The Skills section of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award is designed to help young people discover and develop a practical skill that they can carry with them for life. Cooking is one of the most valuable — and most universally applicable — skills a young person can develop.
Viki's DofE cooking programme is structured across the required timeframes (3 months for Bronze, 6 months for Silver and Gold) and designed to demonstrate clear, measurable progression — from basic kitchen confidence to cooking nutritionally balanced meals from scratch.
Sessions can be delivered weekly, fortnightly, or in concentrated blocks — whatever works for the participant and their DofE schedule. Viki provides full evidence documentation to support your award submission.
Foundation skills: knife safety, basic techniques, cooking 5 core dishes from scratch with confidence.
Expanding repertoire, understanding nutrition, adapting recipes and cooking for others independently.
Advanced skills, menu planning, cooking a three-course meal for a group, and demonstrating mastery of technique.
A structured programme that builds genuine, transferable cooking skills — not just recipes to follow.
Essential safety skills, cross-contamination prevention, and food storage — the foundations of confident cooking.
Knife skills, heat control, sauces, roasting, and other building-block techniques used in everyday cooking.
Understanding macronutrients, reading labels, and making informed choices about what goes on the plate.
Planning balanced meals on a budget — essential life skills for leaving home, university, or independent living.
Scaling recipes, accommodating dietary needs, and the confidence to cook a proper meal for family or friends.
Viki provides structured session records, progress notes, and assessor sign-off documentation for the eDofE system.
Individual Sessions
One-to-one with Viki
Bronze Programme
Full 3-month programme (12 sessions)
Silver/Gold Programme
Full 6-month programme (24 sessions)
Group DofE Sessions
Up to 6 participants together
All sessions include ingredients, equipment, and full eDofE documentation.
Unlike many skills activities, cooking offers immediate, tangible rewards. Young people see — and taste — the results of their effort at the end of every session. That instant feedback loop builds motivation and persistence in a way that abstract learning often can't.
And the skills are genuinely useful: cooking from scratch is a life skill that will serve young people well when they leave home, go to university, or start living independently. It's one of the most practical and empowering things a young person can do.
Enquire about DofE sessions