Mencap Cookery Club
Six times a week in our little kitchen it is buzzing with the clatter of pots and pans, laughter and inquisitive questions.
Eighteen months after starting here at Mencap, the kitchen is full of chat about cooking programmes, our favourite food. Oh yes and talk about food, food and more food.
Each week we journey around the world on a magical cookery tour, cooking and tasting (mostly devouring) beautiful flavours and superbly cooked meals from many parts of the globe and of course a lot of the favourites past and present from here at home.
We have also produced the Mencap Christmas Party Buffet for over 80 people. Baked hundreds of portions of cake for various charity events and catered for our own boardroom lunch. To top it all we catered for over 80 service users making the most amazing Christmas lunch with all the trimmings.
I am proud of the produce, the skills and stories of food that is now cooked at home with or for family or indeed housemates.
The skill levels and confidence are showing, some weeks I can hardly keep up. Everyone has come on leaps and bounds.
So why are we here? And what are we doing?
Cookery is so much more than cooking, its teamwork, its discipline, its listening and sharing. It helps you lead a happier healthier food journey in your life, making healthy choices and having the confidence that you can cook what you see on the ready meal shelves in the supermarket with a little training. Its also about friendship, meeting new people and building the confidence to work together.
You get to try food and dishes you may have never thought you would like. No fancy restaurant prices and the self-satisfaction that you have made it yourself for a snip of the price.
We run classes three days a week Monday to Wednesday from 10-12 and 1-3. There are limited spaces and service users attend the same session every week. We are open all year round except for the Christmas closure.
So, if you would be interested in attending a taster session please email leisure@wbmencap.org for more details and costs and we would welcome you to come and experience the cookery club.
Thanks, Keep Cooking
Chef Paul
