Ned Poulter (below right), one of Leiths Online's Alumni, chats with us about his experience completing the Essential accreditation and learning online. He dives into his background in cooking, what he has learnt so far, and what he plans to do next.
Why did you choose to take a Leiths Online course?
I chose to take a Leiths Online cookery course because I’ve always been passionate about cooking. I'm exceptionally busy running Pole Star Digital alongside a number of digital ventures and I use cooking as a release; it gets me away from the keyboard and allows me to explore my creative side. I take great pride in being the main chef at home, doing the lions share of the cooking for my wife and daughter, ensuring that we eat happily and healthily.
I really just wanted to go through the motions and learn things in a more formal environment. I wanted to understand and learn the essentials of cooking and ensure I had a solid foundation.
How did you find Leiths Online?
I found Leiths Online through search engines. I was just looking for cookery courses, and there is surprisingly not a lot out there. I stumbled across Leiths Online and realised that it’s part of Leiths School of Food and Wine.
Could you talk a little bit about your experience on the Essential’s course and what you learned?
The Essential’s course was the best for me because it taught me a lot of foundational skills but also forced me to learn recipes that I probably wouldn’t try alone. For example, I’m a really savoury person, but I’ve done a lot of baking and I’ve really enjoyed it. I certainly think my skills have expanded greatly since then.
On the course you’re connected with a mentor and it was really useful for me because I don’t live in London and I know several other students in my class that also were not London-based, so being able to receive advice and tips from a professional was instrumental. They were there by your side, and always willing to answer silly questions. They provided positive feedback throughout the course.
Do you know where you’re going to take your culinary journey next?
This is an exciting time for me because I’ve just completed my accreditation with Leiths Online and have signed up for the next stage to complete the Chef Skills 24-week course. I want to build my culinary repertoire out further and I’m open to see where this takes me. Maybe I will move my career into food, I don’t know where this journey will take me.
What was your experience learning in a cohort like?
I found the cohort really nice because it made you see what other people struggled with as well. You could see when other people encountered the same issues on a recipe that together, we could work out what to do next. It wasn’t just me or another student doing the recipe wrong. There was an active discussion and support for each other as well.
Would you recommend Leiths Online courses?
The best thing about Leiths Online, it is about being able to access high-quality, tutor-led material from the comfort of your own home. Of course you can do it in the kitchens, but given that I don’t live in London I’m glad that I’ve still been able to receive quality learning. I would definitely recommend LOCS as I am continuing my journey and I’m sure other people would enjoy it as well.
