OTHM NSDC culinary institute
Certificates that somebody else stands behind
Servo awards nothing in-house. Diplomas come from CTH and OTHM in the United Kingdom, both regulated by Ofqual, and certificates from THSC and NSDC in India. External moderation is the whole point.
Why it matters
The first thing a recruiter checks
Ask a working head chef how they read a CV and most will tell you the same thing: the school name means little, the awarding body means a great deal. A certificate a school prints for itself proves only that the school was satisfied with its own teaching.
External awarding bodies change that. When CTH or OTHM put their name on a diploma, the assessment criteria were written outside the school, the marking is moderated externally, and the qualification sits on a framework a stranger can look up. Both are regulated by Ofqual, the UK government regulator, and recognised by Qualifications Wales.
Inside India the equivalent is THSC, the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council, linked to NSDC. Indian employers recognise it immediately, and it is frequently accepted as evidence of vocational training for small business and skilling schemes.
None of this makes a bad baker employable. What it does is stop a good one being dismissed at the first filter — which, for a graduate applying to a kitchen in Dubai or a bakery chain in Bengaluru, is exactly where most applications die.
The bodies
Who awards what, and where it counts
Four names appear on Servo qualifications. They are not interchangeable, and it is worth knowing which one you will actually receive before you enrol.
CTH, United Kingdom
Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality — a UK awarding organisation regulated by Ofqual and recognised by Qualifications Wales. Servo is an approved teaching centre for its Level 2 culinary skills and patisserie diplomas.
OTHM, United Kingdom
An Ofqual-regulated awarding body whose diplomas are accepted internationally and support progression into hospitality degree programmes if you later want to convert kitchen experience into a degree.
THSC, India
The Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council, which certifies vocational baking, bakery, confectionery and culinary qualifications. This is the award on the six-month certificate courses.
NSDC, India
The National Skill Development Corporation, under which THSC operates. Its recognition is what makes the certificate readable to Indian employers and government skilling schemes.
What Servo awards
Nothing of its own. Every certificate a student receives carries an external body's name, which is a deliberate constraint rather than a limitation.
How to verify
Approved centre status can be checked on the awarding body's own website. Ask any institute you shortlist for their centre number and look it up — it takes two minutes and occasionally surprises people.
Course by course
Which award comes with which course
Worth being clear about before enrolling, because the awarding body is the main practical difference between the twelve-month and six-month routes.
| Course | Duration | Award | Regulated by | Travels abroad |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 2 International Diploma in Patisserie & Confectionery | 12 months | CTH, UK | Ofqual | Yes |
| Level 2 International Diploma in Culinary Arts | 12 months | CTH, UK | Ofqual | Yes |
| Advance Certificate in Baking | 6 months | THSC, India | NSDC | Within India |
| Certificate Course in Baking | 6 months | THSC, India | NSDC | Within India |
| Advanced Certificate in Culinary Arts Certificate Course in Culinary Arts | 6 months | THSC, India | NSDC | Within India |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column
If an overseas kitchen career is the goal, take one of the CTH-awarded diplomas. If you need to be working in India inside six months, a THSC certificate does the job — and you can add the diploma later.
Before you apply
Questions about certification
It means the qualifications students receive are awarded by external bodies — OTHM and CTH in the UK, THSC under NSDC in India — rather than issued by the school itself. Assessment criteria and moderation sit outside Servo, which is what gives the certificate weight.
Yes. CTH is a UK awarding organisation regulated by Ofqual and recognised by Qualifications Wales, so recruiters abroad can read and verify it. That is the main practical advantage of the twelve-month diplomas over the six-month certificates.
Ofqual is the UK government regulator for qualifications. A body it regulates must meet defined standards for assessment design, marking and moderation, which is why an Ofqual-regulated award means something to a stranger reading your CV.
Very much so within India. THSC is the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council, linked to NSDC, and Indian employers recognise it immediately. It is also frequently accepted as evidence of vocational training for skilling and small business schemes.
Yes, and you should. Approved centre listings appear on the awarding bodies' own websites. Ask for the centre number and look it up — do the same for every institute you shortlist.
No. Every qualification carries an external body's name. An in-house certificate would be quicker and cheaper to issue, which is precisely why it would be worth less.
OTHM diplomas in particular are designed to support progression into hospitality degree programmes. Several alumni convert kitchen experience into a degree later, and the awarding body is what makes that pathway possible.
THSC certification under NSDC. The twelve-month diplomas carry the CTH UK award. If the international route matters to you, choose the diploma — the difference is not academic.
It appears as a separate line on every fee sheet, covering registration, external assessment and the awarding-body certificate. Seeing it itemised is how you check that it is genuinely included.
Experienced ones do, particularly abroad. Domestic employers weigh the trial shift more heavily, but the certificate is what gets you to the trial in the first place.
Admissions 2026 — open
Ask for the centre number
A counsellor will confirm which award comes with the course you are considering, and you can verify approved centre status yourself before enrolling.
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