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FUN IS KEY INGREDIENT

TV cookery shows have increased our appetite for learning about food

Tuesday August 19,2008

By Alison Coleman

CHEFS like Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White may have given us an appetite to learn more about cooking, but how do you go about it?

Aimed at keen amateurs and budding professionals alike, Think Cookery, based in Dawlish on the south Devon coast, provides an idyllic setting for small groups of students, from complete novices to competent cooks, and is one of a growing number of small, informal cookery training schools that emphasise enjoyment.

The school is run by former catering college lecturer Helen Chance-King, who aims to make the experience as relaxing and informative as possible.

She said: “People are keen to improve their cookery skills. One thing that they will learn here is that not all professional kitchens are like Gordon Ramsay’s.”

Some of the courses are themed. Dish the Fish, for example, sees students catch their own fish, which they bring back to the school, learn how to prepare and cook, before sitting down together to eat it.

The meat course is led by a local butcher, who takes students through the finer points of jointing a side of lamb. The idea is to give people more confidence when they are shopping for meat and cooking it.

While many students combine culinary classes with a weekend on the Devon coast, Think Cookery also runs local courses aimed at educating younger people in the basics of food preparation.

It aims to steer youngsters away from a diet of fast food and teach them to cook healthy food, simply and easily.

Ms Chance-King added: “As well as sparking an interest in making their own food, it gives them a taste of what it is like to work in a kitchen and may encourage them to think about a career in cookery.”

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