PARTNER's PAGE
LUCY COOKS
Welcome to LucyCooks – the Cookery School in the Lakes
Please take time to look around our cookery school. We have members of our team on hand to answer any questions you might have ….. but in the meantime here are the answers to some of the questions that are most often asked…..no doubt you’ll have many more … we’ll be pleased to help.
What does LucyCooks do?
We provide inspiration and fun. From novice to Nigella, all are welcome at LucyCooks. Full day practical courses, evening demonstrations, Aga courses, Demo & Dines to technical workshops …… there’s lots to choose from! We encourage the pleasure of cooking and actively promote LucyCooks as an ‘alternative activity’ for all ages and abilities – broadening repertoires and allowing people to gain confidence and new skills.
Do you run courses at weekends?
Yes we’re open all week – if you want to come and look around someone is generally on hand to guide you and provide information – something is on nearly every day at LucyCooks.
Who teaches the courses?
We have a team of great chefs and specialists, who will ensure that you make the most of your talents and put you at ease. No prima donnas just lots of fun!
Where do I find course information?
All courses running can be found at www.lucycooks.co.uk Alternatively, please ask any of our staff and we can arrange to have a brochure sent out to you. Pick up a schedule and fill out a keep in touch form to have the opportunity to win a day’s course.
Who is Lucy?
Lucy Nicholson founded LucyCooks in 2006. The same Lucy has also founded a Deli, Restaurant - Lucy’s on a plate, Wine Bar and Bistro called Lucy4, an Outside Catering Business. She started her original business over 20 years ago and now employs over 70 wonderful and creative people who have all contributed to ‘growing’ the business. She is passionate about food and giving people confidence in the kitchen. Lucy lives in Ambleside and has four daughters.
Is a day at LucyCooks like going back to school and being told what to do?
Not at all! LucyCooks is a place of relaxed inspiration rather than formal education, it is suitable for all ages and all abilities.
Do you run children’s courses?
Children are welcome at LucyCooks and we have lots of options. They can join an existing practical course (age 8 upwards) or, come as a family to one of our “Family Fundays” (See course schedule for next date). We also have “Cool for Kids” courses running in half term and school holidays for a variety of ages – pick up a leaflet or check the web site.
Do you run courses for Companies, Societies and Groups and Schools?
Yes. We have already run many bespoke courses ….. from competitive cook–off’s to team building sessions. From hosting a meeting –our location makes us ideal for companies with executives across the region-to an alternative low impact activity for corporate away days. Just ask for the new leaflet!
Do you provide Gift Voucher?
We do indeed .... and they make a wonderful gift. We are launching a special membership club allowing you to cook as many times as you want, together with a great deal of other special offers only available to a LucyCooks member.
What can you tell me about the shop?
The LucyCookShop has just had a makeover! We now offer an even wider range of the innovative and functional for the kitchen! From the best in quality equipment ( pans, mixing bowls, bamboo steamers, blenders, spice mills and much more) to utensils (knives, mashers, garlic presses, brushes, strainers, pans, tongs, ricers to name but a few). From the best in quality equipment to the coolest in contemporary design, we offer a treasure trove of colour and style.
The Building
Everything at LucyCooks has been sourced locally – from the slate to the staircase – builders to plumbers.
Are there disabled facilities?
We have disabled toilets and kitchens for practical demonstrations. Disabled access is provided by way of a lift outside the premises.
What can you tell me about the room with the AGA in it?
This lovely space is multi purpose. We use it for general refreshments and for evening demo & dine…. It’s a great space for meetings too. Coffee and morning treats are laid out here to greet course participants on arrival and it also makes a nice space for sitting round the table together at lunch time to discuss everything you’ve made that morning. We also do Aga courses too!
What can you tell me about the terraced area?
At the back of the Aga room lies a terrace with the River Kent running alongside. On sunny evenings and during the day it is possible to enjoy dining outside, or certainly to take breaks out there! The terrace is also shared by some of the other businesses at the Mill Yard. Wilf’s, Hawkshead Brewery and Out of the Woods … the rest of the yard also houses a multitude of fabulous independent businesses – Moore Bakery, Organico, Wheelbase Cycle Emporium, Myrtle and Mace, Fallowfields and many more …. Annabel Williams Photography will be joining us too! Have a wander and see what a vibrant place this is.
What can you tell me about upstairs?
