Northcote earns prestigious cookery school accreditation

Northcote Cookery School has been named as a Centre of Excellence by the Independent Cookery Schools Association (ICSA).

The cookery school, which is based within the Michelin-starred kitchens of Northcote Country House Hotel in Langho, specialises in courses focusing on fresh regional and seasonal produce, sourced from its extensive range of local, regional and British suppliers.

The hands-on classes are designed by executive head chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen and head tutor Richard Ogden, and are taught by Richard with support from chef tutor Ben Hinchcliffe.

The classes cover a variety of specialisms, from fish, to meats, world cuisine, and during the summer their outdoor BBQ and smoking courses.

ICSA accredited cookery schools undergo rigorous assessments to ensure consistent delivery of excellence in cookery skills and training alongside equipment levels and facilities, as well as other criteria such as adhering to strict standards of environmental sustainability and continued support for British farmers, suppliers and seasonal produce.

Accreditation from a recognised industry body such as ICSA is also vital for aspiring chefs to be able to choose their cookery school to further their professional careers within the hospitality industry and other related culinary professions.

Aspiring domestic chefs can also gain transferrable skills to improve their culinary knowledge and applications in their home kitchens including knife skills, world food courses and nutritional understandings for both young and old.

James Day, director of operations at ICSA, said: “The quality of cookery classes at Northcote Cookery School are second-to-none. The state-of-the-art cookery school, though not large, has been expertly designed to deliver an intimate, yet professional cookery experience.

"Uniquely located within the Michelin kitchens, the glass sliding doors provide an unrivalled window to the workings of a Michelin kitchen, almost like you are cooking with the brigade!"

He added: “During their rigorous four-hour assessment, I was personally impressed by their knowledge, style and approach to teaching, underpinned by clear passion and enthusiasm for fresh seasonal produce, animal welfare and attention to detail. Their teaching style is passionate, informative, with a clear focus on depth of flavour, as one would expect within such a high-level kitchen environment as Northcote."

On receiving his award, Richard Ogden (pictured with Ben Hinchcliffe), said: "I am delighted to be recognised by ICSA for our quality teaching standards and facilities. It is always daunting when you are being assessed, but James and the team at ICSA have been very approachable and supportive in recent months, and we welcomed their visit and valued feedback.

"We are honoured to be the first Michelin-starred kitchen cookery school to receive this prestigious accreditation of Centre of Excellence, joining some of the greatest and most respected accredited cookery schools in the UK.”