The Woodhouse Cookery Club (From Hereford Times)

The Woodhouse Cookery Club

7:40am Thursday 6th October 2011 in Food & Drink

SOMETHING a little bit different is going on in The Woodhouse, Oakwrights’ unique show home in Kenchester this autumn, as Serena Crump and her close friend Sue Goring take advantage of the unique space with their inspiring Woodhouse Cookery Club Earlier this year, Serena, already well-known in the county as a medal-winning sportswoman, took part in the popular BBC TV show Masterchef, making it all the way to the final 20 competitors. Although not classically trained, Serena has a real feel for fine dining.

She reveals that the whole Masterchef experience was “a lovely accident”, the result of a friend egging her on to apply.

Sue Goring, Serena’s friend and partner in the Cookery Club adventure, has a wealth of experience teaching for Le Cordon Bleu, the world-renowned network of educational institutions dedicated to providing the highest level of culinary and hospitality instruction through world-class programmes.

From this wealth of experience, the pair have launched regular Wednesday gatherings of The Woodhouse Cookery Club, making the best possible use of the wonderfully modern kitchen facilities offered by the house.

“Whether you are just looking to improve those family Sunday lunches, or you are an enthusiastic amateur cook, who is looking to experiment that little bit more – The Woodhouse Cookery Club has something for everyone,” says Serena.

“Sue and I take guests through the cooking process, encouraging creative ideas throughout and getting our visitors to join in where we can,” says Serena, explaining how club evenings work.

“The highlight of the evening is the social aspect and by the time we are enjoying the end product it really does feel like we are sitting down for a meal with friends.”

Heading through the autumn towards the festive season, the club has many treats in store: starting with fish night on Wednesday and Eastern Flavours on October 19, then in November the range of topics covered.

As December arrives, Serena and Sue will concentrate on Christmas. Following a look at food gifts for the seasonal celebrations, they’ll offer all the advice needed to create the perfect Christmas Day meal and how to get the best out of left-overs on Boxing Day.

At just £30 a head and a maximum of 10 people at each gathering, the “cookery demonstration with a hands-on approach” format is gathering pace and the events fill up quickly.

For further information and to book The Woodhouse Cookery Club, call Sue on 01981 550280 or Serena on 590644.

For more information on The Woodhouse itself and a virtual tour, visit oakwrights.co.uk.