Meet the member:
Jenny Thomson – Courses for Cooks

When I left school, I really had no idea what I wanted to do. I went down to London and did the 1year cookery course at Leith’s School of Food and Wine. I think my first ‘Aha’ moment was in the first week, because I discovered something that I really enjoyed and was good at. My whole career has stemmed from there.

After graduating, I worked as a private chef (or freelance cook as it was in those days) here in Scotland, Canada, USA & France, before coming home to work in a restaurant in St Andrews for 18 months. I then started my own restaurant and Scottish Food & Craft Centre with my husband, which we developed and ran for 15 years.

I took a break to raise my 2 children and when they reached school age, started thinking about what I was going to do next. There was a new cookery school opening in Edinburgh and my 2nd ‘Aha’ moment was born then. I could do that! Courses for Cooks was launched from my home kitchen, has now been established for 13 years. My private cheffing is run alongside.

Everything from Knife Skills to Masterchef Challenges, bread to a range of international cuisines. The aim is to transfer my cookery skills and inspire people to cook more with fresh ingredients. It’s amazing the number of clients who come in their 50’s who have never cooked. Either they just bought food ready made or another member of the household has cooked. My goal is for the recipes that they learn in class to be things they make and use at home regularly and to give them the skills and confidence to tackle virtually anything going forwards.

I also offer group cookery classes for up to 16 people. These are great for teambuilding, work, family or friends activity days and are tailored to client’s needs and skill levels.

Course popularity changes from year to year, depending on media and dietary trends. Most of my courses can be adapted to suit most dietary requirements and for those that have serious allergies or mobility issues, I can offer an in person, online course, which means the client can be comfortable in their own environment and safe from any possible allergens from my kitchen.

It varies; for my courses, I try to buy everything as locally and in season as possible whilst considering travel time and costs to get it. I never really know clients buying habits when it comes to food, but through conversation during the course, we talk about producers and where ingredients have come from.

I also have a couple of ‘Taste of Scotland’ themed, custom bookable courses for visitors to Scotland, they are available through Travel Trade and use as much local, seasonal, Scottish produce as possible. The recipes we make are also authentically Scottish.

With private cheffing clients, it’s becoming more important, although it can depend on the client, their dietary requirements & expectations. Wherever I am, I’ll try and source the local butcher, fishmonger and other suppliers necessary.

I have 2 types of clientele; with cookery courses, a lot of people are professionals of 50+. They’re maybe cutting back their hours or have retired and are ticking things off their bucket list. Quite a few have developed health issues or want to cook more now that they have some spare time. They’re now addressing their diet, don’t know where to start and come to me to gain skills, inspiration and confidence.

Private chef clients can be 40+. They are wanting to dine in style, at home or in their holiday accommodation without having to think about food or it’s logistics. Some only want dinner to be catered, others are looking to have the whole week catered with breakfast, dinner and sometimes picnic lunch. If you’re in the back of beyond it’s a cost-effective option for groups of 10+ and it’s something I enjoy doing.

Absolutely! All budgets and abilities. Cooking is a skill. You don’t know what you don’t know and different people learn in different ways. It doesn’t always come naturally and spending a few hours discovering new skills or practicing more complicated ones makes the world of difference to a lot of people.

I have a range of In Person courses which are custom bookable and adapted to clients needs. I also have a collection of recorded online courses which can be completed when convenient and accessed for as long as necessary. These come with a shopping list, use readily available produce and are designed with minimal waste in mind.

Gift Certificates can be bought for as little as £1 and can be used for any course, or private chef services. They’re often bought by groups of friends or colleagues to give as a birthday, wedding or leaving present. We’re often bad at not spending money on our own personal development, so a voucher is always an exciting gift!

Mainly my website and word of mouth. I’m also registered with a couple of agencies for private cheffing, which is great as they vet the clients, some of whom come back year after year. I post daily on social media and that helps with awareness but most of my bookings come through Google search or recommendation.

I also have a good percentage of returning clients. Most will come back and do another course or two, depending on their interest and skill set.

I’d love to work with more team building groups and I have seen an increase in bookings. In the past, a cooking class wasn’t seen as cool or interesting compared with paintballing or quad biking. Since covid, that has changed and there is more interest. The groups I have worked with all had such a great time & I’ve had repeat bookings from them as groups and individuals in some cases.

I would also like to do more with the travel trade and have been working with Visit Scotland. This is really exciting as I can go to town with local and seasonal produce. I have 2 experiences on offer; A Taste of Scotland and a Scottish Afternoon Tea with Tutored Tea Tasting. Both are exclusive to travel trade clients for a hands-on experience. When I travel, I like to seek out local food and cookery experiences and I’m welcoming clients into my home to do the same.

I have a new shooting estate client in the borders who have hired me to do the catering for their shooting parties between September and January. The menu hasn’t been set yet but I’ll likely be working with a lot of game on a beautiful country estate. Private cheffing is hugely enjoyable. It’s hard work, but I get to go to beautiful places and cook for lovely people – it’s like going on a working holiday!

I’d definitely be doing something to do with diet, alternative remedies and mental well-being. I’m really interested in how different foods and diets affect the body and mind and would love to explore this more.