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the essential cookery course

A four week cookery course aiming to inspire those with cookery skills, hoping to raise their game in the industry, as well as encourage confidence in the novice cook and help them to reach new heights of competence. Ideal for all ages and stages! Our summer courses are particularly popular with those on their gap years (pre or post university), or during holidays.

 

 

"My interest in food really began with a cookery course at the Grange.
Food and cooking is at the core of entertaining, and my passion grew and grew from there"
Pippa Middleton, student in May 2002

 

The course is ideal for those wanting to do a ski season or with more experience to work on boats in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. Many students go on to make careers in food and cooking worldwide, use their skills to fund their gap year or university – or enjoy the course that will give them a skill for life.

 

The Essential Cookery Course covers all the methods and techniques that you need to know to be able to cook really good food for family and friends, or to cook professionally. By working in the kitchen for four weeks full time, your general confidence and competence in knife skills and all round kitchen ability grows tremendously. In addition to preparing and cooking all the food that everyone eats throughout the course, all aspects of kitchen management, including menu planning, costing, time plans and so on, are covered. The breadth and depth of knowledge gained during your month at the Grange makes the course a great asset to your CV.

 

"Another excellent winter season with a Grange graduate...the course has to be one, if not, the best cookery course for training chalet chefs in the UK. All the students come out of the Grange with a great repertoire, a real feel for food and the ability to organise their kitchen..."
Sue Stevenson, Snow Focus

 

The course gives a depth of knowledge and understanding of food far beyond most peoples' expectations! We make all our dishes from their raw ingredients and cover a range of subjects – from making bread, through cider tasting, filleting fish, boning meat and poultry, sauces, soups, risottos, amazing puddings – to wine each evening, culminating in a wine tasting with our Master of Wine at the end of the course.

 

Due to the nature of the course, where all our students sit down and eat every meal together, we teach how to serve the meal to the table, as well as cooking it, It also ensures that there is constant critical appraisal of dishes cooked and general discussion of all aspects of food and cooking.

All this in an atmosphere where we strongly encourage a good work ethic! This means that we give our students the skills to be very employable. Lifelong friendships are formed amongst groups of students, many of whom have come to the Grange because their family and friends love it so much!

 

...all students work towards a part of the menu for dinner, and in the evening a small group take it in turn to be responsible for running the kitchen and putting the meal together...

 

 

 

In the first two weeks of the course we have teaching sessions each morning and afternoon, then the rest of the day is spent cooking, working towards lunch and dinner.

 

We have a full teaching day and students take it in turn to plate up, present and look after the table during each meal. During the earlier parts of the month we follow our course file and structure all the time. As the course progresses into the third and forth weeks and the students' ability and knowledge increase, they are given opportunities to choose their own dishes in cooking sessions. We have a particular morning where we focus on fish and meat in turn. Students also cook their own menu - in which they devise, plan and cook a three course meal of their choice, stretching themselves and using their new abilities. This means that as well as cooking an array of interesting ingredients, everyone tastes an enormous variety of flavours, creating a strong influence on their palate and their cooking ability.

 

 

On the last day of the course we welcome the students' families and friends, who they have invited, to a final lunch where they can cook for a larger number of people.

There are up to sixteen students on each course, and there is always a high ratio of staff to present, teach, guide and help during the cooking sessions.

 

If you are unable to attend the full four week course, you are welcome to join us for one, two or three weeks, or to bolt-on sections from courses during the year, to suit your timings. If you would like more information about course content, do get in touch.

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