A fresh pasta making class at L’Atelier des Chefs, London
Thank you for your votes. The polls are now closed and winners will be announced shortly…
Vote now in our polls for the UK Cookery School Awards in 2014
And vote in our poll for the best baking course in the UK
Following the success of last year’s cookery school awards – view the 2013 winners here – the original and only truly independent competition to find the very best cookery school in the country has launched for 2014.
There are now hundreds of schools in the UK offering an impressive range of specialist classes and our competition aims to highlight and reward the very best.
As the independent experts in the field and the only organisation that regularly reviews cookery schools, Looking to Cook is ideally placed to give recognition to those schools leading the way and offering something that little bit special.
Last year’s winner, Tine Roche of Cambridge Cookery School, said: “We are all delighted with this award which we wanted very badly… It is just fantastic because we were up against some very big schools but we won.”
The finalists will be competing for the 2014 Cookery School awards, run in association with Tabasco Pepper Sauce, in the following categories:
Best cookery school (This will be the overall winner from a shortlist that will include the best school from each region on the Looking to Cook map: London, South-East, South-West, Central, East England, Wales, North-East, North-West, Scotland and Northern Ireland.)
Best cookery course (We’re looking for exceptional courses that pack in three hours or less of fun and learning.)
Best day cookery course or food learning experience (This category is open to all food experience providers, including those who may not run a cookery school.)
Best ‘diploma’ cookery course (This category is open to providers of certified courses no shorter than one week long.)
Best community oriented cookery school (We’re looking for schools making an impact in their local area.)
Best cookery school tutor (This could be a much loved veteran or a dedicated one-person operation.)
NEW for 2014 is the Most Sustainable Cookery School (This category is FREE to enter and will be awarded by the Sustainable Restaurant Association using a programme customised to measure a range of sustainable factors within schools. The winner will receive SRA accreditation and a year’s free membership to the SRA.)
NEW for 2014 is the Best Baking Course award sponsored by Brioche Pasquier.
The award has been introduced in recognition of the rise in popularity of baking among the British public and the vast number of specialist baking courses springing up.
Best cookery school website (Just because we love digital and splendid design – there’s no need to submit an entry for this category, we will handpick a shortlist and allow the public to vote.)
HOW TO ENTER: Entry to the awards is easy and FREE if you’re signed up to Looking to Cook (you can sign up here).
For non-members it costs £39 to enter the awards, which can be paid by using the PayPal button below, or by bank transfer or cheque (see below for payment details*).
If you’d like to enter your school or company please send us an email clearly stating which category you are entering in the subject box and a short statement highlighting why you think your school should win; each school/company can enter no more than three categories. Deadline: October 1st, 2014.
* You can pay by Paypal: info@lookingtocook.co.
JUDGES: The final stages of judging will take place in early October and the winners of each of the awards will be announced later in the year and featured in both national and local press. They will also be awarded special badges to display on their own websites (see an example here) and on their Looking to Cook profiles and a prize of an elegant Tabasco gallon jug. The overall winner will win a six-month advertising slot on the Looking to Cook website, subject to terms and conditions.
The judging panel will include Henry Harris, chef-patron at Racine restaurant in South Kensington, London, and former graduate of Leiths School of Food and Wine…
Thomasina Miers, who spent six months at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland before winning MasterChef and going on to found Wahaca Restaurants…
Nick Wyke, founder of Looking to Cook, and Celia Brooks, cookery author and tutor and founder of London’s Gastrotours.
Public votes and comments for a particular school, course or tutor can be made via the comments box at the bottom of a school’s profile on the Looking to Cook website, or via our Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest pages, using the hash-tag #cookschoolawards. The quality and volume of what we consider to be authentic support for a candidate will be taken into consideration by the judges when reaching their final verdict.
Above all we are looking for evidence of infectious enthusiasm and fun in an open environment where students can learn and indulge their passion for food. We are also looking for consistency and creativity in the conception and execution of classes, and a capacity to share knowledge through compelling teaching. The winners will be the sort of school or course that people would like to return to again and again.
It’s simple to get involved, and there are excellent PR and marketing opportunities for participating schools. The looking to Cook Cookery School Awards are the ultimate showcase for the industry and we strongly recommend that the owners of all schools enter the competition.
I have attended many of Christine McFadden’s classes. Christine’s courses are fun and offer great variety. Groups are small thus creating an excellent environment to participate in the prep and cooking of the dishes. The notes are excellent and cover all aspects of the dishes made. She is a great tutor!