09 Mar OnSite and Online Courses available at Plant Based Accademy including our 12 week Certification Raw Food Mastery Level III Professional Course

Plant Based Academy is a raw and vegan culinary school. Training, educating and empowering students on plant based culinary art, vegan nutritional science and conscious living. Plant Based Academy is the only classically structured raw food course in Europe and world unique in its content, Certification and delivery. Plant Based Academy offers a number of comprehensive and single module raw food programs both on site at our raw kitchen and online.  Plant Based Academy offers the most advanced Raw Food Training available anywhere in the world. Our Raw Food Programs are suitable for beginners and advanced raw foodists. Curriculum includes advanced classes in cacao making, raw cosmetics, herbal tonics and tinctures, medicinal mushrooms, raw lifestyle, travelling on raw, advanced fermentation and much more.
On all of our Raw Food Mastery Programs students learn about real organic raw foods & raw food nutrition and how to prepare delicious, healthy raw organic meals just like a professonal chef. The course is delivered by a professional chef with over 20 years of professional chef experience. Students learn how to think and work like a chef using skills and techniques that will transform how you think about raw foods, giving you the skills to not only be healthly but to thrive with delicious raw foods, fermented foods, herbal preapartions and how to prepare and use raw organic skin care products to enhance your health and well being. Students Learn how to create delicious refined clean raw food without the use of cashew nuts and agave. All Modules are delivered within a framework of nutritional science, students will learn how to extract maximum nutrients from raw food and learn techniques to help the absorption of nutrients as very often many long term vegans, and raw foodists are deficient in many nutrients such as iodine, zinc, B6, B12, D, Calcium, Iron and Vitamin A which can over time have great negetive effect on health and well being.

 
 
Our Most advanced course is Level III: Professional Raw Food & Conscious Living Program 
This advanced 12-week course is available Onsite and Online. For the Onsite course only it is also certified by Plant Based Academy, Classes take place on Saturdays at our Raw Kitchen in Dublin over a 4 month period so there is plenty of time given throughout the course to complete assignments associated with each module culminating into the exam. For the online course, after purchase you are given permanent access to the 12 modules online, which consist of comprehensive notes, scientific articles, videos, recipes, methods and resources.
 
Module 1 – Raw Food Essentials 
Raw Food Essentials is an Introduction to raw cuisine, which provides a thorough orientation to our program and philosophy and a thorough discussion about the effects of raw food, the raw food lifestyle, the enzyme theory, the conflicting science surrounding the raw food diet and potential pitfalls of raw vegan diet. On this module the students will learn the basics of raw food, what is raw and what is not raw food. Students will learn some of the basic but essential recipes for creating gourmet raw cuisine such as sweeteners, thickeners and emulsifiers. Students will learn about eating the rainbow, exploring the different colors of fruits and vegetables and learning how to maximize absorption of essential nutrients, minerals and phytochemicals from raw foods. This module also emphasizes acquainting the students with basic kitchen equipment, proper handling and use of ingredients from soaking to slow cooking, and standard food safety guidelines. Some of the highlights of this module will be learning about healthy sweeteners, as the world is addicted to sugar and those in health movements becoming addicted to using toxic sweeteners such as agave syrup, Finding the right low glycemic healthy tasty sweeteners can be a challenging endeavor but worth while journey giving the negative impact sugar as on our health.
 
Module 2 – The Art of Fermentation
The Art of Advanced Fermentation is one of our most popular courses. It is a repertoire of many many years of fermenting research and experimentation. On this module students will learn very basic lacto fermentation such as Kimchi, sauerkraut and pickling fruits and vegetables to wild fermentations such as Tepeche from Mexico and Smreka from Bosnia to advanced fermentation techniques such as second stage medicinal mushroom and Gynostemma Kombucha, Blue cheese without cashew nuts and blueberry yogurt. Students will learn how to work with raw cultures such as water kefir grains and Kombucha. This Module provides a thorough lesson on the art, history and science of fermentation and gut micro biome, how to use probiotics, which probiotics to use and basic equipment needed for fermentation. Making guilt free extremely healthy vegan cheese that tastes so good without using high fat toxic nuts like cashew is a real highlight of this course.
 
Module 3 – The Art of Liquid Food
On this Module, we cover Smoothies, Milks, and Soups & Juices through a frame of nutritional science and maximum optimal nutrient absorption. We set out to challenge the current dominant concept of smoothies, which are generally not very healthy, and we take a real close look a juice, a Green Juice is not just a juice that is green. This module gives a master class on making stocks and world-class soups including slow cooked soups, cold soups and warms soups full of flavor and extremely healthy. This is also a master class of the best nut milks you ever tasted using turmeric, Spirulina, coconut, Goji berries, cacao and much more. This Module provides a thorough lesson on how to make the best soups, smoothies, juices and milks possible but also all equipment needed to make this happen including an overview on juicers and blenders.
 
