Waitrose gets cooking

The new Waitrose Cookery School in London hosted its debut event last week, so the drinks business went along for a sneak preview.

The gleaming kitchens and teaching room played host to a beer and food matching evening for a select group of consumers ahead of its official launch next month.

John Keeling, head brewer at Fuller’s, and Tim O’Rourke, a consultant at The Beer Academy, led guests through a range of fine beer and food matches, with dishes ranging from baked fig in Parma ham to fish and chips and a roast hazelnut panacotta.

Beers including Honeydew, Liefmans, Leffe Brune and Sierra Nevada helped wash down the dishes and gave the hosts the chance to explain why beer should be considered the perfect food accompaniment and encourage consumers to not be afraid of trying new styles of beer.

“We still treat beer as a commodity,” said O’Rourke. “We have to get people to realise that great beer can be found at excellent prices in the UK and there are styles to suit every palate and every dish.”

The facility at Waitrose store on Finchley Road in north London is going to be primarily targeted at consumer events, though in-house training will also take place at the Cookery School.

Pierpaolo Petrassi MW, head of buying for beers, wines, spirits and tobacco at Waitrose, has high hopes for the project.

He told the drinks business: “For a first event it seems to have gone without a hitch and its great to see it all coming together.

“It’s an excellent facility and one which I feel will become hugely popular with consumers, who are becoming increasingly keen to learn more about food and drink.

“With the team we have assembled here, we can look forward to running some excellent events.”

Alan Lodge, 01.11.2010