News

WORLD FIRST HANDS ON BRONTË EXPERIENCE COMES TO YORKSHIRE

Friday 27th April 2012 11:15 AM

The Cooking School at Dean Clough in Halifax is to offer a unique historical cooking experience. "Bake Like a Brontë" is thought to be the first hands-on Brontë cooking experience, being delivered in conjunction with the nearby Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth.

Parsonage Museum Collections Manager Ann Dinsdale will lead off the afternoon in the state of the art school by showing some of the kitchen items used by the Brontë sisters themselves in their historic home. These will include a loaf tin, in which Emily baked bread and a jam pan that was recently re-discovered.

Executive Chef Matthew Benson-Smith has designed the afternoon baking course to feature food and recipes that the Brontës would have eaten or which featured in their iconic novels including Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. The menu may feature 2012 versions of Lowood Schoolhouse Oatcakes based on Jane Eyre's diet at the strict educational establishment of her childhood. Matthew will also create a delicious version of benevolent schoolmistress's Miss Templeton's life saving Seedcake, which Jane and her sickly friend Helen secretly feast on in their favourite teacher's study.

Brontë Curator Ann Dinsdale says "Food and the kitchen were incredibly important to the Brontës both in their everyday lives and as an important source of inspiration for their writing. Emily loved to bake so we are definitely following in their footsteps and celebrating their love of food too. Haworth was also famous for its coffin - shaped funeral biscuits but we are not sure if there will be the same appetite for those in 2012".

The "Bake Like a Brontë" course on Sunday, June 10th - the first of its kind - is sure to sell out quickly and may well attract many visitors from overseas. It coincides with the annual general meeting of the Brontë Society in Haworth when experts and fans of the literary sisters flock to Yorkshire from as far afield as Japan and USA.

Chef Benson - Smith says "We look forward to welcoming Brontë fans to the Cooking School from all over the world. Our School is a state of the art venue, on a par with anywhere internationally but our welcome is friendly and down to earth. Last year we ran a sell out talk here at the school about the Brontës and food, so it seemed a natural progression to start doing some literary-inspired cooking. This afternoon tea with the Brontës promises to be quite unmissable and historic."

Click here to book 'Bake Like a Brontë'.

Posted 11:15 AM | Permalink

AWARD WINNING JUBILEE CAKE SECRETS AT THE COOKING SCHOOL

Thursday 19th April 2012 12:29 PM

Do you want to make the perfect teatime treats for the Jubilee? Well The Cooking School at Dean Clough has the perfect course for everyone this May…. giving customers the skills to make 'better than basic' cakes and biscuits to impress for any celebratory events planned for the Jubilee.

Allison Whitmarsh of award-winning Huddersfield-based company Proper Maid Cakes will join Executive Head Chef Matthew Benson-Smith to teach customers how to cream, whisk, melt and rub in and ice your creations. Allison led a course at The Cooking School earlier this year, showing how to make her award-winning cakes such as sticky ginger cake finished with fudge, lemon and poppy drizzle cake with homemade lemon curd a courgette and lime cake and a Genoese sponge with jam.

Allison and Matthew in action

During the May one day course at The Cooking School, customers will be making a range of Proper Maid's fantastic recipes, including chocolate ganache, a selection of cupcakes, classic victoria sponge cake as well as learning the secret to a perfect battenburg.

Matthew Benson Smith commented "This one day course will take the perils out of baking and guide you gently through the process just in time for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. We are thrilled to be welcoming Allison to The Cooking School after her demonstrations at our recent third birthday party and on the February Have your Cake and Ice it Course. "

Cakes for the Jubilee will run on Saturday 19 May 2012 and places are still available at £145 per person. Click here to book

The course includes lunch and demonstrations as well as hands on baking.

Posted 12:29 PM | Permalink

WE ARE RECRUITING - MARKETING ASSISTANT

Tuesday 17th April 2012 10:44 AM

We have a fantastic opportunity for a Marketing Assistant working for Design Dimension, the national charity behind The Cooking School. The role will include traditional and online channels for a range of projects and courses. Initially a 6-month position, this may be extended into a permanent position.

The priority is to support the Marketing and Communications manager in delivering a cohesive strategy for the 3 main areas of the organisation. The Marketing Assistant will appropriately and positively champion, represent and support marketing throughout the organisation.

Click here for the full job spec and person description

Posted 10:44 AM | Permalink

BEER AND FOOD MAKE THE PERFECT MATCH AT THE COOKING SCHOOL

Thursday 12th April 2012 8:59 AM

The Cooking School at Dean Clough is facing a tough challenge ; tempting Yorkshire fans of great beer and food to a Beer Tasting event in Halifax on 3 May. The Cooking School is offering an expert tasting journey through the best of Yorkshire Beers - accompanied by food specially matched for the occasion!

For just £10 per person Executive Chef Matthew Benson-Smith is inviting an audience to listen to expert Beer Sommelier Steve Livens to talk and taste his way (with their help) through a list of great Yorkshire beers. Steve, from the British Beer and Pub Association, will be talking about the brewing process and guiding people's taste buds through the nuances of the best brews in the county.

Steve is planning a veritable feast of flavours and will be matching beer like Scarborough Fair IPA with a Yorkshire Rarebit and a Gorlovka, Imperial Stout with Venison kebabs.

Executive Chef Matthew Benson-Smith will be offering guests a further delightful dimension to the evening by serving up food specially matched to each beer. "I love events like this at the Cooking School because the people who come along have such a great time. No matter how much you think you know about beer, you always learn something new. It also means you can appreciate one of life's pleasures - a great pint of beer - that bit more after learning about the process and the skills that go into making it".

For tickets for the event on Thursday 3 May click here The evening will run from 6.30pm to 8.00pm and tickets are just £10. Places are strictly limited. All profits go to the UK wide food charity Focus on Food.

Posted 8:59 AM | Permalink

BRAND NEW FAMILY COOKING SESSIONS

Wednesday 11th April 2012 4:12 PM

The Cooking School at Dean Clough is offering, for the first time, a family cooking class for children and adults to participate in at the same time. For over 12 months, the hugely successful Junior and Teens Chef's club has been offering Budding Jamies and Nigellas the chance to get stuck into cooking at the state of the art Dean Clough facility.

Executive Head Chef Matthew Benson-Smith says this is the natural progression for The Cooking School. "We have had a number of requests from parents and grandparents to cook with their children. To see the children progress on each course is fantastic and The Cooking School is a safe, friendly and modern facility for them to learn to cook in. Plus this time the parents don't just get the delicious leftovers - they are also part of the learning process."

The class is suitable for all children from age 8 to 16 and will be available for one day only during June. Each individual child will need to have a parent or guardian with them and they will learn how to cook together, with the children perhaps even teaching the parents or grandparents something! For both the parent and 1 child, the cost is just £55, including all ingredients and equipment, plus some takeaways to show off at home.

The Family Chefs' Club will be on Friday 8 June between 2.00pm and 4.30pm. Book by clicking here.

Posted 4:12 PM | Permalink

SUCCESS FOR SALVOS AT THE COOKING SCHOOL

Monday 2nd April 2012 3:08 PM

Award winning Italian restaurant Salvo's has been sharing the secrets of their success to a sell-out crowd at the Cooking School in Halifax. And it wasn't just delicious food that kept the audience gripped, but owner Gip Dammone's story telling and entertaining talent!

Brothers Gip and John Dammone who are celebrating 35 years running their Leeds restaurant were approached by the School before Christmas to give an authentic Pasta Masterclass. The course scheduled for March 24th sold out quickly.

Executive Chef at the School, Matthew Benson-Smith says " Cooking fans are showing they have an appetite for authenticity. If it's Italian cooking, they want to hear real recipes that originate from that place, that have been passed down through a family, they want to know about food sources and regional specialities and stories. Cooking skills are very important but we know our foodie audience also want to be entertained. They certainly get that with Gip. He is a born story-teller".

So much so he decided it would be best to bring Jim "The Baron", head chef from Salvo's Salumeria business in Headingley to do the cooking while Gip held forth on a range of topics - many, though not all, cooking related! On the menu was delicious hand-made tortelloni stuffed with ricotta and spinach, served with Aunt Pina's pork ragu. The Salvo's way is to use a very finely ground semolina as well as free-range eggs with a "glowing yolk".

Then there was fettucine with fungi trifolati al tartufo - a simple and sophisticated dish with stuffed mushrooms. This was followed by seafood linguine from the boys' home region of Amalfi. The Dammones also have roots in Sicily so together with the Bay of Naples influences, Pasta fans were treated to some of the highlights of those regions dishes and cooking tips.
To date Gip's natural home has been the restaurant but judging by his performance as a raconteur at the Cooking School he may have found a new calling as a stand up chef, with anecdotes on everything from the recipe for pasta, where to get the best olive oil and how making pasta can increase your chest size!

