Level 1 Foundation Programme · Cohort 2

Performance nutrition, taught to chefs by the people who feed athletes

12 modules in 4 parts. A live coaching call with Dr Nessan Costello every week. Cohort 2 live calls start 3 December 2026. Capped at 50 chefs.

Apply for cohort 2

£599 including VAT in full, or four monthly payments of £187.25. Places are offered by application; accepted chefs receive their enrolment link.

  • SENr approvedApproved for CPD by the Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register, the UK register for sport nutritionists.
  • 40 hoursOf continuing education recognised by the American Culinary Federation.
  • 2 to 5 hoursPer module, in your own time, plus the weekly live call. Calls are recorded if you miss one.
  • 80% to passEvery module ends with a graded test. Pass it to move on.
  • Checkable in secondsYour certificate is issued by an independent platform, with a QR code any club can scan.

What you get

Not a content library. A cohort.

You train with the same group of chefs for the whole programme, with Ness on the call every week.

Live coachingAbout an hour with Ness every week. Bring the plate you argued about. Recorded if you miss it.
Service scenariosTimed decisions, the way they come at you on the pass. Wrong answers send you back.
A private cohortA group of chefs doing the same work at the same time. The first place in sport you can ask a peer.
A credentialA certificate and four badges, issued by a third party, that go straight on LinkedIn.
The registerA free place on the Performance Chef Register, where clubs and employers come to find chefs.

The Performance Chef Register

Train. Get listed. Get found.

Clubs and employers have never had one place to look for chefs who understand athletes. Now they do. Every chef on the programme gets a free place on the Performance Chef Register, from the day they start, not the day they finish.

  • 01Listed while you train.Your profile shows your experience, the kitchens you have run, and where you are on the programme.
  • 02Employers come to us, we come to you.A club or caterer who wants to talk to you contacts PCA. We check who they are and make the introduction.
  • 03You decide what is shown.Employers see your first name, your bio and your experience. Not your surname, not your current employer. Joining is optional.
See the register

The curriculum

Twelve modules. Four parts. Every one built for the kitchen.

Each part is three modules, then a rest week to catch up. Each module ends with a graded test of 20 questions, drawn from a bank of 45. You need 80% to move on.

Part 1 · Modules 1 to 3

The foundations of performance cooking

Opens the day you enrol

  1. 01The physiology of performance cooking: how the body uses what you cook
  2. 02From nutrition guidelines to kitchen decisions
  3. 03Fuel the engine
  4. Rest week
Part 2 · Modules 4 to 6

Energy, delivery and fuel

Opens 3 January 2027

  1. 04Energy demand, energy balance, and the cost of performance
  2. 05Protect the system: how the gut controls fuel, comfort and performance
  3. 06Carbohydrate: the fuel that runs out
  4. Rest week
Part 3 · Modules 7 to 9

Fat, protein and fluid

Opens 3 February 2027

  1. 07Fat: evidence, application, and kitchen practice
  2. 08Protein and amino acids: building, repairing, and protecting performance
  3. 09Fluid and electrolytes: hydration, sweat, and performance resilience
  4. Rest week
Part 4 · Modules 10 to 12

Micronutrients, supplements and the individual athlete

Opens 3 March 2027

  1. 10Vitamins and minerals
  2. 11Nutrition supplements
  3. 12Specific populations: personalising performance nutrition
  4. Certificate of completion opens 10 April 2027

The programme is approved for CPD. It is not a regulated qualification and it does not make you a nutritionist. It makes you the chef the nutritionist wants to work with.

Dr Nessan Costello on the pitch at a floodlit stadium
Dr Nessan CostelloSENr Registered Nutritionist · PhD

Who teaches it

Taught by the nutritionist who relied on the chef.

Over a decade feeding elite footballers: Leeds Rhinos, Leeds United under Marcelo Bielsa, Newcastle United, Chelsea, where they won the Conference League and the Club World Cup. Now Head of Nutrition at Al Ahli, with back-to-back Asian Champions League titles, and a consultant to FIFA. He published the research on the chef's role in football, then wrote the programme that was missing. He wrote every module and runs every live call.

The service scenarios were built with input from Omar Meziane: twenty years as a performance chef with England, Manchester United, cricket, the Olympics and Formula One.

"This is not about replacing the nutritionist. It is about completing the chain."

On completion

A certificate an employer can check in seconds.

Finish all twelve modules and pass each test and you receive the Level 1 Certificate of Completion, signed by Dr Nessan Costello, with 40 continuing education hours recognised by the American Culinary Federation. It is issued by Accredible, an independent credentialing platform, with a QR code and a live link any club can check, and it adds to LinkedIn in one click. You collect a badge at the end of each part along the way.

Example PCA Level 1 certificate with a QR code in the corner
Example certificate. The QR code in the top corner is what a club scans.

Before you apply

The practical bits.

How much time does it take?

Two to five hours per module, in your own time, plus the live call each week, which runs about an hour and is recorded. Three modules a month, then a rest week.

Who is it for?

Professional chefs who cook for athletes, and professional chefs who want to. Cohort 1 has chefs from football, Australian rules, baseball and college sport, alongside private, hotel and restaurant chefs. You do not need to work in sport already. You do need to cook for a living.

How does the cohort work?

Cohort 2 is capped at 50 chefs. Part 1 opens the day you enrol. Live coaching starts 3 December 2026 and runs weekly. Parts 2, 3 and 4 open on 3 January, 3 February and 3 March 2027, with a rest week after each part. The certificate opens 10 April 2027.

What does it cost?

£599 including VAT paid in full, or four monthly payments of £187.25 (£749 in total). Clubs and employers putting a team through can email hello@performancechefacademy.com for a VAT invoice.

What if it is not for me?

A full refund within 14 days of purchase, as long as you have not passed the Module 1 test. Email hello@performancechefacademy.com.

How do I get a place?

Apply. It takes five minutes: who you cook for and what you want from the programme. If it is the right fit you get your place and your enrolment link. Borderline applications are reviewed within two days.

Cohort 2

£599including VAT, paid in full. Or four monthly payments of £187.25.
  • 12 modules in 4 parts, with a rest week after each
  • Live coaching with Ness every week from 3 December
  • Private cohort group, capped at 50 chefs
  • Certificate of Completion and 4 badges via Accredible
  • 40 ACF continuing education hours
  • A free place on the Performance Chef Register
  • 14-day refund if you have not passed Module 1
Apply for cohort 2

Questions about the cohort: nessan@performancechefacademy.com

Putting a team through?

Seat blocks for clubs, caterers and colleges, invoiced with VAT. Discounts from five seats.

Email the team