If you’re like me and you’re someone who’s ever had to stand over a pot of jollof rice wondering if you seasoned it just right, or if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to plate your dish like a finalist on MasterChef, you need to hear about a place that will change your culinary future— Red Dish Chronicles Culinary School, Abuja.
Let me take you on a journey to the capital of Nigeria, where you’ll find dreams of food are born, cared for, and thrown into a five-star reality. You may have heard the name Red Dish Chronicles. It whispered in conversations between foodies, raved about on social media, or was adored by chefs who walked its red-hued halls. But trust me, you’ll not know just how life-changing this place is until you visit the Abuja campus yourself (or until you read my full blog post).
A Bold Culinary Training Gem with a Humble Beginning
First, a brief flashback. The story of Red Dish Chronicles didn’t begin with a facility that sparkled and shone with stainless-steel ovens or bright and shiny countertops, it began in a remote location in Lagos. The story started in 2013 in a small kitchen with an energetic young man, Abiola Akanji, AKA Chef Stone, who had a love for cooking and food. He identified his culinary aspirations with red plates and cutlery, thus naming his culinary adventure Red Dish Chronicles. Fast forward to today, that one dream has become Nigeria’s most recognized culinary school with locations in Abuja and Lagos.
With that little morsel of backstory complete, let’s zoom in on the very best of the best of this culinary empire, Red Dish Chronicles Abuja.
Location and Aura
Red Dish Chronicles Abuja is located in the heart of the Federal Capital Territory. And when I say heart, I mean literally in the Central Business District; close enough to the action but quiet enough to let your creativity flow.
Modern. Sleek. Unapologetically professional. From the exterior, you’re already getting that aura of credibility.
Welcome inside, you are wrapped in the aromas of a myriad of delicacies, it is a culinary haven. This is a place that does food, not just learn.
The facilities? World-class. I’m talking training kitchens with all the essential equipment, classrooms outfitted with technology for multimedia teaching, and practice kitchens where students can practice, fail, learn, and finally, succeed. This is not just a school, it’s a laboratory for perfect deliciousness.
A Peek into a Few Courses
Red Dish Chronicles Abuja is not a rigid institution. Whether you are a complete novice or a seasoned person, this place has a little something for everyone. All programs are flexible for full-timers, part-timers, and weekend warriors.
For the Continental Culinary Arts Course, six weeks is all it requires for students(best beginners) to journey through a variety of international cuisines. From Italian pasta dishes to French sauces and everything in between, students will learn to reproduce and reimagine international classics.
Do you want to plate your efo riro like it is a gourmet meal? The African Culinary Arts Course will take the fondness for African dishes and process them into five-star dishes.
All it takes is a sweet 3-week course for dessert lovers to learn a range of desserts, including pastry, cakes, confections, sugar, and flair after applying to the Dessert Culinary Arts Course.
Professional Chefs Diploma (Cuisine & Pâtisserie) is the BIG course. This comprehensive program is approved and recognized, and will prepare you to join the workforce as a trained chef, complete with a professional chef’s diploma in cuisine and pastry.
RDC teaches real-world facts— being a good chef is only half the battle. This is why The Business of Food Course is crafted to dive into an array of topics, including food entrepreneurship, brands, marketing, and the essentials of starting and running a successful food business.
And just in case you’re wondering, yes, students graduate with real knife skills, kitchen discipline, and that special confidence that comes with knowing your food can impress any crowd.
Hands-on Training: More Than Just Observing
Red Dish Chronicles Abuja strongly favours practical training. Just knowing recipes or getting the sauce right once isn’t enough. Here, students are involved in live projects catering for events and in RDC’s various ventures, including food trucks and catering opportunities.
You could be whipping up super fancy small gourmet sliders for an upscale cocktail event on a Monday and plating up a three-course fusion menu for a tasting event by Friday. It is crazy, it is busy, and it is real. Just like the culinary world outside the classroom.
Not Your Typical Culinary School
Here is where things become even more interesting. Red Dish Chronicles is more than just a culinary school. It is at the heart of an entire food ecosystem:
Have you ever dreamt of your restaurant kitchen? As you could imagine, Red Dish Chronicless designs and remodels kitchens to ensure they are as productive and stylish. Also, there’s The Burgundy, a fine dining experience and performance stage for culinary creativity. In The Burgundy, you may find Red Dish Chronicles alumni creating a meal presentation that’s similar to what you would see in a Michelin-star restaurant.
RDC offers a culinary service platform for students to share their work beyond the classroom by bringing gourmet food to the streets using RDC food trucks and catering services. When they’re on this mission, there’s no going back; just know they’ll be cooking up a storm for everyone from Abuja to wherever the road may lead.
A Strong Community
Red Dish Chronicles isn’t just packed with culinary knowledge and a passport to the world; it is also a community. The students aren’t just students, but family members. Red Dish is like a family member celebrating your successes, supporting your grind, and dragging you up to another level every day.
With hosted workshops, networking events, mentorships, and a million other things in progress at Red Dish Chronicles, you’d realize this is more than an average culinary school. It is an institution that has a strong alumni engagement, keeping students connected, providing opportunities to collaborate, grow, and return to teach. Alumni of Red Dish Chronicles Abuja have gone on to become head chefs, restaurant owners, food influencers, and private chefs to celebrities.
If you are in Nigeria’s commercial capital, Red Dish Chronicles also has an equally vibrant campus located in Lagos, where it all started, serving culinary excellence. They have always served and delivered evidence of passion and culinary creativity.
Registration Fee: #25,000(For all courses)
Tuition Fee: From ₦350,000— ₦4,000,000(Depending on the type and length of program)
Location: Sterling Bank Boulevard Plot 990, By Grandsquare/Leventis Motors, opposite Tuwo place, Central Business District, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.
If you’ve ever considered making your food passion a career, then Red Dish Chronicles Abuja is the place for you. With its flexible programs, impressive teachers, practical training, and ongoing brilliant initiatives, Red Dish Chronicles is more than a school; it’s your hope for fulfilling your culinary dreams.
You know what to do— pack your knives (and maybe a few red plates), because your food journey is about to get incredibly tasty.
Take a ride through their website, see what courses they have, schedule a tour, or jump in and make your kitchen dreams come true!
