I offer simple tipslike pressing yourbodyweight on lemonwith your hand androlling it before cuttingit and squeezing it andyou get a lot more juicefrom it

I’m giving people skills to cookCLAIRE Barham wants to instilall cooks with confidence andthe skills necessary to preparefresh, seasonal food every day.

She runs the Green ApronCookery School, in Coggeshall,and the cuisines she teachesrange from Italian, Moroccanand Thai and she can also boostyour skills in baking, vegetariancooking and student survivalfood.

She says: “I try to makethe classes as skills-based aspossible so people leave withthe confidence to try things likepasta making, and baking breadat home.

“We don’t use fancy machineslike a pasta maker, we use arolling pin, because I don’t wantthere to be any reason for peoplenot to try it at home. It’s notabout buying fancy ingredientsor equipment when you knowhow.”

Running her own cookeryschool was Claire’s dream formany years. She took a year outfrom working as an accountantto study at the prestigious LeithCookery School 13 years agowhen she was 30.

Claire says: “It was a greatfoundation in French cookeryand very skills based. I loved it.

“Enrolling at the school wassomething I had been interestedin for a long time and I saved themoney and took a year out fromwork to do it.”

However, Claire had to returnto her day job after her studies.

Claire progressed to becomea partner at the managementconsultancy firm and five yearslater she decided enough was

She says: “I spent all mymoney on the course and so Ihad to go back to work. I startedworking for a managementconsultancy firm and I laterbecame a partner

“I did catering in my sparetime and would help outfriends I had made at Leith’swho had started their owncatering companies. It wasalways something I loved and Iwould joke with people at workthat I always had a back-up incookery.”

enough and she decided to takethe plunge and start a cookeryschool.

Claire, who used to live in

By LOUISE HOWESONlouise.howeson@nqe.com

N Following her dream - Claire Barhar runs Green Apron cookery school, inset right, from her home inCoggeshall Picture: STEVE BRADING

Billericay, set her sights onmoving to north Essex for a morerural life.

“I fell head over heels in love

with the house in Coggeshalland I could see it could workas a place to run the business.Originally I had wanted a cottagewith an outbuilding, this housedidn’t have that but I felt I couldmake it work.”

The Green Apron CookerySchool building was built in the1870s and was once owned by theSwinborn family who owned thegelatine and Isinglass factoryat the far end of West Street. Inthe early 1930s it was sold to theChurch of England and became amother and baby home. It closedin the 1950s and was split intothree properties.

Claire says: “When I boughtthe property it was neglected and

needed renovation work.“There was a basement kitchen

which used to be the old winecellar and a garden room. I madethis bigger and put the cookeryschool there.

“I now use the kitchen in thebasement for prep work and to dothe washing up, helped bymy assistants Ellie and SueDouglas.”

The building renovation tooka year and then establishing thegarden and vegetables growingtook another year. Now a lot ofwhat Claire cooks comes straightfrom the garden.

Claire started holding trialclasses at cost price for friendsand locals to Coggeshall last

summer.“I wanted to to try

out the cookeryschool and

get genuinefeedback onwhat I wasdoingand waysin whichI couldimprove.

“It wasalso a chance

for me topractise my

teaching skills. Iopened officially in

August last year and I havehad good feedback and peopleseem to leave happy. I have a lotof themed and topical classesnow that are popular.

Claire charges £90 per classand she also give a variety ofhints and tips on cooking duringthe sessions.

22 Thursday March 30, 2017 www.echo-news.co.ukEcho

taste

I try to promotecooking wholesomeingredients fromthe garden that arestraightforward andfrom scratch. It isalso about enjoyingthe process ofcooking and eatingtogether