Independent Cookery Schools Association “ICSA” is the only regulatory body for cookery schools in the UK. Operated as independent, not-for-profit body, on behalf of its members. Recognising and championing excellence in cookery skills and training. Look for the ‘ICSA Mark Of Quality Assurance’ across our website and ‘Cookery Collection‘ to be assured of an accredited teaching experience.
The need for a regulatory body for UK cookery schools goes back a few years before the birth of the ‘Independent Cookery Schools Association’. The idea began simply as a conversation between industry leaders nearly a decade ago. A few years later, ‘ICSA’ was formed.
Objective: Encourage and champion ‘Consistency and Excellence in Cookery Skills and Training’.
They continue to grow ICSA Accredited cookery school membership UK wide, and collectively focus on our core values, which include:
- Sustainability
- Seasonality
- Sourcing Regionally
- Supporting British Producers, Suppliers & high standards of animal welfare.
Focusing on applying nutrition and healthy eating at all levels. - Single use plastic-free kitchens.
Their mission to teach and aspire students and manufacturers to switch to eco-friendly products, available to commercial and domestic kitchens continues.
Look for the ICSA ‘Certification Logo’ as an assurance of teaching standards and ethics within our ‘Cookery Collection’ .
Stella West-Harling MBE, (pictured) founder of the Independent Cookery Schools Association ‘ICSA’, shares her thoughts on why cookery schools have become so popular and important in enhancing the learnings and experiences of the next generation of gourmands and aspiring Chefs.
“It has been said that Britain has the most cookery schools per capita than any other country. As a nation, we’ve come quite a way, given the routine sneers we were used to, that deemed us a foodie’s desert. Yet there has been an interest in cookery skills ever since Mrs Beeton wrote the world’s most successful cookery book and Mrs Marshall held her classes with up to 2,000 ladies in attendance in 1860.”
Our recent love affair with cookery skills began at the turn of the new millennium. There has been an enormous increase in the number of cookery schools to about 1,200 across the country. TV cookery shows draw huge audiences and live cookery demonstrations and food festivals inspire people in small villages and towns the land over. Our love affair with
food crosses all boundaries – age, nationality, beliefs and gender all are equal in the kitchen.
Since the Covid lockdowns, many more millions of people have fallen back in love with domestic and professional cookery skills, so there has never been a more important time to gain new cookery skills at one of the UK’s ICSA accredited cookery schools.
The Independent Cookery Schools Association (ICSA) was set up in 2014 to ensure that cookery schools meet the highest standards so that you know, if it is an ICSA school, it is an excellent place to begin your cookery journey. You’ll find them from Scotland to Cornwall.
Stella West-Harling MBE
More information on ICSA, and their UK wide cookery schools network visit their website here
ICSA Cookery School Gift Vouchers
Our own ‘Gift To Share’ Gift vouchers are accepted by over 25 ICSA accredited cookery schools UK wide. We are hoping to inspire others to teach the next generation of gourmands to apply their gifts to share, inspire and share their new skills and to help improve their own awareness of the Greatest British produce and cook more seasonably and sustainably in the nations kitchens.
