Waitrose announces first cookery school outside London

Supermarket chain Waitrose has confirmed plans for a new cookery school – only its second in the country – at its supermarket in Salisbury, following the success of its first school on London’s Finchley Road.

The school will be inside the Wiltshire city’s Waitrose Food & Home shop, and will provide a wide range of cookery courses, chef demonstrations and tastings.

Along with best-selling courses from London, such as bread making, knife skills and World street food, the school will introduce one-hour mini master classes. These speedy skill-based courses will concentrate on one classic recipe and offer a taster to the school.

The school will be built as part of a major refurbishment project which has recently begun to update the Salisbury Food & Home branch. It will undergo a phased programme of works, which will be completed in November.

The new look branch will eventually see the introduction of a juice and smoothie bar, and a beer and wine bar, where tapas will be served. There will also be new service counters, a café, new look home department and improved bakery offer.

Waitrose Salisbury will remain open while the majority of work takes place over the next few months. The shop will officially re-open as a new branch, following a brief closure, later this year.

Waitrose Salisbury branch manager Chris Blows said: “Waitrose is the only supermarket to open its own cookery school and following the success of Finchley Road, it’s fantastic to announce our second school in Salisbury. While living in an age of convenience, we still want to encourage a growing passion for cooking. The school will be a real asset to the local community in Salisbury, and also highlights our ambition to offer our customers the opportunity to enhance their cooking skills or build their confidence in the kitchen.

“We are excited that work has also started to completely revitalise the branch, which will improve the services and products currently on offer to our shoppers.”