Rosalind Rathouse discusses her role as Founder of the Cookery School at Little Portland Street and her own inspirations with regards to pursuing a career as a Chef.
Name: Rosalind Rathouse
Place of Work: Cookery School at Little Portland Street
Role: Founder of the Cookery School at Little Portland Street
Follow the Cookery school on Twitter: @CookerySchool
Bio:Cookery School’s principal, Rosalind Rathouse, is obsessed with food. She has worked as a professional cook, run her own cookery business and taught cookery to both adults and children for many years. She feels very strongly that proper teaching can enthuse even the most unconfident cook by demystifying cookery techniques and jargon.
Chef Skills
Rosalind Rathouse takes us through her personal experiences whilst being in the Culinary Industry. These key skills that young Chefs and industry professionals learn as part of their basic training.
How did you get into cooking?
I have always cooked – ever since I was a child.
Do you think enough are encouraged to teach at schools or go into catering do you think there's too much emphasis to go into a restaurant?Yes, I do. I think that it is dreadful that cooking is not taught as a subject, with credits obtained for it, any longer in schools. It ought not to be a dry subject related to nutrition or anything else but taught in its own right. It has a definite place in the school curriculum!
What made you go into the sector?
I had been a teacher and had also run a pie making business.
What do you like the most about your job?
Exciting those, that think that they cannot cook, about cooking and making them realise how very accessible it is.
What does your job entail?
Running a cookery school; planning classes, writing recipes and teaching
What would you advise for someone looking to follow in your footsteps?
Do it as it is such a wonderful career. Cook as much as you can as that is the best way to becoming an expert at cooking and gaining experience.
We have devised a very fast track 6 week, Cook’s Certificate course that is accredited. We teach people how to become very competent cooks in that time during which they develop their confidence – and their culinary knowledge – so that we prepare them to go into the world cooking competently.
If you could go back and do anything differently would you?
I would have started Cookery School at Little Portland Street earlier than I did. I was 59 years old when I started it and it has been an amazing journey. We had our 13th birthday in February and there have been tough times as well as good ones but there is always something exciting on the agenda and that is what drives us all. It is also my 50th year in London and I have witnessed huge changes in the food scene and looking back, marvel at how it has changed over that period.
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