Food enthusiasts in Yorkshire are showing they want second helpings from their favourite restaurants after a series of sell out cooking courses led by top eateries in the county. *The Cooking School* at Dean Clough in Halifax has recruited some of Yorkshire’s most popular and successful restaurants to boost cooking courses at the state of the art school ““ ultimately to raise funds for UK charity Focus on Food.
The Cooking School, manager Barbara Govan who dreamed up the innovative scheme says she has been overwhelmed by the response and by the support of restaurateurs which include award winning Leeds Italian, Salvo’s, Gordon Ramsay’s favourite Indian restaurant, Prashad in Bradford and the Michelin star Box Tree in Ilkley.
” First I approached Prashad because it seemed as though everyone was talking about them. I knew the TV audience for the Gordon Ramsay series on Channel 4 had taken the family to their hearts, when they were runners up in the final. But they already had a loyal following for their fabulous vegetarian cuisine before the cameras ever arrived. We are now on our 6th sell out Prashad cooking course here at the school with loads more dates this year. We are even running them now on Sundays. Kaushy Patel is a fantastic teacher and everyone feels like a member of the family after a day with her at the school.”
The Cooking School then approached the Michelin star Box Tree restaurant from Ilkley. Rena and Simon Gueller immediately supported the charity school with an evening event – Taste of the Box Tree with new head chef Dan Birk and sommelier Didier de Costa offering a tempting tasting journey through the menu and cellar.
Next on board was the award winning North Leeds Italian restaurant Salvos. Owners Gip and John Dammone will be showing cooking school customers how to make pasta like a true southern Italian at their Pasta Master class, also in March. Fans of Italian food have put their money where their mouths are, with the Salvo’s course an instant sell out too. However there are waiting lists for when extra dates are released. Owner John Dammone says,” Salvo’s are delighted to be partnering with The Cooking School. We relish the chance to tell people what true Italian cooking is and to understand how to combine the right ingredients in authentic recipes which come from our family and our homeland in Southern Italy. The state of the art facilities at The Cooking School are unrivalled and a delight to work in.”
Similarly, Prashad’s Bobby Patel says that mum Kaushy, also executive chef at the Bradford restaurant is loving the experience of teaching. “Running courses at the cooking school is fantastic for Kaushy. The industry-leading environment helps create an amazing experience and we are proud to be able to support the national Focus on Food charity. Kaushy really enjoysd her audience and is looking forward to many more courses”
“I am so pleased that food enthusiasts have jumped at the chance to learn about authentic cookery and ingredients from some of the best restaurants in the region. We are lucky to have such great quality businesses who are both entertaining and knowledgeable teachers. They are also generous enough to support the charity which inspires children and communities to cook.”, says Barbara. “I am still on the look out for some more partners to join us so watch this space! Despite tough economic times sales of our courses here are absolutely booming. I think it is because our customers have such a great time, a real appreciation of food and cooking. Plus they take away skills that really improve the quality of everyday life.”