and unit economics for food ventures.
- Brand, story and marketing for founder-led food businesses.
- Legal, regulatory and food-safety review for start-up operators.
- Team building and culture design for kitchen-led ventures.
- Funding, investment and lender communication for culinary founders.
- Research methods and dissertation practice at Master's level.
Who This Course Is For
- Chefs planning restaurant, product or private venture launches.
- Independent food-business owners scaling to their next stage.
- Culinary consultants formalising their practice.
- Bachelor's graduates progressing to research-informed practice.
Career Pathways
- Culinary Entrepreneur
- Private Chef
- Culinary Development Chef
- Menu Development Consultant
- R&D Chef
- Culinary Educator
- Head Chef (owner-operator)
The LSCAHM careers service supports Master's founders with mentoring, live-brief supervisors and introductions to London food investors, restaurant groups and product buyers.
Entry Requirements
- A UK Bachelor's degree (2:2 or above) or equivalent international qualification in a relevant discipline.
- IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
- Applicants without a Bachelor's degree but with 5+ years of senior professional experience in culinary or hospitality are considered on portfolio.
- One academic and one professional reference.
- A 500-word research proposal or professional practice statement on the venture.
Why Study at LSCAHM
LSCAHM is a specialist division of Harold International College of London taught in small cohorts by practising chef-founders, hoteliers and food-business operators.
Central London puts the Craft Guild of Chefs, Institute of Hospitality, food-investor community and independent restaurant groups within a short tube ride of the classroom.
Apply for MA in Culinary Entrepreneurship
Applications for the MA in Culinary Entrepreneurship open on a rolling calendar. Enrol on an LSCAHM Master's programme, dissertation, capstone or sponsor project supervised by practising chefs, hoteliers, event directors and industry executives. Enrol Now.