The Cooking School fans are anxiously waiting for the return of the Pasta Masters to the Cooking School at Dean Clough after a triumphant and sell-out debut.

A brand new date has been announced for 30 June 2012. More details can be found at www.thecookingschool.co.uk

Posted 3:08 PM | Permalink

NIGHT OF THE MICHELIN STAR AT THE COOKING SCHOOL

Thursday 22nd March 2012 9:02 AM

The Michelin starred Box Tree Restaurant from Ilkley began its 50th birthday celebrations last night with a gourmet tasting event at the Cooking School at Dean Clough. The award winning restaurant team delighted a packed house of eager foodies at the Halifax school with a demonstration and tasting of their modern French classic menu.

Head Chef Dan Birk gave away some of his Michelin kitchen secrets as he demonstrated delcious dishes including a Wild Garlic soup with Truffles and Quails eggs. Business owner Rena Gueller talked about the Box Tree's heritage with "behind the scenes" stories of the restaurant over the years - including coming across long lost menus from 1962. Then the restaurant was offering Dublin Bay prawn cocktail and Steak with peppercorn sauce. A far cry from today's classic menus under the Gueller management, featuring favourites such as roast scallops, creamed celeriac and white truffle, papilotte of pigeon and hot apricot soufflé.

Box Tree Sommelier Didier de Costa gave a masterclass in wine tasting and the art of matching fine food and wine. He told how his love of wine began at home in Brittany as a boy when his dad would flavour his soup in the traditional way - with a splash of wine!
Rena also told the audience about her husband Simon Gueller's lifelong friendship with world renowned chef Marco Pierre White who is now an ambassador for the Box Tree and a frequent visitor to Ilkley. Marco who began his career at the Box Tree will be the guest of honour at the restaurant's 50th birthday celebrations next week.

Cooking School Executive Chef Matthew Benson-Smith hopes the sell out event will be repeated soon. "It is a great honour for the Cooking School to host events with the Box Tree. Dan Birk made it all look so easy but you have to remember the pressure there is on any chef once there is a Michelin star to hold onto. I think that our Cooking School fans really appreciate being able to see that up close and ask any questions. There was lots of discussion about local ingredients, water baths, induction hobs and which blender to use! We are so grateful that despite time pressures, a renowned restaurant such as the Box Tree still takes the time out to support our work at the School and our UK cooking charity, Focus on Food".

Rena Gueller added, "It's a great pleasure to be supporting and working with such a friendly team, inspiring and motivating people to enjoy food".

Posted 9:02 AM | Permalink

RED HOT CURRY COURSES OPEN US ON A SUNDAY!

Friday 2nd March 2012 9:36 AM

Yorkshire's most popular curry cooking courses are proving such a success that the school where they are run is now having to open on Sundays! Ever since The Cooking School at Dean Clough in Halifax teamed up with Gordon Ramsay's favourite Indian restaurant Prashad, its curry cooking courses have been a constant sell out success. Manager Barbara Govan and Executive Head Chef Matthew Benson-Smith are delighted at the partnership with Kaushy and Bobby Patel begun last summer. Since then they have sold out 6 of the day-long courses with two next month already full.

To meet demand the team have come up with two new Gujerati menus so that there are now 3 in rotation at the school in Halifax, at the heart of the Yorkshire curry triangle. And they've also for the very first time decided to open up the charity Cooking School regularly on Sundays to cope with demand! Some curry - mad customers are booking onto all 3 courses so that they can recreate the delicious vegetarian cuisine.

Typical dishes on upcoming courses at The Cooking School at Dean Clough include Rhengan Revey - baby aubergines stuffed with rich peanut massala, perfectly cooked fluffy rice; Khuddy, a rich yoghurt sauce; Kalva, Gujerati Banana Bhanjis.

A days' cooking includes lunch and also your very own "takeaway" to impress friends and family. There are some places remaining on following dates Saturdays: May 12th, July 7th, Oct 27th, Nov 11th and Sundays August 19th and September 9th. Guests can combine a cooking course with a discount voucher for a meal at Prashad's restaurant in Bradford.

