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.
The ProCook Cookery Cookery School, in London, were recently assessed by our independent ICSA accreditors and achieved a very high score for their teaching standards and facilities. The award was presented to Head chef Tutor Steven Carter-Bailey (Pictured), who happens to also be a famous face from Channel 4’s Bakeoff TV Series . What Steve doesn’t know about baking isn’t worth knowing. Described by presenter Prue Leith as “one of the nicest guys in the world, a joy to work with, and one hell of a baker”!
So who is the person behind the baker?
MEET CHEF LECTURER: STEVEN CARTER-BAILEY, The ProCook Cookery School, London
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Tell us a little bit about your personal career journey to becoming a chef tutor
I started my journey after finishing the Bakeoff in 2017. I immediately started teaching at fellow ICSA member Leith’s School of Food and Wine. I knew I wanted to teach from that first class. After years of private commissions, public engagements and class development, I took the plunge and became a full-time teacher and manager.
Who/what influenced your early cooking experiences?
My Mum has always been my food inspiration. She allowed me space in her kitchen, and never stopped me being creative with food. She gave me a confidence in a kitchen that I’ve never lost.
What / where was school like for you?
It was a time in my life that was a combination of happy memories and confusion as to why I didn’t fit in or understand. I was diagnosed in the late 80s with what we now know to be ADHD, but at the time I was labelled mischievous and non-academic. Luckily I had food as my creative outlet.
What other roles/experiences did you have before applying for Bake-off?
I’ve had more jobs that I care to remember, but prior to the show I worked in corporate marketing for a large firm in the city. Far away from my current job.
Tell us about your TV Bake-Off Experiences. How was the application, and process?
The application process was long and painfully slow. I remember wishing I would get on the show, and when I did, I started to panic about how well I would do. I had to keep everything private and secret, so the nerves were intensified by not being able to talk openly. The application process took about 3 months, and consisted of paperwork, questions, interviews and very little baking….that came later. I was a finalist in season 8 (2017) and then returned in 2019 for the New Years’ Day special which I won.
How did winning the New Year bake-off, compare to the other series, and how did finally winning make you feel?
I’m not competitive, and not winning the main season didn’t bother me in the slightest. But, when I was offered the chance to compete again, I wanted to give it one more go. I also just wanted to get back in that tent. The episode was amazing to film and it was like catching up with long lost friends – probably the happiest time of my life.
How did your life/career change afterwards?
Everything changed over night. I work twice as hard as before, but my job is my hobby, and that is something I’m truly grateful for. I’ll never really know how to react when I’m recognised, but it’s not a real hardship, I just get shy.
What was your high point AND low point during the competition?
The high point was winning star baker that first week. Nothing compared to that moment. The low point was watching a true friend leave the tent. We grow so close and rely on one another for support.
What secrets can you share about your experience that some people may not know?
We wear the same clothes over both filming days so the editing team can use content from day one on day two. It’s tv, so we have to make a show.
What did you learn most when competing from a personal development point of view?
I am incredibly creative and talented, but I am disorganised and scatter-brained. I learned to plan my actions and keep meticulous notes.
How did your Bake-off experience steer you from competing, to towards becoming a Chef Tutor at the Pro-Cook cookery school? After the show I spent the first few years doing live demos to thousands of people. I loved that feeling of showing people how to do something simply, but also speaking to large crowds. Teaching is a privilege, and I knew I wanted to take what I knew and help others achieve their goals, big or small.
What key skills you applied during the competition, and your career have been useful in your teaching career?
Plan your day down to the minute. Creativity shines when I plan what I’m doing around it. It seems like I’m talking freely when I teach, but I’m secretly working from a strict schedule and timetable that means I cover everything and don’t forget anything. I wrote so many checklists in that tent that carried me through each episode.
… And a little about the Pro-Cook cookery school you’re now based at – how long have you been there?
I started at the school 2 years ago just teaching one day a week. I created the 5 baking classes and happily taught them for the first year. I then started teaching some of the cookery classes and realised how much I love being in a kitchen.
The school sits above the ProCook retail store on Tottenham Court Road, about 5 minutes walk from the tube station. We have lots of classes in baking and cooking that specialise in different cultures, cuisines, flavours and most importantly, different methods of food preparation. We use ingredients that are readily available in your supermarkets so out students can easily replicate their recipes at home.
Also maybe one thing that people may not know about the school…? The school also doubles as a corporate or private event space. From dry hire, to a fully staffed demonstration and teaching session, our clients fall in love with the space and come back again and again.
What can students expect from your style of teaching/their overall cookery experience?
My style of teaching is relaxed and fun – I try to replicate a home environment, and not a commercial kitchen.
What kind of cookery courses, cuisine or techniques inspire you the most?
Family-style or group dining is my favourite style of cooking. Cooking alone can be boring and stressful, so I encourage a group-effort teaching style.
How do you bring your own unique style to your courses? All of our personalities are different, but I form a bond with each student based on their expectations and abilities. I don’t shame anyone for not knowing what I do, and I learn from the way they do things. Cooking is fluid and I always look for a learning opportunity.
Sustainability: A key to our ICSA membership and ethos; what focuses and practices do you follow in the kitchen and pass on to your students/guests?
We do not over order on our classes and prepare enough food for everyone to feel satisfied. Over producing food may seem fun, but we all have a part to play in remaining sustainable.
What is your top sustainable tip for any domestic kitchen?
Keep a store of dried and canned ingredients, and purchase fresh goods as and when you need them. Bags of salad are my biggest throw-away. Also, check what stock you have before you go shopping – you either have 4 cans or no cans of tinned tomatoes!
What three ingredients do you always have on hand? Tinned tomatoes, hard cheese and homemade pesto
Which kitchen utensil/gadget could you not do without? My ProCook chef knife – I look after it and it never lets me down
What one essential kitchen tip/subject would you share as a ‘need to know’ for any level of aspiring kitchen gourmand? Preparation is key! Don’t start a recipe halfway through. Check stock, equipment and cooking time before starting- also, clean as you go!
ICSA: What does it mean to you to be a member?
We often go through our working days never realising the positive impact we are having on peoples lives. This accreditation is evidence that our hard work is paying off, and people are learning a valuable skill.
Describe your unique cookery school experience to someone who may never have been?
Students always arrive with a fearful look in their eyes, as if I’m about to start shouting like a chef. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I welcome you into my kitchen and encourage you all to take part as much or as little as you want. There is an open forum of discussion, with no question being too silly. I don’t try to be the all-knowing power in the room, but I ask questions and opinions from people – you know more than you think and I try to build your confidence instead of lecturing.
What would you say to your 16 year old self to help you now?
Listen to your heart, ignore the bullies, focus on 2 important things, and don’t wait for someone to show you how.
What are your visions/aspirations for the future?
I would like to see my style of teaching pushed out further to more and more people. I would like to continue teaching and working with people and food.
How are you going to balance your media experience and commitments with the cookery school?
Because my media and ProCook lives incorporate my love and hobbies, I tend to just work most of the time. Sometimes my two paths cross and it’s nice to be famous at work, or sometimes I just want to sit and quietly write recipes.
Wider Plans for the future? A book or two would be nice, but for now I love teaching baking and log to continue sharing my passions with my students at our ProCook Cookery School.
Cheers Steve…now back to work!
Read more about The ProCook Cookery School here
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