Blog

Ailidh Fraser-Medcalf (11) from Edinburgh found a voucher for the Children’s One Day Cookery Course in her Christmas stocking – all the way from relatives in Australia!  Ailidh loves food and trying different styles but so far has left the cooking to Mum and Dad.  That could be about to change – here’s what Ailidh […]

August sees the start of grouse shooting which heralds a series of wild game seasons from now until February that will give us a more varied selection of meats to set our culinary juices running. Not only are grouse, venison, hare, partridge and pheasant tasty cuts, but they have the added advantage that they are […]

When the Festivals arrive in August the city turns upside-down, as tourists from all over the globe descend on Edinburgh for the largest arts festival in the world. It is a force of nature, passing through every corner of the city, and at ENTCS we get to be right in the middle of it. Literally! […]

Leaving school is an exciting time for young people.  I know many who have their heart set on university and a few years studying and enjoying student life.  For others, it is the chance to start a dream career. Given the constraints on student loans (and parents’ wallets!), earning money through holidays or while studying […]

Sally Gardner recently completed the Three Month Intermediate/Advanced Course at Edinburgh New Town Cookery School which she passed with Distinction. We wish Sally well at the start of her new career and present the second half of her blog – A Student’s View from the Kitchen at ENTCS. Part 2: Reflections on the Final Half […]

Recently I asked one of our students, Sally Gardner, if she would write a two part blog on her experience of the first half of the term. This is part one and Sally has promised to send me part two after she has completed the course. Here is Sally’s view from the kitchen: Wow! Well […]

As a professional chef, I am often asked what people should think about when planning the layout and storage within their kitchen.  Obviously, while the kitchen is the hub of any home, it’s for cooking, so thinking through the process and needs you have when preparing meals will enable you to design a layout that […]

Entertaining is such a social activity and there can be few things more satisfying than cooking a first-class meal for friends and relaxing with them to share it and enjoy the conversation.  These are the things of which special memories are made. Witness the popularity of television shows such as Come Dine with Me, Saturday […]

Like millions of others I love watching Great British Bake Off every week and it is interesting to watch the contestants from a professional point of view. Not just as someone who has written a book on all aspects of baking, but also as a teacher. I have one big beef with the format though. […]

With teenage children myself, I know many mums who are looking to get back into work but are unsure of what exactly they are qualified to do.  For many women who choose to give up or reduce their careers in order to look after their children, going back to work again is the hardest part. […]