FOOD + DRINK
inside THE COOKERY SCHOOL :
THE COOKING APPLE ,
SEVENOAKS
The Cooking Apple is a cookery school located in Sevenoaks , Kent . They are mobile , making use of the many brilliant kitchen spaces available for businesses to rent around Kent and they also teach from owner Pip Porter ’ s kitchen and online worldwide . Pip ’ s mantra is ‘ make it fresh , seasonal and easy to repeat ’ as she wants people to enjoy the fun of hands-on learning , but also feel confident enough to reproduce the dishes at home again afterwards . Usually , you would need to go to London or a specialist chef school to get these experiences , but with The Cooking Apple , it ’ s offered right here in Kent .
Pip , how did your business start ? I started professional life as a buyer for Sainsbury ’ s supermarkets . It was a privilege to be part of the team that chooses what goes on the shelves around the country . From ingredient sampling to designing new products and working with amazing suppliers who are passionate about their products , I loved it . Fast forward 12 years , a job in HR consulting and a career break , however , and I decided to return to my foodie roots . I retrained at Le Cordon Bleu in London and opened The Cooking Apple in 2017 with a launch party of supportive friends in my kitchen . Making that first jump into running your own business can feel intimidating and support at that point is really appreciated !
Why is it called The Cooking Apple ? My maiden name is Orchard and my first name is Pip . Pip and Orchard in the fruit county of Kent led to thinking of apples and the name just stuck ; I like that it has a connection to who I am and the great county I work in .
What kind of cooking do you teach ? My customers are a real mix of lovely people . Some love cooking already and want to nail that special dish - for one customer , it was a lobster thermidor enjoyed so much on a special plane trip that it had to be learnt ! Some have never cooked before and simply want to get started – they ’ re the brave ones !
I also run day events and mini retreats in partnership with other local businesses including YogabyLucy , which is based in the pretty village of Shoreham . Finally , I teach lots of teens in schools all over Kent in person at school events and online – mostly for the Duke of Edinburgh challenge . Cooking is a skill for life you can use every day if you want to – once you ’ ve got the skill of making food from scratch in your back pocket , you are set for life !
What ’ s it like teaching in Kent ? Kent is such a brilliant county for food stories . We are lucky enough to have it all here , you just need to look for it . Surrounding me , I have some brilliant suppliers like Chart Farm meats , who are specialists in venison ; their neighbour , The Eco Pantry with amazing spices and pulses ( and chocolate !); Shipbourne Farmers ’ Market ; Sankey ’ s fishmongers and Ian Chatfield butchers both in Tonbridge , as well as a couple of amazing microbusiness sourdough specialists right here in Sevenoaks – Annabel ’ s Bradbourne Bakery and Leo the Baker . There ’ s a wealth of fellow foodies around here which makes it a pleasure when I get to cook with their products and shout about how brilliant they are to my customers .
What ’ s next for you ? As my kids get older , I have more time to let the business grow . I thought I was going to lose it all in lockdown , but the online business really took off – cooking with people simultaneously from my kitchen to theirs when we couldn ’ t get together turned out to be a lot of fun for a lot of people ( me included ). It ’ s great to adapt to whatever the world flings at you and use it to create opportunities to excite people about food and cooking .
My next mission is to add growing food into the mix . I am taking an RHS qualification in horticulture at the beautiful Hever Castle to try and get my green fingers going and build a kitchen garden to add to the cooking experience for my customers .
What other passions do you have ? Beyond the business , I work with a couple of food charities that are close to my heart . FEAST in Tonbridge run an amazing food bank that is a special place to be . You are welcome to stay for the morning as it also runs a coffee shop , playgroup and lunch club – all free for those who need it . It brings people together and has a lovely buzz on Wednesday mornings ; a great community to be part of .
I also love finding great food ideas , foodie nights away , restaurants and markets to share with my guests . Sharing ideas of great places to go , enjoy good food and have fun makes me smile and hopefully gets other passionate food businesses a leg up too ! You can find them all on my Instagram page .
thecookingapple . co . uk thecookingapple
116 • www . insidekent . co . uk