Officially Britain's Favourite School

Dorset cookery school voted Britain’s Favourite Small Cookery School 2014

White Pepper Cookery School near Bournemouth has been voted Britain’s Favourite Small Cookery School by the British public.

The competition was part of the British Cookery School Awards which celebrate the important role that cookery schools play in driving Britain’s passion for cooking good, homemade food.

The top cookery schools were announced at the Awards final which took place on Monday 17 November at Porchester Hall in London, hosted by BBC Radio 2’s food and drink broadcaster Nigel Barden.

White Pepper received the highest number of public votes for a small school to clinch the title of People’s Choice: Britain’s Favourite Small Cookery School. Cookery schools across the UK were encouraged to get their customers to nominate them for the award, sending in email and Twitter votes.

Nigel Barden, head judge of the British Cookery School Awards which is headline sponsored by Kenwood, said: “White Pepper Cookery School clearly has a strong fan base. They did a brilliant job of getting people to vote and this hard work paid off. Its former students and business partners clearly value White Pepper and the excellent cookery courses they provide.”

Luke Stuart, Chef Director, who runs the cookery school with his small team, and picked up the award added: “We are absolutely delighted to have received so much support, it is really great to see that despite being small we have made a big impression with a lot of people. Thanks to everyone who voted for us and made the school Britain’s Favourite Small Cookery School 2014!”

White Pepper Cookery School was set up in 2010 and over these four years have connected with hundreds of thousands of local people. Set in a breath-taking location in the heart of rural Dorset, this charismatic small school offers a modern and comprehensive portfolio and is very much a part of the local community, teaching both adults and children. The school prides itself on being small and personable and welcomes over 1200 students per year.
The school runs from a contemporary barn renovated from what was originally a bakery. It offers a spacious kitchen complete with demonstration theatre, original bread oven and the latest Rangemaster ovens. White Pepper has a strong affiliation with Dorset Food and Drink, local artisans and producers and uses both its kitchen and the surrounding rural area to promote sustainability.

With more than 400 cookery schools now operating in the UK, The British Cookery School Awards – sponsored by Kenwood, Maldon Salt, Lakeland, Braun and Premier Foods – honour all those excellent cookery schools that go above and beyond to deliver a first class cookery school experience. The awards aim to celebrate the important role that cookery schools play in driving Britain’s passion for cooking good, homemade food. As well as the prestige of winning an award, each category winner will receive a Kenwood Chef Sense, the latest ultimate kitchen machine for passionate novices and seasoned chefs alike.

The full list of winners and finalists is as follows:

People’s Choice Award Large: Winner Orchards Cookery School
Finalist The WI Cookery School

People’s Choice Award Small: Winner White Pepper Cookery School
Finalist Dancing Trousers Cookery School

Best Large Recreational: Winner River Cottage Cookery School

Highly Commended Bettys Cookery School
Bertinet Cookery School
Edinburgh New Town Cookery School
Edinburgh School of Food and Wine

Finalists Ashburton Cookery School
Orchards Cookery School
School of Artisan Food
The WI Cookery School

Best Large Professional: Winner The School of Artisan Food
Highly Commended River Cottage Cookery School
Ashburton Cookery School

Finalists Edinburgh School of Food and Wine
Edinburgh New Town Cookery School

Best New: Winner Wilmslow Cookery School
Finalists Beverley Glock Cookery School
Vic North Cookery School

Best Small: Winner Harthill Cookery School

Highly Commended Fun Kitchen Cookery School
Richard Hughes Cookery School
Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School
The Cookery School at Daylesford

Finalists The Orange Kitchen
Dancing Trousers Cookery School
Coghlans Cookery School
White Pepper Cookery School

Best Specialist: Winner School of Wok

Highly Commended The WI Cookery School
Bertinet Cookery School
Orchards Cookery School

Finalists Fun Kitchen Cookery School
Demuths Cookery School

Best Use Local Produce: Winner The Cookery School at Daylesford

Highly Commended River Cottage Cookery School

Finalists The Dorset Foodie
Ashburton Cookery School
The Orange Kitchen
Foodworks Cookery School

Best Tutor: Winner Stephen Bulmer, Swinton Park

Highly Commended Steve Brown, Cookery School at Daylesford

Finalists Richard Hughes, Richard Hughes Cookery School
Paul Barker, Cinnamon Square
Luke Stuart, White Pepper Cookery School
Brian Donnelly, James Street South Cookery School

Best Unsung Hero: Winner James Hearfield, The Cookery School at Daylesford

Finalists Ro Bomford, Orchards Cookery School
Matteo Berghella, La Cucina Caldesi

Community Engagement: Winner Central Street Cookery School

Highly Commended Richard Hughes Cookery School

Finalists Prepare2Cook Cookery School
The Organic Cookery School
Recipease Cookery School
River Cottage Cookery School

Best Secondary School Dept: Winner The King’s School Ottery St Mary

Best Higher & Further: Winner College of West Anglia
Education Cookery Class

Best Young Rising Star: Winner Jeremy Pang, School of Wok

Finalists Kelly Mauger, The WI Cookery School
Rebecca Barrett, Miele Cookery School
Barbora Stiess, The Devilled Egg Kitchen Academy

Personality of the Year: Winner Ian Pirrie, Edinburgh School of Food &Wine

Cookery School of the Year: Winner School of Artisan Food

www.britishcookeryschoolawards.co.uk