The School of Artisan Food facts for kids
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| Charity | |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Headquarters | Welbeck Estate, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom |
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Key people
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Alison Swan Parente (founder) |
The School of Artisan Food is a special cooking school. It is located on the Welbeck Estate in Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom. Alison Swan Parente started the school in 2009. Its main aim is to teach people "lost skills" in making food by hand. This means learning how to create delicious food using traditional methods.
Contents
History of the School
How the School Began
The School of Artisan Food was founded in 2009. William and Alison Swan Parente created it. It was the first school in the UK focused on artisan food. It opened in October of that year. The couple had started the Welbeck Bakehouse before this. They found it hard to find skilled artisan bakers. So, they decided to open a school to train people in making artisan food.
The School's Location and Facilities
The school is located on the Welbeck Estate. It is in an old fire station building from the 1850s. This building is now a protected historical site. The school has three special training rooms. It also has a resource room and a demonstration theatre. When it first opened, the school focused on fermented foods. These included cheese, beer, bread, and charcuterie (cured meats).
Student Achievements and Awards
The first students finished the school's Advanced Diploma in Artisan Baking in 2011. This course now lasts six months. It is similar to a foundation degree. About 2000 students joined the school in 2015.
The school holds a yearly event called 'Food for Thought' in the summer. At this festival, food writers, business owners, and teachers give talks. The School of Artisan Food won the Cookery School of the Year award for 2014-2015. It also won the Countryside Alliance Clarissa Dixon Wright Award in 2017. This award was for its great work in food and education.
The school was also featured on the BBC radio show The Food Programme. This happened on April 26, 2010.
New Courses and Partnerships
In 2018, the school started a new foundation degree course. It is called Artisan Food Production FdSc. This course is a partnership with Nottingham Trent University. Both institutions teach parts of the course. The first students for this degree started in October 2019.
In August 2018, the school also launched a new range of handmade artisan meats. They worked with Delilah Delicatessens on this project. These meats were sold in shops in Nottingham and Leicester.
Courses Offered
The School of Artisan Food offers many different courses. These courses teach various food production skills. Some of the skills include butchery (preparing meat), bakery (making bread and cakes), cooking, cheesemaking, and patisserie (making pastries and desserts).
The Guardian newspaper has said that the school's cheesemaking courses have "helped to transform the British industry." This means they have made a big positive change in how cheese is made in Britain.
The courses vary in length. Some are just half a day long. Others can last up to six months. There are also courses that teach students how to start their own food businesses. The school offers special seasonal classes too. These include Christmas-themed classes, and courses for Mother's Day and Father's Day. One popular course is "Pig in a Day." This is a quick course in butchery.
Students from many different backgrounds come to the school. Some are middle-aged people looking for a new career. Others are hobbyists who just love food. Children can also take some classes. There are even international students who come for longer courses.
