When I enrolled in the Wholefood and Natural Chef Training Programme I was warned that it would be intense. I liken it to having a child. You know that will be life changing but have absolutely no idea what effect it will actually have until you are knee deep in nappies and wondering what the hell happened to your life.
The first few weeks of the course lulled me into a false sense of security. The course load was easy to handle, we experienced nice regular lunch breaks and all appeared to be going well. By the last month, expectations had significantly increased, as had the workload. We were doing long days with limited breaks, and still having to complete assignments and undertake exam preparation in the evening. I don’t work well under sustained pressure. This was something I was already well aware of, and as a result I really struggled through the last few weeks of the course.
So was it worth it? I have noticed a real difference in my approach to cooking. I feel more confident and more willing to tackle recipes I would previously have allocated to the ‘too hard’ basket. I have a better understanding of why things happen in the kitchen, and how to fix things if they go wrong. I had the good fortune to spend twelve weeks with some amazing people who provided me with friendship, support, inspiration and many laughs throughout this process. So yes it was definitely worth it.
I have finished the course with a strengthened resolve to teach people about real food. I find it interesting that people view real food as something that takes a significant time to prepare and cannot therefore be accommodated in our busy lifestyles. I have learnt that with little planning and forethought real food can be eaten everyday. I want to share this knowledge. I want to make real food more accessible. I want to show that we needn’t rely on convenience food for our everyday meals.
I was asked during the course what the focus of this blog was. At the time I felt my answer inadequate. But I now know that I want to help people fit real food into their busy lives, and not spend a fortune in the process. I have learnt that with just a few things in the fridge or freezer, you will always have a good meal at hand. I want to share that knowledge with you. I hope you will join me for the journey.
That sounds like a great course to do. You’ve presented a lot of incredible looking dishes and it’s great that you got so much out of it xx
It was definitely an extremely intense course but we did cook some fantastic food and I really did learn so much.
Hi, I’ve just found your website and only last month the wholefoods website. I’m super interested in the course, and I have a few questions-hope you don’t mind. I was wondering what your level of cooking was like previous to the course and what the skill level was like in the class. Do you think you d be doing what you re doing without the course? In other words-is it worth the money?!
Thanks
Hi Kathryn. If the comments of others means anything, I was a good cook before I undertook the course 🙂 However the skill level of those that completed the course with me ranged in competency. I don’t consider this a barrier to completing the course. I have the attitude that you always have something to learn, no matter how much you think you know. By knowing the basics of cooking I was just better comprehend the next level of information.
As to blogging, which is what I am doing at the moment, I was blogging prior to undertaking the course, but my focus changed as a result of the course. I am hoping at some point to expand what I am doing but I am happy for now.
As to whether it is worth the money, hard to say. I am glad I did the course and I learnt a lot in a short period of time. It allowed me to work out where I want to go at this stage of my life. It has not yet led to further work but I hope that will come. I think only you can determine whether the investment is worth it.
That possibly doesn’t answer your question, but please contact me if you want any further information.