Vanilla Black team to open vegan and vegetarian cookery school in Somerset

Chef Andrew Dargue and Donna Conroy, proprietors of London vegetarian restaurant Vanilla Black, have announced they will be opening a vegan and vegeterian cookery school in Somerset.

Since Covid-19 forced the closure of the restaurant last year, they have been delivering Cook & Learn DIY kits nationwide with Zoom courses and videos.

The day courses at Lapwing Farm in Shepton Mallet have been designed for both professional chefs wishing to expand their vegetarian and vegan repertoire or aspirational home cooks.

The first confirmed dates are 18 and 24 June, entitled ‘1970s Revisited', which will see classic dishes reworked to create modern vegan dishes with a heavy hint of nostalgia. Up to eight participants can attend the courses at the solar-powered and converted 18th-century barn.

Dargue said: "Donna and I are incredibly excited to take the next step in the Vanilla Black journey with our Cook & Learn concept. We have always been at the forefront of creative vegetarian and vegan cuisine. Now, having the opportunity to wax lyrical directly to budding chefs about the virtues of great ingredients and innovative techniques feels particularly special.

"We've been at the heart of the industry for a long time – more years than I'd care to admit – so it's certainly fair to say we know our way around a pak choi! We cannot wait to welcome our first keen learners to Somerset and get cooking."

Photo: Twitter @vanillablack1