Out & About July 2017

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Honesty Cookery School opened in
January 2014. The idea was to start
slowly and build up a following, seeing
what people wanted to learn about.
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.
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.
Wherever possible we use ingredients that
have been grown in the garden and we try as
much as possible to stick to seasonal cooking.
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
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.
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