Business Development Manager Barbara Govan comments " The website crashed when we launched the first course. It has been mad ever since then. People just can't get enough of Prashad's delicious cooking courses. Also it's such a great, fun day. We all feel like we are members of the Patel family by the time Kaushy and Bobby send us home. Now we are opening on Sundays and bringing in new menus to cope with the demand. Plus all the profits go to our charity Focus on Food, teaching children, often in deprived communities how to cook - so we are grateful for the Patels' and our customers' support."

Posted 9:36 AM | Permalink

THE COOKING SCHOOL AND THE MALTINGS NEW PARTNERSHIP

Thursday 1st March 2012 9:58 AM

The Cooking School at Dean Clough and The Maltings (part of Hipperholme and Lightcliffe High School (HLHS)) are delighted to announce a strategic partnership to bring professional full time catering courses to Calderdale from September 2012.

The Cooking School at Dean Clough The Maltings, former Websters brewery, Picture from Halifax Courier

This will be the first time in 18 years that a course of this level in a practical environment will be offered to Calderdale Students. The course will be delivered in two historic landmark buildings within Calderdale. Both facilities meet employer demand through the provision of carefully targeted courses in employer-led, state of the art work-related facilities.

Anthony Smith, Executive Headteacher of The Maltings says, "We are delighted to be working with The Cooking School and are able to offer the young people of Calderdale amazing facilities, access to professional chefs and develop our industry partnerships further. We look forward to welcoming students to both centres on the open days and to working with The Cooking School to train the chefs of tomorrow today".

A special Taster Day will be running on Thursday 19 April. Prospective students can visit both The Maltings and The Cooking School at Dean Clough (transport between sites provided) to view the amazing facilities as well as chance to talk to professional chefs and Places are limited and we urge you to register your interest at www.hlhs.co.uk/themaltings.



Ruth Robinson, Managing Director of Design Dimension Educational Trust, the charity behind The Cooking School at Dean Clough says " This is an amazing opportunity for Calderdale and its younger generation. We are very proud of our state-of-the-art facilities at Dean Clough and of our highly skilled, experienced and inspirational chefs. With the opportunity of working in domestic and industrial kitchens and being exposed to real customers, the training offers fantastic opportunities for the students. We truly are excited to be working in partnership with The Maltings and for bringing professional catering opportunities back to Calderdale."

Click here to register your interest - and click on "Come and study here" then hospitality and catering to register your interest in the courses.

he Taster Day on 19 April will offer two sessions for students and their parents. The first between 3.30pm-5.30pm and the second between 6.00pm -8.00pm. Please note that places are limited.

Posted 9:58 AM | Permalink

ROSEMARY SHRAGER CONFIRMS 2 DATES AT THE COOKING SCHOOL

Thursday 16th February 2012 9:47 AM

Rosemary Shrager's passion for food lit up The Cooking School at Dean Clough when she visited for an afternoon in 2011. For 2012 she has confirmed 2 dates at the state of the art cooking school in West Yorkshire and this time, they are full days.

For the course participants, it is a chance to get cooking some Rosemary specials. The course on 21 April will be a Master Class in Duck and 16 June focuses on sweet treats and desserts. Rosemary will also signing copies of her book "Absolutely Foolproof Home Cooking".

Rosemary will be cooking with Executive Head Chef Matthew Benson-Smith, who is excited to welcome her back for 2012. "Our course participants last time had a fantastic afternoon and Rosemary's recipes were challenging and interesting and we look forward to the dates this year."

The courses are £225 per person and include lunch and refreshments. This is a rare chance to cook with Rosemary in fantastic modern facilities with a small group.

Also coming up in 2012 are courses ranging from bread making to cakes, butchery and fish. The Cooking School at Dean Clough is celebrating being open for 3 years during 2012. Rosemary is currently finalising her next book in the Absolutely Foolproof series, due to launch soon.

Posted 9:47 AM | Permalink

THE COOKING SCHOOL AT INTERNTIONAL CONFEX

Wednesday 15th February 2012 11:49 AM

The Cooking School will be taking a delicious demonstration to International Confex in March 2012. Exhibiting with Conference Leeds on the Welcome to Yorkshire stand for the first time ever, Executive Head Chef Matthew Benson Smith will be demonstrating a quirky and delicious Chocolate and Raspberry Soup. Visitors to the stand will be able to see the demonstration of the soup and try it, maybe even taking some home.

