The School of Artisan Food

Cooking school in Nottinghamshire, England

The School of Artisan Food

Company type| Charity
Founded| 2009
Headquarters| Welbeck Estate, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom

Key people

| Alison Swan Parente (founder)
Website| schoolofartisanfood.org

The School of Artisan Food is a cooking school sited on the Welbeck Estate in Nottinghamshire. Founded in 2009 by Alison Swan Parente, the school aims to teach the 'lost skills' of artisan food production.[1]

## History

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The School was founded in 2009 by William and Alison Swan Parente as the UK's first artisan food school, and opened that October.[1][2] The couple had founded the Welbeck Bakehouse the previous year but, upon finding that there was a lack of skilled artisan bakers to supply it, decided to establish a school to provide education and training in artisan food production.[3]

The school is located at a Grade II listed former fire station dating back to the 1850s at the Welbeck Estate. The School's facilities include three purpose-built training rooms, a resource room and a demonstration theatre.[4][5][6] The school focused first on fermented foods like cheese, beer, bread and charcuterie.[7]

The first students graduated from the School's Advanced Diploma in Artisan Baking in 2011, which is now a six-month course equivalent to foundation degree level.[8][9] About 2000 students enrolled in 2015.[10]

The School hosts the annual 'Food for Thought' festival each summer with lectures from food writers, business owners and educators.[11][12] The School won the Cookery School of the Year award for 2014-15[13][14] and the Countryside Alliance Clarissa Dixon Wright Award in 2017 for outstanding contribution to food and education.[15]

It was featured on the BBC radio The Food Programme on 26 April 2010.[16]

In 2018 the School launched a foundation degree course, Artisan Food Production FdSc, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, taught jointly by both institutions. The first course will be taught in October 2019.[1][17][18]

In August 2018 the School launched a range of handmade artisan meats in collaboration with Delilah Delicatessens sold in Nottingham and Leicester.[19]

## Courses

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The School of Artisan Food

The School's courses cover a range of food production skills including butchery, bakery, cooking, cheesemaking and patisserie.[20]

The School's cheesemaking courses have been claimed by The Guardian to have "helped to transform the British industry".[21]

Courses range in length from half a day to six months and also include courses to teach students how to set up their own food businesses.[22] Seasonal courses, such as Christmas-themed classes, Mother's Day and Father's day courses, are also available.[23] The school's "Pig in a Day" is a crash course in butchery.[24]

The School attracts students from a variety of backgrounds, from middle-aged people looking to change career path, to hobbyists, to children, to international students who come for long-term residential courses.[25][26][3]

## References

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1. ^ a b c "New degree launched to meet demand for artisan food". Sheffield Telegraph. 30 January 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
2. ^ "Bank of England Governor Mark Carney visits Nottinghamshire". West Bridgford Wire. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
3. ^ a b "How to become an artisan baker". The Guardian. 3 December 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
4. ^ "Treat-making at The School of Artisan Food and Ye Olde Bell". Yorkshire Post. 2 January 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
5. ^ "A new artisan school opens in Nottinghamshire". The Daily Telegraph. 10 June 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
6. ^ Facilities - Bakery, Butchery, Dairy Training Rooms The School of Artisan Food. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
7. ^ Jordi, Nathalie (13 October 2009). "British Artisanal Food Gains New Champions". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
8. ^ Congratulations to our first graduates The School of Artisan Food. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
9. ^ "Discovering lost skills at The School of Artisan Food". Locavore Magazine. 14 December 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
10. ^ "Must-visit: A Downton Abbey fantasy for the 21st-century epicurean". Nottinghamshire Globe & Mail. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
11. ^ A festival of food thinking in Nottingham SustainWeb.org. 13 January 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
12. ^ Food for Thought Weekend Line Up Revealed Pebblemag.com. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
13. ^ The 12 food trends of Christmas: From mince-pie cocktails to deep-fried cracking The Independent. 7 December 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
14. ^ The School of Artisan Food Welbeck Estate. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
15. ^ The School of Artisan Food Wins National Title at the Countryside Alliance Rural Oscars TheStickyBeak.co.uk. 28 April 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
16. ^ Food Programme April 2010
17. ^ "Welbeck Estate - The school of Artisan Food". Nottingham Trent University. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
18. ^ "Jay Rayner on Restaurants". The Guardian. 16 December 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
19. ^ "School of Artisan Food and Delilah launch new food brand". East Midlands Business Link. 23 August 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
20. ^ Five of the best butchery schools The Guardian. 7 February 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
21. ^ The experts' guide to a great British cheeseboard The Guardian. 3 December 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
22. ^ The School of Artisan Food Exposed Magazine. 8 December 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
23. ^ All Courses and Cooking Classes The School of Artisan Food. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
24. ^ "The best artisan workshops to try". The Spectator. 25 September 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
25. ^ Where bankers become butchers Financial Times. 24 September 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
26. ^ Baking school is cooking up fresh careers Worksop Guardian. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2019.

## External links

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* Official website
* "The School of Artisan Food, registered charity no. 1139632". Charity Commission for England and Wales.