Ashburton Cookery School and Chef’s Academy, in Devon, has been awarded ‘ICSA Academy’ status for their 2023/24 students intake, from the leading regulatory body, the Independent Cookery School Association (ICSA).
The school, located just outside the picturesque village of Ashburton, in its own purpose built facility with state-of-the-art kitchens, and unrivalled facilities, delivers a wide range of bespoke cookery courses to train both novice cooks and aspiring chefs in professional culinary skills, headed up by Chef Director Darrin Hosegrove.
Following their annual on-site assessment they were awarded full marks for their consistent and informed teaching standards, alongside adhering to ICSA core values, achieving a prestigious ‘ICSA Academy’ accreditation.
ICSA-accredited schools undergo rigorous assessments to ensure consistent delivery of excellence in cookery skills and training, as well as other criteria such as adhering to strict standards of environmental sustainability and continued support for British farmers and seasonal produce.
Accreditation from a recognised industry body such as ICSA is also vital for aspiring chefs to be able to further their professional careers within the hospitality industry and other related culinary professions. Aspiring domestic chefs can also gain new transferrable skills to improve their culinary knowledge and applications in their home kitchens, including knife skills, world food courses and nutritional understandings for both young and old.
James Day, Director of Operations at ICSA, said: “Ashburton Cookery School delivers world renowned courses, taught to the highest standards. We are therefore thrilled to have been able to award the team with their Academy Accreditation. Currently, one of only five in the UK. Their wide range of cookery courses and culinary classes deliver unrivalled professional culinary content. Our award is a mark of trust and quality which provides complete assurance to students that the cookery school is operating to the highest standards of training and providing unrivalled facilities, from their lifestyle courses, right through to their professional diploma qualifications.”
Darrin Hosegrove, Chef Director, Ashburton Cookery School & Chefs Academy commented: “We are thrilled to have been awarded Academy status by ICSA for this year’s students. Assessment and recognition by the UK’s industry body for cookery schools is extremely valuable as a measure for ourselves as well as our customers that we meet the rigorous standards expected of an ICSA cookery school. ICSA’s additional focus on sustainability, regional food sourcing and supporting British food producers as well as reducing waste is unique amongst accrediting bodies and ever more relevant today. We will be displaying our certificate with pride.”
James added: “As well as being sustainable, seasonable and regionally sourced where possible, all our ICSA accredited cookery schools aim to teach zero waste principles in foods and packaging. Through ICSA, we aim to help shape Britain’s culinary landscape by championing chefs and schools who work to the highest standards, sharing professionally trained transferrable skills to a wider market of food consumers. Consumers seeking a professional cookery experience should aim to seek out an ICSA accredited cookery school, displaying our up-to-date kite mark as a seal of quality consistent teaching standards.”
More information on Ashburton Cookery School and their awards visit HERE.
