THOUSANDS of people have shown an appetite for learning new kitchen skills since the launch of The Cookery School in York.

The venture which has celebrated its first anniversary has welcomed more than 3,200 guests to its state-of-the-art facilities which are located within the The Grand.

The school has been so successful, head chef Andrew Dixon said they were looking to become an accredited cookery academy in its second year.

Since opening its doors in March 2019, the 2,500 sq ft space within the luxury five-star hotel has attracted tourists and locals liked.

The contemporary school, designed by Mackenzie Wheeler, has 16 workstations, and guests can choose between a full day, express or evening class, for step-by-step demonstrations and tips.

Andrew said: "We’ve welcomed more than 3,000 guests over the past year, proving there is absolutely appetite for what we are offering.

"Yorkshire is a culinary hub and we’re excited to have brought a unique event to the city’s food and drink offering.

"The expansion was a huge investment for the hotel, so came with its risks, but aside from exceeding booking expectations, seeing the cookery school go from a derelict space to an environment full of joy and laughter, has been extremely rewarding.

“Moving into the second year, we are looking at becoming an official cookery academy meaning we will be able to offer official qualifications as well as educational classes.”

From the outset, Andrew said he wanted to create a fun, interactive experience where guests could relax, make friends and try new flavours.

The focus was to provide classes that are informative, introducing a variety of expertise with cuisines ranging from Yorkshire staples to a taste of India.

Highlights of the year for the school include featuring on national television as part of Channel 5’s Hairy Bikers Chocolate Challenge as well as Mark Tiling’s Extreme Chocolate Making.

The team has also been invited to multiple food shows over the year including The Great Yorkshire Show, Countryfile Live and Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival.

The Cookery School at The Grand is available for leisure and corporate experiences.

It also offers parent and child classes, which are over three hours where children are given the freedom to lead the way with parental assistance.