• Undergraduate

Food Business Management (Top-up) BA (Hons)

Overview

Overview

Why study at UWL? 
  • In the top 30% of universities nationwide - The Guardian University Guide 2024 
  • University of the Year for Social Inclusion - Daily Mail University Guide 2024 
  • Best university for Student Experience and Teaching Quality in the UK - The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 
  • Number 1 London university (non-specialist) - National Student Survey 2023** 
Why study this course?

Make the world truly your oyster and enhance your career opportunities in the food industry with this BA (Hons) Food Business Management (Top-up) degree.

A key sector of the economy, the thriving food and beverage industry encompasses traditional food operation areas such as hotels and restaurants alongside the growing markets in contract catering, events and travel such as cruise and airline catering operations.

These organisations are all reliant on multi-skilled teams that deliver catering on a large scale in a highly competitive environment.

Food service businesses offer a number of opportunities for well-qualified and experienced professionals. What's more, global travel is an appealing aspect for graduates hoping to gain new experiences and broaden their career prospects.

You will gain key tactical and strategic managerial skills and essential business insights on this course.

You will also develop life skills and capabilities in technical, supervisory and managerial aspects of food service business operations.

Adding this degree to your belt could open more doors to senior management roles in the public and private sectors as well as pave the way for further specialist study.

A food business management student in a kitchen

Select your desired study option, then pick a start date to see relevant course information:

Study options:
We support flexible study by offering some of our courses part-time or via distance learning. To give you real world experience before you graduate, we also offer some courses with a placement or internship. All available options are listed here. Your choices may affect some details of your course, such as the duration and cost per year. Please re-check the details on this page if you change your selection.

Start date:

If your desired start date is not available, try selecting a different study option.

Why study Food Business Management (Top-up) with us?

Why study Food Business Management (Top-up) with us?

What our students say…

UWL has a great community feel and I love my course. It's the place to be.

Kyle Birch
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This course offers the opportunity to train in the UWL's restaurant Pillars
Industry focused teaching
70 years of teaching excellence
Course detail & modules

Course detail & modules

The BA (Hons) Food Business Management prepares the student for further career progression into senior roles which requires proven skills and knowledge of business, financial and vocation specific skills of Food service businesses.

This course is designed to encourage interactive learning. You will develop your problem-solving and managerial skills as well as your understanding of the theories and concepts that support them. Taking a hands-on approach, our professionally qualified tutors will help you to explore current food production concepts, including:

  • trends
  • food development
  • opportunities
  • possible threats.

Throughout the course, we will encourage you to take part in activities outside the classroom where you can enhance your abilities and make professional contacts. These include:

  • national and international competitions
  • event exhibitions 
  • industry visits.

In addition, we make use of our connections for your benefit, inviting our patrons and industry leaders to give guest lectures, training sessions and dinners whenever possible. In recent years, Raymond Blanc, James Martin, Heston Blumenthal and Cyrus Todiwala have given their support and time to our students.

Course subject to approval

Approval is the formal process by which the University ensures that the proposed design, content and delivery of a course will provide a high quality learning experience for all students.

Compulsory modules

  • International Gastronomy

    This module will encourage you to develop an in-depth knowledge of International Gastronomy realistic to the hospitality industry. It will develop your analytical and evaluative skills, providing you with the opportunity to learn to understand and appreciate consumer behaviour. Food production managers require life-long learning and understanding of good food and wine; this module encourages you to build on your previous knowledge to develop an in-depth understanding of international gastronomy, enabling you to extend the boundaries of conventional disciplines in culinary practices whilst creating a culture to fuel the desire to achieve the higher standards in your profession. 

    By developing your desire to research and evaluate international gastronomy, its culinary heritage, sociological, physiological and ethical boundaries and the future development of this diverse and absorbing subject, this module aims to provide you with the opportunity to critically analyse and evaluate the social and economic factors which interact and influence consumers’ food choice and cuisine preferences. 

  • Product Development

    This module will encourage you to examine the complex skills of kitchen and larder food production and cooking, whole group, small groups and pairs work with individual set-pieces as part of a personal portfolio of skills. You will also develop complex skills in dish formulation cooking and finishing techniques reflecting both modern and classical trends.

