Are you curious to know where the next generation of Port Harcourt culinary giants goes to get their knives sharpened? From delicate pastries to party-stopping small chops or outright catering dreams, the city has developed into a thriving hub for future culinary innovators. The following five culinary schools are not merely training grounds; they’re transformative bases where creativity, empowerment, discipline, and community spirit meet.
Port Harcourt’s food culture is just as vibrant as its culture. No longer is it just a case of learning jollof rice or frying plantains; foodies now dream about plating gourmet dishes, establishing food brands, and even becoming culinary influencers. These dreams are being woven into success by schools that not only teach skills but also guide students toward sustainable food industry careers.
5 Culinary Schools in Port Harcourt
1. Sovise Cook & Bake Culinary School
2. Auma College
3. Origin Culinary School
4. Food Perfect Culinary Arts Institute [FPCAI]
5. Cmk Culinary Port Harcourt
Culinary Schools in Port Harcourt
If you’re willing to turn passion into professional purpose, or wow dinner party guests at your next gathering, these five Port Harcourt culinary schools can take you there. Whether you’re captivated by storytelling through plating or ready to launch a catering empire, there is a Port Harcourt kitchen with your name on it.
1. Sovise Cook & Bake Culinary School
Sovise Cook & Bake Academy is a change maker, especially for women, combining culinary training with empowerment. For over seven years, this academy has been committed to empowering women and young girls with new ways of cooking and baking. They provide everything from party catering, small chops, cake decorations, and food delivery management. Besides the practical skills, Sovise students are also taught how to set up and run their own food businesses successfully.
The selling point of the academy is its community. The commercial-grade kitchen is a bonus, but it’s the positive vibes and one-on-one mentorship that stick more. Day after day, students report that Sovise didn’t teach them how to cook; she empowered them to be entrepreneurs. They aren’t graduates—they’re women in business in the making.
Courses cover professional cooking and catering, small chops and finger foods, modern baking and cake decorating, food delivery logistics, event catering services, and a comprehensive business mentorship program tailored for women entrepreneurs.
Location: 101 Ada George Rd, Mile 4 Rumueme, Port Harcourt, Rivers.
Tuition Fee: From ₦75,000
2. Auma College
Auma College is a gourmet culinary atelier that unites tradition and food science with creativity and narrative. For more than five years now, this academy has continued to pay attention not just to the taste of food, but also to its presentation, nutritional value, and cultural value. The students graduate with technical expertise and with insight into the potential of food to be a multi-sensory, story-telling experience.
The Auma vibe is inspiring and social, perfect for students who thrive in workshop settings. Lessons are taught in ingredient pairing, garnish, and plating, as each dish is made.
Their programs cover the culinary basics, pastry arts & bread-making, international, continental & Nigerian cuisine, food plating & styling, nutrition & menu planning, and creative food presentation.
Location: 32 Okikton Drive, off Ada-George Rd, Rumuochita, Port Harcourt, Rivers
Tuition Fee: 200,000(depending on course type)
Registration Fee: ₦10,000
3. Origin Culinary School
Origin Culinary School in Woji is a formal, credential-oriented approach to becoming a chef. It serves individuals who wish to gain formal recognition and hands-on culinary training through certificate courses (3 months) and full-diploma courses. The course requires students to understand the craft deeply and be qualified to work for upscale kitchens.
Students report that the learning environment is in sync and purposeful—chefs actively guide each student through why their cooking methods make sense. The serene campus encourages immersion and discipline, both building skill and culinary morals. The outcome? An enviable degree of proficiency and confidence that many aver has transformed them.
Key courses offered are continental & local cuisine, pastry & baking arts, business skills in culinary arts, food hygiene & safety, kitchen management & ethics, and master plating techniques. The school’s government-recognized certification also speaks well of graduate career prospects.
Location: No 2, Arch Deacon Brown Close, Off Post Office Road, Woji, Port Harcourt, Rivers.
Tuition Fee: From 500,000(3 months)
Registration Fee: ₦30,000
4. Food Perfect Culinary Arts Institute [FPCAI]
FPCAI is quietly online, but it has established a reputation for outcomes and word of mouth. Located in Rumuogba, the institute is respected for its no-frills, extremely professional training method. Trainees are trained in tightly formatted surroundings, with high expectations and a practical focus.
Instruction here is not performative, but rather intentional and disciplined. The physical kitchen space itself demonstrates this, with systematic knife training, pastry-making, traditional cooking, and plating. Graduates frequently speak of the lasting foundation the school provides—good cooking techniques on which to build careers or enterprises.
Courses cover basic and advanced cookery, cake and pastry skills, African and international cuisine, expert knife skills and plating, full catering service, and food business planning.
Location: Close to Woji junction, 13 Old Aba Rd, Whitehouse Ave, opposite Konga office, Obia, Port Harcourt, Rivers
Tuition Fee: ₦450,000(depending on course)
5. Cmk Culinary Port Harcourt
This culinary Institute brings a disciplined, professional approach to cooking education. CMK offers tiered courses for beginners, intermediate students, and advanced chefs-in-training. It offers one-month introductory courses that greet students gently with the basics of cookery, while its longer diploma courses run the gamut from pastry and cocktail preparation to food costing and business planning.
CMK is unique for its emphasis on producing culinary entrepreneurs. Students don’t just learn cooking; they learn how to build brands, manage employees, and run successful food enterprises. The Pro Chef course, for example, is three months of immersion in continental and local cuisine, small chops, and presentation techniques. The nine-month Culinary Arts Diploma, on the other hand, trains students to go straight into catering or restaurant management.
Their 1-month Level 1 Cookery brings beginners to the basics of cooking, and Nigeria Cookery (1 month) delves into indigenous flavors with technical proficiency. Pro Chef (3 months) enhances students’ knowledge in local & international cuisine, pastry, cocktails, and small chops. Their 4-month Professional Cookery and 5-month Diploma in Cookery offer higher competency. The pinnacle, Diploma in Culinary Arts (9 months), is for advanced cookery, pastry, food costing, business management, and work experience. Students are furnished with chef equipment, City & Guilds–style certificate layers, and job placement.
CMK also rewards students with actual rewards: uniforms, start-up kits, internships, and actual real-world experience in the culinary world. Their instructors are passionate, hands-on, and completely dedicated to making every student the best. If you dream of restaurant ownership or a food blog, CMK gives you the equipment, expertise, and confidence to take it on. It’s not school—it’s a culinary career starter.
Location: 36 Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout Rd, Rumuobiakani, Port Harcourt, Rivers
Tuition Fee: From ₦270,000
Conclusion
Port Harcourt’s culinary education scene has matured into something truly remarkable as each school delivers a distinct journey to culinary excellence.
Choosing the top one is all about matching the school’s ethos with your goal—be it establishing a food company, building business skills, seeking artistic freedom, or gaining formal accreditation. Swipe through their social media, tour campuses, and interview alumni—then put on your apron and let the gourmand’s magic unfold. Port Harcourt’s kitchens are primed to tell your gastronomic story.
