‘Cook well for less’
Sustainable Cooking, Healthy Eating.
BRITISH COOKERY SCHOOLS WEEK RETURNS THIS OCTOBER Sat 4th-Sunday 12th October 2025.
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Or if you are a cookery school wishing to take part in this national initiative, contact us here
Last year, in early October, we saw another successful ‘British Cookery Schools Week’. A culmination of years of activity hosted and promoted by leading cookery schools, to support both new intakes for professional cookery courses and a busy time of year for domestic focused cookery courses, with students keen to gain new kitchen skills at all levels.
ICSA were delighted to be leading this initiative with our membership and generous supporters.
Eating healthily during a cost-of-living crisis
Cookery schools across the UK joined forces to raise awareness of the cost-of-cooking-crisis and its impact on food bills and eating habits.
The Independent Cookery School Association (ICSA) accredited schools and others shared tips on eating well for less and cooking more efficiently and sustainably at home as part of a new annual awareness event, British Cookery Schools Week.
As food production, preparation and distribution costs soar, artisans, manufacturers and retailers at all levels are being forced to raise their prices, and British households are acutely feeling the pinch.
Cooking and eating well on a shrinking budget is a challenge, and in some cases it’s even changing our regular eating habits. Throughout British Cookery Schools Week, participating cookery schools shared advice and insights on how UK households can cook more efficiently and eat more sustainably, both at home and at work.
SEE WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR FOR TIPS & IDEAS HERE
For a full list of supporting features and cookery tips, search for #CostOfCookingCrisis on your preferred socials channel.
Summary of support in recent years below:
o Ashburton Cookery School, Devon, Chef Director Darrin Hosegrove has created a specialist video on picking, prepping and cooking sustainable Mackerel on Fennel Slaw Starter (view below)
PLUS offering their customers an exclusive 12% off cookery classes and vouchers. Full recipe and offers Visit their dedicated pages here
ICSA’s President, Stella West-Harling and founder of Ashburton Cookery School who is now head of Feeding Devon, part of the Feeding Britain charity network said: “So many of us have become more concerned about the cost of food as all our bills increase, and when you’re on a tight budget it’s really hard to think about cooking and eating healthily. This year’s National Cookery Schools Week, hosted by ICSA, aims to directly address this challenge by sharing budget-friendly sustainable kitchen tips from across our cookery school network, to help fight the Cost-Of-Cooking-Crisis we all face.”
The schools also shared information and hosting free online courses and workshops covering everything from managing food waste and reducing energy costs in the kitchen, to cooking on a budget for health, nutrition and wellbeing.
Additional support by ICSA member schools UK wide and their partners:-
o ‘Cook well for less’ tips by Stella West-Harling MBE, founder of Ashburton Cookery School.
o ‘Save dough, don’t waste bread’ video by Richard Bertinet of the Bertinet Kitchen, Bath.
o The School Of Artisan Food – Best Food Forward, Learning and Cooking for Change
o Natural Chef College, London, Director Sam Hamrebtan will be shared recipes and online content from their diploma courses focusing on nutritional eating
o Abinger Cookery School will be shared tips on seasonal fermenting and pickling, as well as hosting a ‘Pickling and fermenting’ course on oct 6th, on a 241 basis to encourage students to bring a guest who may benefit from learning.
o Vegetarian Society Cookery School, Manchester will be shared online daily recipes and cooking tips to save money and eat well. View tips on our instagram here
o River Cottage, will be shared sustainable recipe ideas and how to cook on a budget, including an accompanying video about getting four delicious meals from one organic roast chicken with Chef tutor Gelf Anderson.
o Vaughan’s Cookery School (Wiltshire) will be shared recipes, and sustainable cookery tips.
o Swinton Estate Cookery School in Yorkshire chef Tutor Luke will be sharing a lamb neck recipe on how to be economical with your cuts of meat, plus celebrating with 21% off their cookery courses
o CKBK, leading recipe book platform shared recipes selected from leading cook books focusing on: Cooking with leftovers , one pot cooking to save on energy and uses of an AirFryer, including a great way to cook salmon in a short time and also saving on power.
o Delicious Magazine will be shared recipes online and in their October issue, out end of September.
o Leading online course provider ‘Learning with Experts’ will be shared content and promoting their Self-Sufficient Veg Gardening, and River Cottage’s Preserve the Seasons course. Follow their socials here
Or sign up to our COOKS CLUB and save 20% of online cookery courses here
o Greatest British GourmetXperiences will be offering discounts off cookery school experience days. Shop via their website and apply code GBX10 at checkout!
Online support from the ‘Experts’
Learning with Experts are online content and access to courses to support the #costofcookingcrisis. Elspeth Briscoe, Founder & CEO, Learning with Experts added “We’re increasingly finding students are looking for ways to be more thrifty and creative with their cooking. Students are making the most of their ingredients and are keen to learn new and more innovative cookery skills from experts. Many are also turning more towards self sufficiency. They’re finding Learning with Experts accredited online courses are a trusted, flexible and affordable way to learn alongside work and life commitments. Critically they also love learning from each other, and the thriving community feel of our online classrooms is a core part of their enjoyment and success. Some of our most popular courses at the moment include Self-Sufficient Veg Gardening, and River Cottage’s Preserve the Seasons course – which reflects a growing demand for “grow your own” and making the most of the food you grow.”
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#Britishcookeryschoolsweek #CostOfCookingCrisis
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