  • Strategic Food and Beverage Management

    This module takes a holistic approach to the industry to help you learn the dynamics of running different food and beverage operations, implementing theories as well as analyse the current market. You will also learn about operational planning, performance, marketing, sales and the consumer product relationship.

  • Food Policy

    Both international and national food policies greatly impact the hospitality sector. This module will help you understand how a variety of perspectives shape the direction and decision making within food politics.

  • Service Industries Dissertation

    The dissertation is an opportunity for you to study a topic that is of personal interest. You will develop both your knowledge and skills of that topic and research skills, which may be beneficial to your future career plans. You will have to identify your area of research and develop research questions to be answered or hypotheses to be tested in the industry context relevant to your course of study.  The dissertation that results from this research will be a professionally presented piece of work that demonstrates your abilities in critical thinking and writing, as well as your skills in completing an independent self-managed piece of research. 

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

You will need:
FdA in Food and Professional Cookery or an equivalent FdA/HND qualification.

You can still be considered even if you do not have a formal academic qualification if you have relevant work/industry experience in accordance with the University's accreditation of prior learning policy .

6.0 IELTS or above

You need to meet our English language requirement - a minimum of IELTS 5.5 for each of the 4 individual components (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening). Visit our English language requirements page for information on other English language tests we accept. 

You also need academic qualifications at the same level as UK applicants. In some countries where teaching is in English, we may accept local qualifications. Check for local equivalents

We offer pre-sessional English language courses if you do not meet these requirements.

Find out more about our English Language courses.

Fees & funding

Fees & funding

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The fee above is the cost per year of your course.

If your course runs for two years or more, you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year. If your course runs for less than two years, the cost above is for your full course and you will need to pay the full fee upfront.

Government regulation does affect tuition fees and the fees listed for courses starting in the 2025/26 academic year are subject to change.

If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.

Funding your studies

You may be eligible for a student loan to cover the cost of tuition fees, or a maintenance loan. Additional funding is available to some types of students, such as those with dependants and disabled students.

We offer generous bursaries and scholarships to make sure your aspirations are your only limit. In recent years, hundreds of students have received our Full-time Undergraduate Student Bursary.

Additional scholarships specifically for hospitality and tourism students are also on offer.

View full details, including conditions and eligibility.

{{ formatCurrencyValue(currentVariantData.field_p_cv_int_main_fee.name) }} per year

The fee above is the cost per year of your course.

If your course runs for two years or more, you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year. If your course runs for less than two years, the cost above is for your full course and you will need to pay the full fee upfront.

Government regulation does affect tuition fees and the fees listed for courses starting in the 2025/26 academic year are subject to change.

If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.

International students - funding your studies

We offer scholarships for international students including International Ambassador Scholarships. 

Further information about funding and financial support for international students is available from the UK Council for International Student Affairs.

 

Teaching staff

Teaching staff

Nathan Vasanthan

Nathan Vasanthan

I am a senior lecturer at the London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism and lead the BA (Hons) Food Business Management (Top-up) course. I am a member of the Institute for Learning.

I am a senior lecturer at the London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism and lead the BA (Hons) Food Business Management (Top-up) course. I am a member of the Institute for Learning.

Study & career progression

Study & career progression

A female chef adding garnish to a dish

On graduation, you will be in a position to apply for a new role in food and professional cookery. You could go on to work in:

  • the cost sector
  • contract catering
  • fine dining
  • casual dining
  • brasseries
  • food product development.

You may also be well-equipped to start your own business in this field.

Alternatively, you could advance your studies with a postgraduate courses at the London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism.

How to apply

How to apply

Important notes for applicants

Disclaimer

*Modern universities - defined as higher education institutions that were granted university status in, and subsequent to, 1992.

**The National Student Survey 2022 and 2023 - Based on an average of all 27 questions. Excludes specialist institutions.

Testimonials - our students or former students provided all of our testimonials - often a student from the course but sometimes another student. For example, the testimonial often comes from another UWL student when the course is new.

Optional modules - where optional modules are offered they will run subject to staff availability and viable student numbers opting to take the module.

Videos - all videos on our course pages were accurate at the time of filming. In some cases a new Course Leader has joined the University since the video was filmed.

Availability of placements - if you choose a course with placement/internship route we would like to advise you that if a placement/internship opportunity does not arise when you are expected to undertake the placement then the University will automatically transfer you to the non-internship route, this is to ensure you are still successful in being awarded a degree.