Just Cook School

Hi there,

 My name is Tim Ryan & I am the founder of Just Cook. Let me start by saying that I am not a chef & I don’t have a catering background. I am just a guy who loves good food & really enjoys cooking, but in 2008 I had no idea I would be running a cookery school just a year later. How did it come about? I blame Jean Christophe Novelli!

I treated myself to a demonstration day at his farmhouse academy & had a great time. He gave me the bug to improve my skills. But I wanted more than just a demonstration so I got on the internet & started looking for a hands on school. I found a few, booked some lessons & went along. And they were OK, really they were. They just weren’t as hands on as I had imagined. I tried some more, but, long story short, I couldn’t find my sort of cookery school. So I ended up changing career & building my own.

 I have tried to create a place where people of any ability can learn, not just how to cook but also how enjoyable cooking is. It hasn’t been easy (you can read more on my blog, HERE), but when I get feedback from our guests, I know we have the right approach & it’s all worthwhile.

 “Outstanding” – Lisa Chilver, Easy Entertaining, “Loved it all” – Emma Mason, Easy Entertaining

“What a wonderful day! Thank you” – Wendy Carter, Meat Mastery, “Good. Perfect in fact” – Laura Morris, Easy Entertaining

 Please, feel free to call me or send an email if you have any questions, suggestions or just fancy a chat. I’d love to hear from you. 

 

 

5 Things I Want from a Cookery School

 1. Hands on, Hands on, Hands on!  

 The most important thing, & the reason I started my own cookery school

All of our one day workshops are full on & totally hands on. We don’t get you to do the prep & then whisk your dish off & cook it for you, that’s not what I call hands on. To me, if you want to learn to cook you have to actually cook. So we give you a hob & an oven, knives, pans, utensils. Everything necessary for you to do the cooking!

If you want to sit back & watch, then we are not the place for you. That sort of thing might be entertaining, but I know from personal experience that you won’t remember much of what you’ve seen.

Don’t watch someone else, Just Cook!

 2. Satisfaction, guaranteed.

 I want to know that I am going to learn something & that I will be able to repeat it when I get home. I want to have fun & learn in a comfortable environment. I want to feel confident that I can recommend a place to a friend.

 I believe we have a format that delivers on all of the above, & I am happy to put my money where my mouth is. If you aren’t 100% happy I’ll give you your money back. You can’t say fairer than that. In fact, maybe you can – how about DOUBLE your money back? That way you know we are really going to work hard to make sure you’re happy.

Don’t take chances, Just Cook!

 3. Value for money.

 I want to know that I am going to get value for money. I don’t want corner cutting cheapness & I don’t want to pay through the nose either. I want to feel that I got a little bit more than if I went elsewhere.

 Our classes are based around you making, eating & taking home plenty of delicious food. For a skills based class like Baking or Desserts, that’s a whole load of stuff for your freezer. On our other classes it’s a 3 or4 course meal for 4 – we call it a Dinner Party in a Box. Why do we do so much? Partly because we don’t want you to get home to questions like “where’s mine?” or “what are you cooking?” & partly because no one else does it.

Don’t waste your money, Just Cook!

 4. Size Matters

Class size is important. Smaller is better, because that way you get more interaction.

We only run small groups – we don’t cram 40 of you in a room where you can get lost in the crowd. Our maximum class size is just 8 people – that’s big enough for there to be a brilliant, fun atmosphere & small enough to ensure you get our full attention.

Don’t follow the crowd, Just Cook!

 5. Great cooking starts with great ingredients.

Part of learning to cook is learning about ingredients, seasonality & provenance. Begin with good quality ingredients & you are halfway there.

We source our produce from people who are as passionate about what they do as we are. That means most of it is local, sustainable, ethical & above all, delicious.

Life’s too short to eat bad food, Just Cook!