This spring, you are invited to learn a variety of cooking skills, cuisines and recipes at two series of free cooking workshops hosted by the Closing Loops project.
1. World Cuisine: A series of six vibrant workshops, running from February to May 2025
Get on board for an enriching tour of world food cultures through food stories and plant-based recipes created as part of the ‘A Taste of Home’ project, led by Global Link/Closing Loops in 2023-24.
Inspired by the ‘A Taste of Home’ project, each session takes participants on a culinary journey through diverse food cultures from around the world, including Kurdish, Lebanese, Hungarian, Persian and Greek dishes.
The workshops feature:
- Engaging introductions about the origins of the dishes and the stories behind them.
- Refugee chefs and volunteers sharing their unique perspectives, making these sessions a celebration of community, culture, and cuisine.
- Cooking demonstrations, tastings and sharing delicious meals together.
One of the sessions will include a guided visit to Middle Eastern and Bulgarian food shops in Lancaster, bringing participants back with delicious bread, preserves and a dessert to taste while listening to fascinating food stories.
The workshops re-imagine traditional recipes by using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, with thoughtful substitutions where necessary to reflect availability. Participants will gain practical cooking insights and inspiration for sustainable cooking practices. Some featured recipes are available online through the ‘A Taste of Home’ project, and additional recipe cards will be distributed during each workshop.
Whether you’re a seasoned cook or just starting your culinary adventures, these workshops promise to offer both delicious dishes and meaningful connections.
2. Climate and budget-friendly cooking classes with Marina Tcaci
A series of three workshops on how to make the most of seasonal produce and avoid food waste.
In this program of (initially) three cooking classes, you will cooking in pairs alongside Marina and get introduced to easy budget-friendly cooking tricks. The seasonal stars of the classes will be potatoes and cabbage, teaching you ways to transform leftover potatoes into tasty new dishes and discovering the versatility of cabbage. The sessions will end with eating together (with the option of taking food home instead) and taking home recipe cards.
Sunday 23 February: Cooking with leftover roasted (or boiled) potato
Sunday 9 March: Cabbage: the bright side of the moon
Sunday 23 March: Cooking with leftover mashed potato
Marina Tcaci inherited her passion for tasty and healthy food from her mother. Before she came to the UK, she used to run a successful catering business in Ukraine. Her new catering and takeaway business, Taste of Life, specialises in typical Ukrainian food crafted with care and with a passion for food, people and the environment. Read more about her story in this food column.