The Cooking School is in the heritage site of Dean Clough a converted mill in the heart of the Pennines. Offering a state-of-the-art kitchen for teambuilding, motivation and demonstrations, onsite there are also meeting rooms, a 300 seat auditorium, café, restaurant and hotel. The Cooking School is the commercial arm of the UK wide charity Focus on Food so all profits from business at the School return to help children around the UK learn how to cook.

The Cooking School offers a unique Wow factor is the ideal place to reward or incentivise your staff and if you are a food producer or manufacturer, is a fantastic showcasing venue. All our the courses on offer from bread-making to fantastic fish and award-winning Indian from Gordon Ramsay's favourite restaurant Prashad through to Rosemary Shrager - could be organised as a private corporate training event.

To register free for International Confex, the leading show for event organisers - click here

Posted 11:49 AM | Permalink

YORKSHIRE RESTAURANTS TOP OF THE CLASS

Thursday 2nd February 2012 10:03 AM

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."

Posted 10:03 AM | Permalink

SPRING AND SUMMER 2012 COURSE LEAFLET NOW AVAILABLE

Tuesday 17th January 2012 9:27 AM

Our course leaflet for January - June 2012 is now available to download. Click here to find out about all our upcoming courses.

Posted 9:27 AM | Permalink

HALF TERM CHEFS CLUB FOR FEBRUARY

Monday 16th January 2012 4:30 PM

Budding Jamies, Ginos and Nigellas can get stuck into cooking at Dean Clough this February half term with The Cooking School's Chefs' Club. Regular Chefs' Club member Claudia Bartholomew has not missed a class yet; in fact she even attended 2 in one week when she was crossing over from the 8-12 years group into the 13-16 years group! Claudia now has her own twitter account (@claudiateencookwith the help of her mum) and has whipped up all sorts from ginger sponge to chicken stir fry and even a giant princess cake.

The Cooking School at Dean Clough has been running children's and teen's cooking classes since last year and has just announced all 2012 dates for its Chefs' Club 2012. Participants will be whisking, chopping and mixing for a 2 and half hour session and preparing a range of dishes from Winter Broth with Herb Dumplings to Chocolate Orange Bread and Butter Pudding.

The courses are running each school holiday throughout 2012 and if young chefs attend all 5 dates, they will receive a chef's hat and certificate at the end of the year. Cooking School Executive Head Manager Matthew Benson-Smith enjoys the courses for young people as they are always different "To see them progress on each courses is fantastic and The Cooking School is a safe, friendly and modern facility for them to learn to cook in. Plus the parents are always happy as some leftovers usually make their way home!"

February's courses are on 17 and 19 February - full details are online at www.thecookingschool.co.uk

Claudia also featured on our blog during 2011. http://blog.thecookingschool.co.uk/practicalcooking/cooking-with-the-kids

Posted 4:30 PM | Permalink

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!

Thursday 5th January 2012 2:32 PM

We will be 3 years old on 21 January. As part of the birthday celebrations, we are having an open day to welcoming guests to sample cooking demonstrations and birthday cake as well as welcoming BBC Look North's Christa Ackroyd to host a Brilliant Breakfast course.

Saturday 21 January will see the school opening its doors to anyone who would like to drop in between 10.30am and 1.30pm. Gip Dammone, Proprietor of Salvo's Restaurant in Leeds who are running Pasta Masters a course in 2012 with The Cooking School, will be demonstrating some fantastic Italian dishes. Visitors will be able to save 10% on all courses booked for 2012 on the day and be the first to hear about new courses.

Allison Whitmarsh, of Proper Maid in Huddersfield will be creating a fantastic masterpiece birthday cake, following her recent success with the Christmas Dinner cake made for Weeton's of Harrogate. We will also have the fantastic Little Valley Brewery here with samples of their beers!

Then to continue the celebrations; on the Sunday, BBC Look North's Christa Ackroyd will be joining Executive Head Chef Matthew Benson-Smith for a Briliiant Breakfast course. The course is perfect for anyone who loves breakfast and will have tons of tips and hints, as well as a delicious meal included in the price. Menu ideas will include seasonal ingredients and teach professional presentation with and guests who are quick to snap up a place on this session.

If you would like to send us a birthday card - we would love to hear from you. Send cards to The Cooking School, D Mil, Dean Clough. West Yorkshire. HX3 5AX

Posted 2:32 PM | Permalink