Hospitality & Tourism

Diploma in Food and Beverage Production and Services Management

The Diploma in Food and Beverage Production, Sales and Service Management is a KNEC-examined programme that trains professionals for Kenya's hospitality and food service industry. The course covers food and beverage production, food and beverage service, catering premises and equipment, nutrition and diet therapy, food and beverage control, hospitality accounting, sales and marketing, and management principles across three modules.

Students develop competencies in food preparation, beverage service, kitchen management, food costing and control, nutrition, catering law, and hospitality management. The programme combines culinary skills with food service management and business administration competencies.

Kenya's hospitality sector, driven by tourism growth, urbanisation, and expanding restaurant chains, has created strong demand for qualified food and beverage professionals. Hotels, restaurants, hospitals, educational institutions, and catering companies recruit diploma holders for food production and service management roles.

The programme combines classroom theory with extensive kitchen practicals, restaurant service exercises, and food production projects. Students prepare various cuisines, set up restaurant services, and develop catering plans. A supervised industrial attachment in a hotel, restaurant, or catering company provides hands-on industry experience.

Graduates work as chefs, restaurant supervisors, catering officers, food and beverage assistants, and kitchen supervisors. Employers include hotels, restaurants, hospitals, schools, airlines, and catering companies. Many graduates establish restaurants, catering businesses, or food production enterprises.

This programme is suitable for KCSE graduates with a mean grade of C- (minus) who are interested in culinary arts, food service, and hospitality management careers.

Duration: 3 years
Public, up to: Ksh 68,621
Job market: High

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 3 months
Average class: 30 students
Award: Diploma

What you study

6 subjects

Advanced Cookery
Beverage Service
Menu Planning
Cost Control
Hygiene (HACCP)
Restaurant Mgmt

Modules

12 in the programme

Food Production Fundamentals
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Food production fundamentals, kitchen organization, culinary terminology for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Advanced Cookery
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Preparing complex dishes and bulk banquets, including international cuisine for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Pastry and Bakery
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Baking breads, pastries, and desserts, including dough preparation and oven for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Communication Skills
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Kitchen communication, service communication, and professional communication for professional practice and competency development in the field.
ICT in Hospitality
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
POS systems, kitchen software, and ICT in food production and service for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Beverage Service
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Serving alcohol, coffee, and mocktails, including beverage pairing and for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Menu Planning and Costing
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Designing menus and pricing for profit, including portion control and for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Entrepreneurship
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Food enterprise development, catering business, and entrepreneurial skills for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Restaurant Service
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Fine dining and buffet management, including service standards and guest for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Culinary Arts I
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Culinary arts, cooking methods, knife skills, stocks, sauces for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Food Hygiene (HACCP)
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Preventing foodborne illnesses through hazard analysis and critical control for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Food and Beverage Service I
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
F&B service, table setting, service styles, order taking, and basic service for professional practice and competency development in the field.

Specialisations

Food Production
Professional food preparation, menu planning, and kitchen management for hotels, restaurants, and catering services, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Food and Beverage Service
Restaurant and bar service management including service standards, customer care, and sales operations, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Catering Management
Management of catering operations for institutions, events, and outside catering services, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Beverage Service Management
Focus on bar operations, beverage service, wine and beverage knowledge, and bar management within Kenyan hospitality establishments.

A day as a student

Days alternate between intense kitchen practicals cooking bulk menus and restaurant sessions where students serve guests and manage dining room operations.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's growing hospitality and tourism sector creates diverse employment opportunities.
Culinary skills enable self-employment through catering businesses and restaurants.

Against it

Kitchen and service work involves long hours including weekends, holidays, and evening shifts.
Entry-level positions may have modest salaries before gaining experience and advancing.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 91 hospitality & tourism courses

Public66k to 69k

66k at Murang'a University of Technology TVET69k at PC Kinyanjui Technical Training Institute

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

MUT 65,900/yr, PCK 68,621/yr (mut.ac.ke, kenyaeducationguide). Private: unverified.

HELB and county bursaries are available. Hotel chains occasionally offer attachment sponsorships.

Funding options

HELB TVET Loan
NG-CDF Bursary

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB TVET/Diploma Loan
LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan
Needy Kenyan students enrolled in KUCCPS-placed or accredited diploma programmes at recognised TVET institutions.
County Government Bursaries
BursaryKsh 20,000Kenyan
Bursaries provided by county governments for needy students from their respective counties.
NG-CDF Bursary
BursaryKsh 15,000Kenyan
Constituency Development Fund bursaries for needy students from the respective constituency.

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: C-
Alternative entry: Craft Certificate in Food and Beverage from an accredited TVET institution.

English or Kiswahili
Mathematics

How you are assessed

3 components

Continuous Assessment Tests
Coursework30% of the mark
Mid-semester and end-of-semester CATs covering theory and practical components.
KNEC Module Examinations
Exam60% of the mark
National examinations administered by KNEC at the end of each module.
Industrial Attachment Assessment
Practicum10% of the mark
Supervised industrial attachment report and employer assessment.

Accreditation

Accredited by TVETA and assessed by CDACC.

Accredited by

Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority
Academic accreditationRequired
Statutory accreditation for TVET institutions offering this diploma programme.
Kenya National Examinations Council
Examination bodyRequired
Administers national examinations for the diploma programme at each module level.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

Chef
High demandKsh 28,000 to Ksh 55,000
Prepares and cooks meals, creates menus, and manages kitchen operations in hotels, restaurants, and catering establishments.
Restaurant Supervisor
Medium demandKsh 26,000 to Ksh 48,000
Supervises restaurant operations including service standards, staff coordination, and customer satisfaction.
Catering Officer
Medium demandKsh 28,000 to Ksh 52,000
Manages catering services for institutions including menu planning, food production, and service delivery.
Food and Beverage Assistant
Medium demandKsh 24,000 to Ksh 45,000
Assists in food and beverage operations including service, stock control, and customer care in hospitality establishments.
Restaurant Manager
Moderate demandKsh 40,000 to Ksh 80,000
Manages restaurant operations including food service, staff supervision, customer satisfaction, and financial performance for hospitality establishments.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as sous chefs, restaurant supervisors, banquet coordinators, or F&B controllers in hotels, restaurants, and lodges.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Micros POS
Point of sale systemPrimary
POS system for restaurant and bar operations
Recipe Costing Software
Food service softwarePrimary
Software for recipe costing and menu pricing
Microsoft Excel
Data analysis
Spreadsheet for food cost control and inventory management
HACCP Management Software
Food safety software
Software for managing food safety compliance and HACCP documentation

Industry links

Common misconceptions

F&B management is just waiting tables.
It involves complex cost control, large-scale food science, and high-level staff management.
Graduates of this programme end up unemployed in Kenya.
Kenya's expanding sectors create steady demand for diploma holders, with opportunities in county governments, private companies, and self-employment.