Out & About April 2017

A class act ROMILLA ARBER is on a mission to educate people about the food they eat and teach them cooking skills for life at the Honesty Cookery School

H onesty Cookery School opened in It was always clear to me, having attended quite a few cookery classes, that the sessions had to be hands on. I think people learn more effectively this way. One of the best cookery schools I ever at- tended was Richard Bertinet’s in Bath, where I did a five-day bread course, which really gave me enough knowledge to go on and teach others. I have been to other classes where you are just watching demonstrations and these are not nearly so constructive and helpful. They are usually also very expensive. The classes at Honesty are small, so that people can get all the help they need. It is also easier to relax in small classes. There is plenty of time to chat and get to know each other. It is so important to me that the classes are a social occasion where stories about food and life are shared. The cookery school is based in a new build green oak barn and it really is an inspirational environment in which to learn. January 2014. The idea was to start slowly and build up a following, seeing what people wanted to learn about.

Wherever possible we use ingredients that have been grown in the garden and we try as much as possible to stick to seasonal cooking.

manufacturers has had far-reaching conse- quences for our health and the state of the environment in which our food is produced. We do need to make time to appreciate the important part that good food plays in our lives. Honesty Cookery School is all about this, as is the Food Education Trust that I set up in 2008 and which is partly-funded by sales of my cookery books and partly-funded by profits made in the cookery school. The trust funds initiatives that encourage children and young adults to learn to cook. As well as putting on cookery classes for small groups we also put together bespoke courses for larger groups, friends or colleagues wanting to cook and eat together. These sessions have been a great success and huge fun. The courses still focus on food, but there is also an element of team-building or celebration involved. Food can bring people together in so many different ways. Whatever your reason for coming to Honesty Cookery School you are sure of a rich and rewarding experience that you will remember for a long time. To find out more visit www.cookeryschool. honestygroup.co.uk

The classes cover a wide range of food-related topics, from the cuisine of Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Japan, Italy, India, Turkey and Leba- non to regional cooking, pastry and cake craft. We have looked at healthier ways to cook and to make use of certain types of ingredient, such as fruit and vegetables. Some of the most popular courses are the bread-making courses. Bread baking is an area of cooking that is close to my heart. More and more people want to acquire the knowledge to bake bread at home as mass produced bread is so disappointing in comparison. Lots of people also find eating industrially- produced bread difficult to digest and so want to find an alternative. Bread is far too delicious to take out of our diets. When people come to Honesty Cookery School I want them to understand that they don’t have to have some great talent for cook- ing. They just need a desire to cook. I strongly believe that everyone should know how to cook. I think it gives us an understand- ing about our environment, animal welfare and the health and well-being of our own bodies. The loss of our food culture and our apparent willingness to hand over decisions about what we eat and how we eat it, to massive food

The back door opens out on to the beautiful Hampshire countryside, and in the spring and summer, when it is warm enough, lunches and refreshments can be enjoyed outside.

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