It's said that cooking and the kitchen is to tourism and hospitality what the operating theatre in a hospital is to medical care and health.

The analogy may not appeal, but is understandable. The pressurised hub of hotel and restaurant activity must surely be in the preparation of food for the hungry, and increasingly discerning, customer. The dramatic centre of hospital care is the theatre. Then there's the creative element; the scope given the good chef/cook for imaginative ways with food is enormous.

All of which goes some way to explaining the appeal of culinary and professional cookery courses - and the increasing number and variety of these available throughout the country.

In the Cork Institute of Technology their Department of Tourism and Catering Studies offers a culinary arts diploma / gastronomy module skills course with contents as exciting as food and the senses, classical cuisine, haute cuisine and, intriguingly, famous works of literature. All of this and more - on the same course you'll study major cuisine's of the world, healthy eating, vegetarian cuisine and cultural factors.

The course is run over 1622 weeks, one day each week and at a successful end you will be awarded an NTCB level 1, or similar, plus relevant work experience.

In the Cork institute, too, they offer courses in advanced kitchen and larder module skills and a culinary arts advanced pastry skills course - which goes all the way and deals with ice-cream confections. In the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology their professional cookery course takes place in a refitted school - one which, the Institute assures, "is the most modern and best equipped in Europe".

The course delivers on all aspects of food preparation, vegetable cookery, preparation of sweets and pastries, kitchen organisation, menu planning, hygiene, food costing, general life skills, new technology and the French language. Successful completion will gain you the national certificate of the National Tourism Certificate Board, which is recognised in Ireland and throughout the EU.

CERT, by way of preparing students for its cookery/culinary courses, points out that they would "need to be creative with food and understand changing kitchen technology".

The kitchen, according to CERT, "is at the heart of all sectors of tourism and hospitality and, with a never-ending sequence of meals to prepare for customers, work can be demanding. In return, a good chef will enjoy status, respect and a rewarding salary."

CERT points out, too, that there is always a need for qualified chefs in hotels, restaurants, hospitals, industrial catering, airports, the licensed trade and cruise liners. There is also the exciting reality that many chefs open their own restaurants.

CERT courses lead to national certificates in elementary cookery, national craft certificates in professional cookery, advanced national certificates in culinary arts and national diplomas in culinary arts.

Waterford IT also offers courses in professional cookery, as part of their programmes in professional cookery, hospitality and tourism skills.