Season Cookery School, Receive ‘Centre of Excellence’ Award

Season Cookery School, located within the ground of Lainston House, Hampshire, part of the Exclusive Hotel Collection’ has been awarded a prestigious mark of quality and accreditation from leading regulatory body, the Independent Cookery Schools Association (ICSA).

Season Cookery School specialises in cookery courses focusing on fresh seasonal produce sourced for their extensive walled gardens, focusing on both indoor cookery courses as well outdoor cookery during the Summer seasons. Headed up by Head Chef Tutor Thomas Lampitt.

Located I Rural Hampshire, set within 63 acres of its own land, Season Cookery School offers a diverse range of cooking classes and experiences for individuals of all levels of expertise. The school boasts an unrivalled rural setting, surrounded by its won kitchen gardens, walks and forage trails. Providing a hands-on, immersive learning environment for its leisure and skills based students. It offers a variety of courses and workshops for individuals of all skill levels, from aspiring domestic beginners to experienced cooks. The school focuses on using fresh, seasonal ingredients with a clear and informed focus on cooking on fire both indoors and out.

ICSA accredited cookery schools undergo rigorous assessments to ensure consistent delivery of excellence in cookery skills and training, as well as other criteria such as adhering to strict standards of environmental sustainability and continued support for British farmers and seasonal produce.

Accreditation from a recognised industry body such as ICSA is also vital for aspiring chefs to be able to further their professional careers within the hospitality industry and other related culinary professions. Aspiring domestic chefs can also gain new transferrable skills to improve their culinary knowledge and applications in their home kitchens including knife skills, world food courses and nutritional understandings for both young and old.

James Day, Director of Operations at ICSA, said: “The facilities of the Season cookery school are second-to-non. Not only is it sympathetically set in a stunning 17th Century barn, (complete with 100 meter well and speciality fire cooking ‘Well-house’ restaurant!) but the equipment is state-of-the art, including newly installed Miele ovens and induction hobs, Kitchen Aid mixers, Flint and Flame Knives and of course their extensive range of Weber BBQ’s and smokers, even a wood fired pizza oven!

However what is key to ICSA, are the standards of teaching provided by the Chef Tutors and their team. Tom was extremely approachable, knowledgeable and able to blend professional teaching with a relaxed atmosphere. The feedback from the students was very positive, many sharing the transferable skills they had learned and clearly enjoyed their day, as did I. We are delighted to award Tom and the team our coveted ‘ICSA Centre of Excellence Award’, specialising in Outdoor Cookery Experiences.

“During their rigorous 6 hour assessment, I was personally impressed by the unique location within the grounds of stunning Lainston House Hotel, and Tom’s style and approach to teaching and his clear passion and enthusiasm for fresh seasonal produce, fire cooking and of course the welfare and enjoyment of the attending students. His teaching style is passionate, informative, and fun, with a clear focus on depth of flavour. Drawing on his wider experiences within the hospitality industry and learnings during his college courses in Shropshire under the tutelage of respected hospitality lecturer Stuart Legett,  Tom displays a clear depth of knowledge and passion for the industry and transferring his extensive skills. Delivering a memorable learning experience for students of all levels. “

On receiving his award, Tom {pictured below with James} commented: “I am delighted to be recognised by ICSA for our quality teaching standards and facilities. Since our recent refurbishment and re-focus on fire cookery skills, utilising our abundance of garden and local produce, we have received very positive feedback and reviews from our students. It is always daunting when you are being assessed, but James and the team at ICSA have been very approachable and  supportive in recent months, and we welcomed their visit and valued feedback. We are honoured to be amongst the first to receive this prestigious accreditation of ‘Centre of Excellence for teaching and outdoor cookery experiences’, joining  some of the greatest and most respected accredited cookery schools in the UK.”

Alongside their professional teaching standards, all ICSA accredited cookery schools practice sustainability, sourcing seasonal and regionally produce where possible, and aim to teach zero waste principles in foods and packaging. Through ICSA, they aim to help shape Britain’s culinary landscape by championing chefs and schools who work to the highest standards, sharing professionally trained transferrable skills to a wider market of food consumers. Consumers seeking a professional cookery experience should aim to seek out an ICSA accredited cookery school, displaying their up to date kite mark as a seal of quality consistent teaching standards.

For more information on their assessment and a link to their courses https://icsacookeryschools.org/season-cookery-school-hampshire/

HUNGRY FOR MORE NEWS ON COOKERY SCHOOLS?
Sign up to our FREE ICSA Cook’s Club, for instant cookery savings, offers, recipes & news here

COOKERY SCHOOLS:Would you like to apply to join ICSA? Details here