Upon your arrival at the Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport, IATA: ALC, or Alicante Terminal (Alacant Terminal or RENFE train station), you will be greeted by one of our drivers, who will promptly take you to school by private shuttle. After checking in at the hotel, you can enjoy the local amenities until 19:00 h, when we will all meet for a quick 30 minutes orientation session, after which we will share a welcome dinner prepared by our chefs.

Our first active day of the course is sure to be an exciting and informative experience. We will start our session with a brief introductory review of the course itinerary. This will give students an overview of the topics they will be covering throughout the course. After that, we will move on to a hands-on lesson on vegetable selection and processing. This will give students a chance to gain a better understanding of the different types of vegetables and how to properly prepare them for cooking. After the vegetable lesson, we will move on to a hands-on lesson on poultry butchering. This will give students the chance to learn the proper techniques for cutting and preparing poultry for cooking. After lunch, we will end the day with a master lesson on bases, stocks and sauces. This will provide students with an in-depth look at the different types of bases, stocks and sauces used in cooking and how to properly prepare them for use in recipes. After the lesson ends, we will have a short break, followed by dinner prepared by our chefs.

The morning of our third day starts with a lesson on how to identify, select, and use cured meats and cheese for their menus. This lesson involves a tasting of several European specialties. After that, students get a lesson on classic sandwiches & Italian panini making, and learn how to make each component for a perfect sandwich. We will also be learning about accompaniments and sauces. After lunch, everyone gathers for a lesson on how to prepare and execute an elegant and formal coffee and tea service. Then, the students get to execute their first informal dinner service by cooking a light, introductory menu. At dinner service, everyone gets to enjoy the fruits of their labor and savor the delicious meal they have created!

On the morning of our fourth day of Gourmet Entertaining course, students learn all about breakfast service, while we have the first comprehensive lesson on eggs and dairy. After breakfast service finishes, students have their second meats lesson, learning how to butcher and process quails and rabbits. After lunch, we will have our first lesson on fish and seafood, processing white local fish for the evening. To wrap up the day, we carry out our first formal dinner party, during which the students have a chance to practice their cooking and presentation skills while enjoying a delicious meal with their classmates.

On the fifth day of our Gourmet Entertaining course, students will have their second fish and seafood lesson, where they will learn how to prepare and cook some important marine products. We will process shrimp, calamari, clams, and cuttlefish. After this, students will have their first pasta and rice lesson. We will prepare ourselves for an informal Italian style lunch. After lunch, we will have a thorough lesson on amuse bouche and buffet service for our cocktail party, during which we will learn how to make some of the classic cocktails. Among the cocktails we will review are the Manhattan, the Americano, Mai-tai, the Old fashioned , and
Daiquiris. This will give students an opportunity to put their new skills to the test and practice their newly acquired knowledge.

On the sixth day of our Gourmet Entertaining course, students will have their second lesson on eggs and dairy. They will learn more about the variety of ways to prepare, cook, and serve variations that include both eggs and dairy products, for more refined applications. Following this, they will have a second lesson on vegetables, focusing on flavor and texture enhancing techniques. For lunch, we will learn all the essentials of brunch service. This includes how to properly set a table, as well as how to properly serve an elegant brunch. After brunch, we will have a challenging third lesson on meats. Beef will be the main character for this lesson, using different cuts and learning how to properly clean and portion for service. We will also learn the ins and outs of preparing and grilling different types of meats, as well as how to season them for maximum flavor. At the end of the day, students will have the knowledge and skills to confidently tackle the evening's grill party.

We invite any students to join the kitchen team if they would like to volunteer their time to help prepare delicious lunches and dinners during their free days in the course. You'll get the chance to learn additional valuable cooking skills and work along a great team of people who are passionate about food.

On the ninth day of our Gourmet Entertaining course, we will have our third Fish & Seafood lesson, focusing on octopus, salmon and cod. We will then prepare everything for our Formal Executive lunch service. We will then have our second amuse bouche lesson, and we will then prep all the mise en place for our fun and informal Spanish tapas dinner. It will be a long and exciting day full of learning and delicious food.

On the morning of the tenth day of our Gourmet Entertaining course, we will be focusing on Pasta & rice, and Vegetables. Then, we will be preparing for a formal Italian style lunch. After lunch, we will resume activities by having our fourth Meats lesson, focused on veal, lamb and sucking pig, and will be preparing everything for tonight's formal dinner party. At the end of the day, we will have gained the knowledge and skills to create a delicious Italian feast, and how to create two completely different formal ambients.

On the eleventh day of our Gourmet Entertaining course, we have our fourth Fish & seafood lesson. We will learn how to make a variety of seafood dishes, from classic Spanish paella to more exotic dishes, and we will explore some avant garde recipes during the first lesson on modern cooking techniques, as we prepare for a Formal Spanish lunch. After lunch, we will have a third lesson on Amuse bouche, and a second lesson on Cured meats & cheese. We will prepare an array of appetizers to be served at Apericena, an Italian dinner consisting of aperitivo and an assortment of finger food and a buffet. We will learn the basics of making Italian-style aperitivo and finger food, from Italian classics like bruschetta and crostini to more modern creations. We will also learn some of the classic Italian aperitivi and cocktails, such as Negroni and Spritz, and have a tasting of Prosecco and Franciacorta. Finally, we will arrange the food on the buffet to create an inviting and aesthetically pleasing presentation.

During the twelfth day of the course, we have our second modern cooking techniques lesson, that will help us build on the skills we learned previously, as we use the latest cooking technology to create delicious preparations, we’ll also have our fourth and final Vegetables lesson, as we prepare for an informal provincial French style lunch. After lunch, we'll move on to more modern cooking techniques, as we get ready to prepare an informal modern cuisine inspired dinner.

On the last work day of the Gourmet Entertaining course, we will have a lesson on all aspects of organizing a banquet dinner. This will be a very hands-on lesson, as we will be busy in both the kitchen and the dining room. We will learn how to create a menu, prepare and cook the food, as well as setting a formal table. We will also dedicate a few moments to a final Q&A session with the course instructors. To officially end the course, we will have a farewell dinner banquet, where we will give out certificates to all participants, and awards to students who have excelled. This will be a rewarding and exciting day as we celebrate the end of the program and all the hard work we have put in.

After having breakfast at the hotel, you can relax and enjoy the local amenities until our driver takes you to the Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport, IATA: ALC or Alicante Terminal (Alacant Terminal or RENFE train station). For those with late departures we offer a complimentary light lunch.