Confidence in cooking is something many of us lack, so the pressure is really on if you’re trying to make a knockout meal to impress that special someone, friends or the in-laws.

Of course, a few lessons in the culinary arts never go amiss, even for everyday dishes.

Help is now available at Newlyns Farm Shop near Hook, which has opened a cookery school.

It has an impressive kitchen in a specially constructed extension to the shop, complete with a dining area and comfortable seating.

A cookshop is also planned so students can stock up on knives, pans and so on as well as recipe ingredients.

As might be expected, the classes held in the school will revolve around the seasonal produce available in the shop, which has just received the title of Best Farm Shop 2008 in
the awards held by Hampshire Life in conjunction with Hampshire Fare.

Farm and shop owner Judy Janaway said: “All our food, whether produced here or by nearby suppliers, is of the highest quality and everything is traceable.

“We want people to be able to enjoy wholesome food and appreciate it. We’d also
like to see less wastage.

“With the cookery school, we hope to re-educate people about food and show them that cooking needn’t be scary, complicated or difficult.

“We want to get them back to basics and learn the skills needed to produce tasty and attractive food at home.

“We also want them to appreciate the less expensive meats and the cheaper cuts. These can be delicious if you know how to cook them.

“So far, the school is going really well and we’ve got lots of ideas for the future, including corporate days, children’s birthday parties and bespoke classes.

“It’s early days yet and we don’t know how it will evolve, but we’re open to any suggestions from the public as to what kind of thing they would like to see.”

The key words for the approach of the five chefs running the courses are ‘fun’ and ‘enjoyable’, so the courses will be relatively informal with interaction and discussion encouraged.

“When you have interaction, people put in their ideas and everyone goes away having learned something,” said Judy.

The subject matter of the courses varies enormously, and there are hands-on lessons to take part in as well as demonstrations to learn from.

But behind all the courses is the premise that with a little knowledge you can really get the best out of your food, whatever it might be.

Among the more unusual topics for classes entitled ‘hedgerows’, ‘canapes and frivolities’ and ‘fungi and wild mushroom day’.

There are also classes for more traditional dishes such as ‘Sunday roast’ and ‘simple suppers’, as well as special interest subjects like ‘South American and Mexican dishes’ and ‘gluten-free meals’. 

One area which is proving popular is the children’s lessons.

The school can cater for the age groups eight to 12, teenagers and older students going away from home for the first time.

Judy said: “The children really enjoy the classes and they make proper food, such as lasagne, ham and egg pie or sausage plait. They learn basic cooking skills, but the classes also teach them how to eat healthily and to try new things.

“Later, we will be working with nearby schools so children can do cooking with us as part of their curriculum, which is all very exciting.”

For adults, the school is also pioneering a new idea on the local singles scene — cooking demonstrations for the unattached.

The farm’s marketing manager, Katie Leonard-Smith, said: “We constantly hear statistics regarding the lack of eligible singles and this is blamed on the fact that we all lead exceptionally busy lives.

“Socialising tends to take a back seat and it’s not surprising people say ‘I never go anywhere to meet anyone’.

“We’re saying come to Newlyns for a fun and diverse event. It’s a fabulous opportunity to learn clever and interesting techniques in the kitchen while chatting with new and like-minded individuals in a safe and interesting environment without any pressure.”

The singles evenings will have places for ten men and ten women, with the emphasis on relaxed social interaction. Everyone taking part will be single and seeking to make new friends.

Those attending will be greeted with champagne and canapes before the demonstration so everyone can get a chance to meet and chat.

Because the evening’s format will be informal, it could be that several new friendships might even be struck.

“During the evening, there will be opportunities to taste the food being prepared and get to know each other,” said Katie. “The sort of foods being demonstrated will be simple, but with the ‘wow’ factor. This could be something like sushi, which looks really impressive but is actually easy to make.

For further details call 01256 704128.