This is where all the action takes place! There are 7 fully practical kitchens, each accommodating 4 people. 2 people share a hob and a sink but everyone has their own equipment. You can be equally at home with 4 people sharing a unit as you can with just 2. At no point does anyone have to cook with their back turned to the rest of the group so it remains a very sociable experience. The demonstration area provides clear visibility, but there is also access to a TV screen which provides a bird’s eye view of exactly what the chef is doing. Here, you will be shown what to do, before being given the chance to go away and interpret the dish yourself. Assistance is always on hand should you require it, but it certainly won’t be forced on you!
What do I get if I attend a full day practical course?
We supply you with all the ingredients you require, a LucyCooks apron, recipes and tuition, all refreshments, lunch with wine – in short you simply bring your enthusiasm and escape for the day to enjoy the company of new found friends and go home laden with goodies you have created!
We hope you enjoy your tour and we shall welcome you back soon …. To indulge in the pleasure of food.
Northern Delights & Tasty Bites
Do you always find yourself planning holiday activities around your appetite for good food? If you fancy a wonderfully indulgent weekend break that combines delicious food with the most inspirational surroundings, then northern delights await you in beautiful Cumbria…
Cumbria boasts a whole host of traditional local produce from Cumberland Sausage to Windermere Char and Grasmere Gingerbread to Kendal Mint cake there is something to tempt the taste buds of any hungry traveller. Less than a mile from the head of Lake Windermere, the spectacular scenery in the town of Ambleside provides the perfect setting to enjoy some of the fabulous culinary treats on offer.
If you decide to take a food tour of Cumbria there are a few stops along the way in Ambleside and Staveley that you can’t afford to miss, all of which were the inspiration of food fanatic Lucy Nicholson…
Lucy moved to the Lake District in the late eighties. Inspired by the lack of sale of good produce available in the area at the time, she opened a small deli, Lucy’s Specialist Grocers.
Through flying the flag for local food over the past twenty years, Lucy can certainly take credit for transforming the beautiful town of Ambleside into the ‘gastro-hub’ that it is today and now has a full foodie empire under her belt including a delicatessen, restaurant, bistro, catering company and most recently LucyCooks Cookery School.
LucyCooks
LucyCooks is a fabulous cookery school with to die for kitchens nestled in Staveley in the foothills of the Kentmere Valley, only ten minutes from the M6. All of Lucy’s courses were created for foodies with love so if you’re passionate about food, why not cook up a feast at LucyCooks.
There is a course to suit everyone’s taste buds from chocoholics to calorie counters, and veggies to carnivores, all guaranteed to induce a state of gastronomic delight! A course for all reasons and all seasons, more and more companies and groups have discovered that LucyCooks is an ideal venue and exciting activity for a day out with a difference.
No talent required it’s all about having fun and broadening your existing skills or discovering ones you never knew you had! You are guaranteed to go home laden with freshly made goodies galore and a few extra skills to boot.
Lucy’s on a Plate
Bustling and busy with scrubbed pine tables, chapel chairs and a relaxed and friendly air, Lucy’s on a plate serves breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, cakes, coffees and dinner. A change of menu and ambience takes Lucy’s on a plate from café by day to restaurant by night! Lucy’s is famed in the Lakes for her decadent puddings, regular ‘Up the Duff’ pudding nights are a real treat. The pièce de résistance is the vast dessert menu with over thirty homemade puddings! We challenge you not to be seduced by Lucy’s sinful sweets!
Lucy’s Specialist Grocers
Lucy’s deli is an Aladdin’s cave of culinary treats from cheeses to chocolate to chutneys! Tickle your taste buds with a wonderful range of mouth-watering produce sourced from arou
nd the world, from Cumbria to Umbria including the sea! From the minute you walk through the door you’ll enjoy the aromas of delicious cakes, scones and pastries baked on the premises by pastry chef Janet. Lucy’s also specialises in gluten free goodies. For the times when you can’t visit the shop, Deli t’dor is a mail order service, delivering speciality hampers and other delights across the country.
Lucy4
Forget formal dining this is relaxed and sociable eating at its best. Get stuck in to a Mediterranean style ‘mix and match’ sharing plates with a group of friends or enjoy an intimate dinner with that special someone. Lucy4 boasts a fabulous range of over 75 wines, Champagnes and beers for the connoisseur in you! Enjoy a glass of chilled wine on the decking in the summer or a steaming hot coffee beside the fire in wintertime.
For further information about LucyCooks or to make a booking call 015394 32288 or visit the website www.lucycooks.co.uk.
For all of Lucy’s other foodie destinations visit www.lucysofambleside.co.uk.
JANE ASHER HOME BAKER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION