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SCHOOL IS FIRST IN THE UK TO TEACH THE ARTISAN WAY
A NEW and unique school teaching artisan food production will soon be opening its doors in the UK.
The School of Artisan Food is an inclusive facility dedicated to the teaching of artisan food production and will provide a fantastic opportunity for people of all ages and skill levels to expand their knowledge.
“Artisan” is a term used to describe food produced by non-industrialised methods, often handed down through generations but now in danger of being lost. Tastes and processes, such as fermentation, are allowed to develop slowly and naturally, rather than curtailed for mass-production. Artisan producers know where their raw materials come from and are aware of the different local conditions which have given rise to particular regional specialities, eg cheddar cheese.
Located in the stunning surroundings of the Welbeck Estate in North Nottinghamshire and housed in the estate’s former fire stables, which date back to 1850, the not for profit school is place where aspiring artisan producers, food enthusiasts or absolute beginners can get back in touch with real, handmade food.
The school, set to open in September, was founded by a group of food enthusiasts with a wide interest in both food and education. They hit upon the idea after one of them found it very difficult to find a skilled artisan baker to work with a wood-fired oven being built for a bakery on the Estate. Not only were there no bakers but there were only small baking courses being run in the UK.
As a result, the decision to combine bakery courses with other artisan courses such as cheese-making, brewing, butchery, pickling and preserving was made along with specialists in each of those fields, all of them passionate about a school dedicated to practice and research in artisan food.
Not only will the range of specialist courses teach practical aspects of artisan food production, but courses will also address why we produce food in the way we do. Exploring the history of food and how artisan methods and traditions have a real place in a today’s society, particularly in an economic and environmental context, will also play a large part in the school’s curriculum.
The school, which is part funded by the East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA), is supported by a group of specialist food practitioners who have provided the school with their professional input and know-how, including Randolph Hodgson of Neals Yard Dairy, artisan bread expert Andrew Whitley, butcher Paul Burchell, renowned cheese-makers Joe Schneider and Ivan Larcher and charcuterie connoisseur Ray Smith.
Courses will be taught by some of the most skilled and experienced artisan producers in the UK, Europe and beyond. Through short courses and accredited diplomas, students to the school will be able to learn and master artisan processes such as bread and cheese making, brewing and charcuterie. From 2010 the school will also offer a degree programme accredited by a local University. This will provide the first higher education facility in Bassetlaw and be a real boost for local youngsters.
Gareth Kennedy, director of the school, said: “Britain’s attitude to food is changing and people are becoming more concerned about the provenance of what they eat - where it comes from and how it is grown, traded, transported, processed and packaged. Working with established artisan food businesses, The School of Artisan Food is dedicated to producing good food from local resources and educating the people who will make a living in the sustainable food landscape of the future”
Short courses commence in early October and registration is open now.