ICSA Cookery Schools are selected and ‘Accredited’ for their consistent quality teaching standards and cookery facilities.
Providing reassurance to cooks and students of all levels, gaining transferrable life skills, culinary knowledge and a memorable cookery experience.
Ashburton Cookery School, Devon, were one of the original founders of ICSA in 2014, and are now one of our prestigious Academy Cookery Schools, proving a wide range of professional qualifications for 1000’s of professional and lifestyle students of all levels per year.
Ashburton also recently won ‘Best Cookery School South West 2023’.
MEET CHEF TUTOR: Executive Chef Tutor Darrin Hosegrove, Ashburton Cookery School, Devon
What made you want to become a chef?
Whilst I was at school, I really enjoyed the old home economics class. I found myself better equipped to do something practical with my hands rather than anything admin based. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do when I left school but secured an apprenticeship at a local hotel, enjoyed the buzz of working in a kitchen and the rest is history.
Tell us a little bit about your career journey to becoming a chef tutor.
I spent the early years of my career working in fine dining kitchens around the UK. I enjoyed working at that level and the disciplines it teaches you to be a good chef and the best version of yourself. I have also worked in further education as a tutor and spent a few years developing recipes for Sainsbury’s before turning my attention to teaching again at Ashburton Cookery School.
What can students expect from your style of teaching/their overall cookery experience?
I have been at Ashburton for nearly 20 years, in that time the business has grown immensely to have 3 teaching kitchens employing ten full time tutors offering a range of leisure courses and accredited Chefs Academy programmes. Our ambition is always to inspire the next generation of Chefs and Home Cooks.
Tell us a little about Ashburton Cookery School and Academy
We have three training kitchens with 10 full time Chef Tutors. We run ‘CTH’ (Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality) accredited courses at Level 2 and Level 4 and we also offer a Level 3 Diploma in Patisserie with innovate Awarding. We also run a range of leisure based courses from half day, one day, two day weekend and five day across a wide range of cuisine types from beginner to advanced level.
…and an unknown fact about Ashburton Cookery School
Interestingly Laurence Henry who won BBC Masterchef the Professionals, was one of our previous students, and has since returned to Ashburton for events and to support students.
What can students expect from your style of teaching/their overall cookery experience?
My teaching style is relaxed, disciplined and passionate. Our students overall experience is always very immersive, and informative throughout, utilising our state-of-the-art kitchens and equipment.
What kind of cookery courses, cuisine or techniques inspire you the most?
Our Mediterranean and Asian food courses inspire me the most.
Sustainability is one of the five ICSA core values member must adhere to. How do you operate a sustainable kitchen?
We are blessed to be in a Devon, a part of the UK that has an abundance of local suppliers we can use, it reduces our food miles enormously and enables us to source premium quality produce right on our doorstep for the daily use of our students and diners. We use a company to collect all our food waste that is turned into renewable green energy and completes the circle. We are proud to promote this to all our staff, students and customers.
CHEF TIP: Reduce your food waste and peelings by making nutritional flavoured soups and freezing them for a later date. I do it all the time but I do love a nice bowl of soup!
How do you bring your own unique teaching style to your course teaching?
I like to think I bring structure and energy to our courses.
How do you apply the ICSA core values into your teaching?
• Ensure all our produce is fresh and local where possible.
• Seasonality and low food waste are key
• Efficiency in cooking
3 ingredients we always have in…
Onions, garlic, Cornish sea salt.
Which kitchen utensil/gadget could you not do without?
My slow cooker and air fryer.
What one essential kitchen tip/subject would you share as a ‘need to know’ for any level of aspiring kitchen gourmand?
Always taste your food before serving it. If you don’t like it then somebody else will probably share the same opinion. You will learn to trust your palette after a while.
What does being an Accredited Member of ICSA mean to you and your cookery school?
ISCA carries out a rigorous inspection process to be a member which means you need to meet a standard. All of these ethics and standards are important to us and help us promote the quality that we offer within our business.
What other professional bodies are you members of?
Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality, Innovate Awarding and the British Accreditation Council (BAC)
Finally what unique qualities will an Ashburton Students experience during their course?
Whether it be a residential diploma or a one day leisure course, we always ensure dynamic intensive learning experiences across many disciplines and cuisine types, with humour and professionalism that achieve quality end results
Cheers Darrin…now back to work!
Read more about Ashburton Cookery School here
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