Waitrose plans King’s Cross cookery school

Waitrose has announced plans to open a new cookery school and supermarket as part of the redevelopment of London’s King’s Cross.

The 3,000sq ft school will offer a variety of paid-for courses, ranging from Bread Making for Beginners to The Art of Michelin Star Cookery, and there will also be a series of free sessions throughout the year for schools and other priority groups from the local area.

The free sessions aim to develop the culinary skills of the capital’s young cooks by teaching basic cooking skills and inspiring a passion for good food. The classes will cover nutrition, healthy eating and balanced diets.

The multi-million pound scheme, which is subject to a successful planning application, will create up to 170 jobs for skilled chef tutors, retail apprentices, management positions and product specialists.

The only UK supermarket to already have its own cookery school, Waitrose opened its first in London’s Finchley Road in 2010.

The 67 acre King’s Cross site is the largest in single ownership to be master-planned and developed in central London in over 150 years. It includes offices, new homes and 500,000sq ft of retail space, as well as leisure, hotel and student accommodation. Central Saint. Martins, part of the University of Arts London, opened in 2011 as part of the development, with 5,000 students and staff.

The Waitrose sites would occupy part of the Grade II listed Midland Goods Shed and East Handyside Canopy. The retailer also has plans for a store café with tables spilling out at the southern end of the building, beside Regent’s Canal.

Said Waitrose managing director Mark Price: “As a food retailer, we have a responsibility to help educate and inspire people, not only when it comes to their weekly shop but also when it comes to creating and enjoying good food. It’s fantastic to give even more people the opportunity to develop their culinary skills.”

The project is scheduled to open in spring 2015.