Module 4 – The Kitchen Pharmacy
Module 4 focuses on herbal preparations, extraction methods and tincture making using medicinal herbs and mushrooms from a number of herbal systems including Chinese, western and Ayurveda traditions. Students learn which extraction method should be used for in order to extract the most medicine from barks, mushrooms, roots, leaves and flowers. You will discover cold extractions, warm infusions, decoctions and a number of different techniques to use to extract medicine from herbs. This is a fantastic introduction into herbalism including advanced theory, technique and recipes. The beginning of an exciting journey with plant medicine from St. Johns wart to kava to turkey tail mushroom.
 
Module 5 – The Art of Raw Chocolate and Raw Desserts
The Art of Raw Chocolate module for obvious reasons is a very exciting and enjoyable class, as everybody loves chocolate. In this module we go into the science of chocolate, the biochemistry, is it plant medicine or neurotoxin, how to temper chocolate, how to make perfect truffles and professional chelate bars & how to create decadent raw desserts without the usual toxins agave and cashew nuts. Students will learn about using Irish moss, other thickeners, emulsifies to replace eggs to make light desserts, agar agar and date paste. This is a master class in the art, history and science of raw chocolate and healthy guilt free sugar free raw desserts.
 
Module 6 – The Art of Raw Food Dehydration
Raw Food Dehydration module is a master class in Crackers, Wraps, Breads, Crisps, Donuts, Cookies, Pancakes and other health savory snacks. Students will discover how to create soft raw breads, which are extremely pleasing and healthy. How to manipulate recipes to create wraps, crisps and crackers with intense flavors unlike commercial raw dehydrated products. There will also be class discussion around the science of food dehydration and the arguments for and against dehydrated foods.
 
Module 7 – Molecular Gastronomy, Sprouting & Salads 
Molecular gastronomy, this is where science really meets culinary. This class focuses on raw vegetable preparation skills, professional chef techniques, Sauces, Salads  & Sprouting. For the keen food scientist you will learn how to use a number of techniques such as spherification, smoking, gelification, foaming, slow cooking, Spiralizing, marinating, quick pickling in order to manipulate ingredients in such a way to create art on a plate, to enhance flavor, and to break down the cell wall to make the ingredient more palatable and more nutritious. The highlights of the class is learning to make amazing sauces, incredible salads and preparing fruits and vegetables in so many different ways to create amazing raw dishes.
 
Module 8 – Raw Gourmet Meal Demonstration, Presentation and Costing 
Module 8 focuses on recipe and product costing, all culminating in the menu creation and presentation in Module 9. On this Module the professional chef and course facilitator will present a sample 5 course raw meal that you will taste and ask questions about. Students will learn about producing and costing marketable raw vegan goods, the basics of ingredient costing, converting units, how to factor waste and small amounts of ingredients into the price of a product, and how to determine a final selling price and achieve optimal gross profit margin.
 
Module 9 – Practical Exam 
Module 9 is the Practical Exam. Students will create and present a typed or hand written professional 5-course menu along with the dishes contained on the menu in a simple refined, professionally and well-presented fashion. The menu will include sale prices and cost of sales. This is the ultimate test for any chef and aspiring chef or raw food vendor. This module is where all information and learning from previous weeks comes together. Students will be critiqued on their presentation.
 
Module 10 – Raw Skin Care, Home Care and Cosmetics 
Module 10 is all about the foods that feed the largest organ of the body, which is the skin. Students will learn how to create amazing raw vegan organic edible cosmetics including toothpaste, Moisturiser, hand soap, mouthwash, shower gel, shampoo, face cream, face masks, perfume, toners and massage creams. This module brings awareness to everyday chemical exposure and its impact on health including elimination of healthy bacteria and compromising the immune system. In Ayurveda it is said don’t put anything on your body that you can not eat, we take this very literal and show to create everyday skin care, cosmetic and home care products that are not only safe, organic and non toxic but also edible.
 
Module 11 – The Raw Lifestyle 
On This module students will learn about the bigger picture, health outside of diet that we call the Conscious Lifestyle. Students will learn and discuss therapies and treatments for stress reduction, immune health, lymphatic health and state of well being including oil puling, colon hydrotherapy, massage, yoga, meditation and rebounding. We will also explore a number of clever devices such as grounding products, zappers and Scenar device used for optimum health and disease prevention. On this Module we will also taker a closer look and review of the nutritional science that has been referenced throughout the course. Students will gain access to elaborate; comprehensive and world-class treatment plans for people suffering with illness.
 
