Winter Warmers - Cooking Classes for Families
Summary
We are applying to deliver a day of cookery classes for Island families in early 2026 - using sustainable produce to create budget friendly meals, perfect for batch cooking for the freezer.
Description
We are applying to run a day of cookery classes in early 2026 for Island families - using sustainable produce to create budget friendly meals, perfect for batch cooking for the freezer.
Participants will take part in interactive demonstration, bringing families together to learn new recipes for hearty healthy meals like stews, pies, pastas, soups and roasts that bring everyone to the table—plus tips for adapting dishes to suit all ages. Families will build essential skills like measuring, mixing, seasoning, and timing, with guidance tailored to both adults and children. The session will focus on sustainability, making the most of ingredients and avoiding waste, creating cost effective meals that can be batch cooked and frozen, supporting families to prepare for any produce shortages which can affect Arran during bad weather.
The hands-on cookery class is designed for families who want to reconnect with food in a positive way. We believe that the kitchen is the heart of a home - and cooking together and sharing what you have made with friends and family can be a powerful way of tackling social isolation during the colder months.
We previously delivered a series of cookery classes on Arran already at the high; school where local catering staff benefited from elevating their skills. The feedback was so positive, we are confident that there is a real desire on the island for this kind of activity.
The sessions would encourage island families to come together to learn new skills and spend quality time together. The classes would be open to families including children aged 6+ with adult supervision, and numbers for sessions will be dependent on venue capacity - 6 families would maximise reach whilst protecting the personalised nature of the session.
Cost breakdown as follows:
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Chef Tutor @ 1 day delivery plus prep time - £250.00
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Travel from mainland including ferry ticket and fuel costs for one vehicle - £100.00
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Contribution to local venue for hosting event - £200.00
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Creation of recipe books for all families to keep, containers for food - £50.00
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Refreshments provided by host venue - £100.00
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Ingredients from local suppliers - £200.00
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Project assistant to support chef tutor with set up/sign in, including admin allowance for booking families into sessions/evaluations - £100.00
Total requested: £1000.00
We confirm that we have all relevant insurances, policies, training and PVG checks required to deliver this project.
External video
Information
Location Map
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Published 2026-10-15
Status changed to
Project complete
35 people participated. Thanks to this funding we had the pleasure of delivering the island cookery classes free of charge for families who wanted to learn more about food & home cooking, especially for batch cooking and budgeting for those winter months. Chef Zoltan: "I thoroughly enjoyed my time on Arran giving free cookery classes to the families who wanted to learn new skills and develop healthy habits together. Always a pleasure working with Lamlash Bay Hotel and the wonderful innovative team. Thank you to Brakes Scotland, Taste of Arran, and North Ayrshire Council Participatory Budgeting Funding, all of whom helped bring this to life, and make these workshops as valuable as they could be for island families.""
We think this is a brilliant idea, especially important on this small island. People will be able to use the food share supplies and use less power to produce more nursing meals for forward use. Terrific idea and we vote for it.
Agree, a great opportunity to share skills with the next generation and prepare for true island living!
Families and young people will get the chance to focus on food, nutrition and budgeting, enabling them to hone a skills that can be used at home and pass on time and time again!