ADULT EDUCAT ION
CAMBR IDGE COOKERY Cambridge Cookery’s online images exude colour and a zest for life, and the role good food plays in it. It’s a reflection of founder Tine Roche’s philosophy. “Creating delicious food is life- enhancing,” she says. It’s the reason her courses include plenty of time not just to create the food, but enjoy sitting down to eat and talk with the other students – and it’s a philosophy that holds just as true in the new year. “In January, the last thing you need is a punishing diet,” she says. All the tutors at Cambridge Cookery, now in its tenth year, have been through classic training courses (many are Leiths Cookery School alumni) and courses focus on equipping students with similarly traditional skills, covering everything from easy entertaining to curries of the world, a very popular option. “Whether making the best cakes or learning how to fillet fish, it’s very much based on classic, solid technique. There’s no fuss or fads, just good practical cooking,” explains Tine. In addition to what the college refers to as ‘the big one’ – an eight-week course running on consecutive Tuesday evenings – there are half-day sessions that end with a lovely lunch or dinner, eaten communally. “People often don’t want to leave. They say, ‘This is nicer than most of the dinner parties I’ve been to in the past few years’. They’ve met new people, sat and talked,” says Tine. Attendees range from young professionals to people with careers and families who “still feel they need to take time out to engage with food”. Some of those signing up are cooking for themselves for the first time following divorce or bereavement. While Cambridge Cookery courses don’t lead to professional qualifications, some of those who attend are inspired to go on to further training. They’ve had men who’ve completed a course, then taken over all the cooking at home and siblings who wanted to learn how to transform the café at the garden centre they run. Whatever students’ motivation, Tine and her colleagues will ensure that the course isn’t just useful but hugely enjoyable. “It’s about engaging with food and eating with others. The whole experience of coming here is incredibly joyful,” says Tine.
THE CAMBR IDGE FLOWER SCHOOL People signing up for courses at The Cambridge Flower School may have loved cut flowers all their lives, but don’t have a clue about how to arrange them. “They want to learn how to do something with them rather than just pop them in a vase and hope for the best,” says tutor, Gussie Sneddon. Others may be approaching retirement or stuck in a career that they no longer find fulfilling. “They fancy a change and we’re the light at the end of the tunnel. If they have to go back to work after coming here, they’ve got a kind of get-out clause,” says Gussie. Unsurprisingly, Cambridge Flower School’s five-day intensive career change course that runs almost every month during 2019 is extremely popular – even though it’s highly demanding. “Don’t get carried away by the romance,” warns Gussie – who says that people have as a rose-tinted view of floristry (pun intended). “I wouldn’t say that the main proportion of our work is playing around with flowers. It’s cold hands and cold feet, but you create something that’s amazing, clients adore it and that’s unbelievably satisfying.” In addition to the career change course, Cambridge Flower School offers courses in the evenings and during the day. Some take half days, others run over seven weeks. Attendees learn everything from the basics, such as changing the water regularly, to planning the colour palette. A basic tip is to choose one colour and use lots of different shades within that colour spectrum. “Bright yellow, pale yellow, lemon white, cream and green will look lovely,” says Gussie. The school gets thousands of students through its doors every year, including a substantial number who return time and time again, some working their way through every course on offer. That’s down in part to the range of skills they learn, but also because of the convivial atmosphere. “You can chat to the people around you and have a piece of cake,” explains Gussie. “As much as anything, it’s coming and chatting to like-minded people and meeting new ones.”
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