Module 12 – Raw Food Travelling 
Module 12 is the final class of this advanced course. During this module, students will learn techniques to stay healthy and thrive whilst traveling including how to achieve optimum hydration and health during flights without compromising with toxic water and plane food. Our course facilitator has travelled all over the world researching raw food places and practices and has much information and tips to share with you about staying healthy whilst traveling including legal simple process to overcome liquid restrictions on flights. Students will also learn a number of on the go recipes that can be fantastic for traveling.
 

 
You can book your Place on this world class course in the form below. You can make payment for both the Online course which is paymnet in full or for the onsite course which is 50% upfront . You can choose which ever start date you wish. This course is taken over a 4 month period and runs three times per year. If you have any questions you can use the other form provided to express interest and our intake administrator will contact you with all relevent information.
 

 

Read some of our Testimonials below

When I got pregnant for first time in 2013 I started taking diet more serious, I wanted to give my baby and myself the best nutrition possible to ensure we have a nice, healthy pregnancy and we I did. When my little girl started to eat her first bits of food I discovered that she loved lots of the things I have been eating during pregnancy so I start searching for more info on raw food for kids. She is 20 months now and I have seen her grow healthy, strong and smart. When she was 10 months I got pregnant again and it was around this time that saw the Raw Mastery Course. I decided to do it because I wanted to learn more about things that I haven’t yet explored, such as raw chocolate, fermentation and dehydration but also because I wanted to get quicker at the raw kitchen and have more ideas, with two babys now I didn’t have that extra time to search on the internet or books . I needed practical recipies and the whys of some of the things in the raw world.. The course was much more than I expected…. I loved it and it gave me the confidence to keep feeding my family knowing that I am giving them the best. I learned how to make yogurts, chocolates and lots of new things that my little girl loves. Thanks Darren to share all this wonderful information.
Natalia Gonzalez
Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner
Zanar Acupucnture and Integrative Healthcare
www.zanar.ie
 
I am so happy that I got the opportunity to do this course, I found it very life enhancing and made me look at diet and nutrition in a whole different light. Everything about it was so professional and the food that was prepared was always of the highest quality and most nutrient packed.
Patricia Reddington
 
I really enjoyed the broad range of topics, from learning how to prepare fermented yoghurt and cheese, kefir and kambucha, herbal teas to delicious pies and desserts etc. I also enjoyed the non food elements of the course, eg. lifestyle etc. The class notes were superb and the contacts gained are invaluable as Darren was very generous with his information, time and follow up. A really great course to inject taste into food and life.
Pat Flanagan
 
This was a very comprehensive course covering so many aspects of a raw food lifestyle not just the food exclusively. The knowledge and research that Darren shares is very honest and it is delivered in a compassionate atmosphere that put me at ease.I have learned so much that I’m beginning to incorporate into my life . The food we tasted was a treat to look forward to every week. It was great to know that raw vegan food is not only healthy but delicious. Made lovely friends to with my fellow learners which was s bonus . Highly recommended all round.
Angela Healy
 
The Raw Mastery course I took part in last year was just amazing! I’m really grateful I had a possibility to take part in this, thanks to your support regarding fees. I would not be able to even dream about this if not your kindness! This course really changed my life, it was so different than any other thing I experienced in my life. I did not realized this straight away, but the change happened slowly, week by week, month by month, with small tiny changes in my diet, my lifestyle and my attitude. When I started the course it was really difficult moment in my life, with many things happening, lots of fear and decisions to make and terrible depression that I had difficulties to deal with. Every single day was a struggle for me and every single day was filled with thinking what’s the point of being on this planet. There is still a lot to improve but thanks to you, I’m on a right path. Our Monday meetings was something I was looking forward to, I wasn’t too open on the course, but deep inside I appreciated every single moment, every advice that Darren gave us, every meal he prepared and the energy that was present there. Darren is a great person, he had so much patience, compassion and love for us. For the first time I felt nobody is judging me or my choices. His knowledge and skills are amazing and I’ve learn a lot! I feel grateful that he shared all this with us. And all herbs, spices, fermented foods and other ingredients in his kitchen, breathtaking! It was a pleasure to be there, to taste, to talk, to listen, to laugh, to smell… The course content was just perfect, on every single level, with the resources that opened my eyes on new possibilities. As English is not my first language I’m not able to express my gratitude good enough and I don’t have all the words to say how much I enjoyed the course but hopefully you’ll understand what I wanted to say 🙂 I wish you the best and hope that one day I’ll take part in other courses organised by the Institute. THANK YOU.
Agnieska
 
This course is a ‘must do’ if you care about yourself! The information covered is enlightening even if you don’t plan to adopt a raw diet. Darren researches and lives everything he teaches & he knows the most effective ways to live a healthier life. If you do one course this year, do this because what could be more important than your health!
Celine Mullins