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I CUTHEROEADVERTISERSTIMES VALLEYFEATURE


www.clitheraeadvBrtlser.co.uk Thursday, June 12,2014


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Julie Magee enters the kitchen with trepidation FEATURE


by J ulie Magee julie.magee@jpress.co.uk Twitter:@clithadvertiser


met with a wave of chuckles, a chorus of “do you remem­ ber those chocolate beetroot buns”, followed by more guffawing and laughter. From this response read­


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ers may already be starting to understand that when it comes "to baking, I am no Mary Berry! In fact, unfortu­ nately my brain seems to respond to recipes as though it’s reading another language. Yes I try my best. On


several occasions I have spent hours slaving away in the kitchen, painstakingly and studiously following a


. recipe like I would’ve followed my chemistry experiment notes at school. So why is the end result .


always so disappointing? A particularly bad result


was the banana cake that I baked for my parents-in- law to celebrate Easter and which I lovingly decorated with butter icing and mini chocolate Easter eggs! It looked delightful, but it was as dense as a house brick! My father-in-law politely ate a


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sk around The Clitheroe Adver­ tiser office about my baking skills andyouwillbe


slice before falling about in fits of laughter. So when I was offered the


opportunity to attend one of the courses at the newly opened cookery school at the Ribble Valley’s Northcote Manor, readers can under­ stand why there was a degree of trepidation on my part. On signing up for the


“Let’s Bake” one-day course


lam sure that each andeveryoneofus had several‘light bulb* moments...’


I made doubly sure that this was a course for beginners. It was, the PR lady kindly reas­ sured nie, before going on to explain that a two-course lunch in Northcote’s res­ taurant would be included as well as the day’s tuition. This perked me up immensely as I’ve always wanted to eat at theMichelin-


starred Northcote Manor. During the recent


development of Northcote Manor’s new kitchen, the cookery school and develop­ ment kitchen was added on the edge of Northcote’s main kitchen. The cookery school offers a variety of courses, from skills and techniques, entertaining, themed classes and premium master classes, with a choice of half-days and full days. They are delivered by


Northcote’s newly appointed head tutor, Michael Van- heste. A former student of Leeds Thomas Danby College, Michael has worked in top establishments throughout the country,


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finally proving his talentfor- teaching as an inspirational


. course tutor at the famous . Betty’s Cookery School in Harrogate, beforejoining Northcote earlier this year. Master classes are also


available on selected dates from Northcote’s chef patron Nigel Haworth and executive chef Lisa Allen. Situated in the heart of the


Northcote kitchen, the cook­ ery school’s four stations can


accommodate up to a maxi­ mum of eightstudents and therefore offers a unique and intimate experience to learn new skills and dishes. Nigel Haworth worked


closely with Mark Harrison from Stuart Frazer Kitch­ ens, Gaggenau, Goodfellow& Goodfellow and KitchenAid to produce the best possible facility. And it is absolutely amazing. All of the six partic­ ipants who attended my Let’s Bake course were impressed by the cookery school’s cut­ ting edge design, appliances and equipment with some commenting: “To only have the same set-up at home.” One of the highlights of


the facility though is the fact it has glass panels along one side allowing “students” to watch all the theatre of a Michelin star kitchen as it unfolds. And on the day of my course the restaurant was particularly busy with its staff, led by executive chef Li­ sa Allen, having to cope with a wedding reception alongside the normal frantic Friday service. It was mesmerising


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The Let’s Bake cookery school students (reporter Julie Maaeeissecond


npyBBBM from the right) with head tutor.


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Northcote Manorcookery school’s head tutor Michael Vaiiheste with executive chef Lisa Allen during one of thecourses


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ProfeJonSnEyecoie Northcotecookery school’s head tutor Michael Vanheste I t


to watch such a professional team as they delivered dishes on to the pass. After introductions and


refreshments, head tutor Michael presented the group with dossiers ofwhat was on our baking menu that day. We were also each given an.


•iPad which we could also use to read the recipes and for


additional interesting facts about some of the ingredi­ ents being used.


The four recipes listed


for that day were Northcote shortbread, lemon and poppy seed loaf cake, chocolate truffle cake and Nigel Haworth’s ginger biscuits. To say I was startled when I was given this itinerary was an Understatement. In the past it has often taken me half a day to bake one cake. However, with Michael’s


unbelievable tutoring skills and patience, we all soon


cracked on and had the short­ bread in the oven an hour in


to the course. One of the best things about this Let’s


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Bake course was how much was packed intojust one day. Michael kept the momentum going throughout the course without, at the same time,. piling on the pressure and we also had a lovely young assist­ ant, Laura, who set up all the equipment and ingredients on our work stations before we started each recipe. She also helped with the clearing away and washing up after. A mixed bunch of more


experienced cooks along­ side total novices like myself made up our six-strong group that day and I am sure that . each and every one of us had several “light bulb” moments


throughout Michael’s tiito-. rial. For example, one ofmy fellow bakers, Helen, said


that throughout her life she had always struggled to bake


shortbread - but following an hour’s tutorial with Michael and several “light bulb” mo­ ments to where she had been going wrong, she happily pro­ duced anearperfect batch. The extent of Michael’s


knowledge really knew no bounds and throughout the day it felt like we were all be­ ing taught by one of the best. At the end of the day, dur­


ing which I had the pleasure of being served a two course lunch with a glass of wine in Northcote’s highly acclaimed restaurant, I can honestly say I was astounded and proud of what I had managed to bake. And another mqjor plus point was being able to take the fruits ofmy labour home to share with friends and family. The cookery courses are


perfect for beginners want­ ing to learn new skills from


• the best in the business or those wanting to improve the skills they already have. There are foundation, advanced and intermediate levelcoursestoenjoyyour- . self or present to a loved one as a wonderful gift. • For fu r th er details about


Northcote’s cookery school an d the courses on offer call


Northcote on 01254 240555 . o r visit: www.northcote.com


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