Cook up a storm with Surrey chef Laura Scott

There are so many things we are looking forward to about our Countryside Food Festival this September – but one of the undoubted highlights is set to be the open-air cookery school. 

Led by well-known Surrey chef and cookery tutor Laura Scott, the Local Food Britain member will be dishing up a number of cookery sessions in a magical secret garden as part of our special one-day event.

Taking place on Saturday September 15, 10am to 4pm, the festival is being held on the Discovery Walk nature trail at Priory Farm in Nutfield, near Redhill, and promises to be one of the highlights in the local foodie calendar.

Aimed at families, the cookery lessons will be an opportunity for parents and children to learn together. Participants will be preparing a vegetarian lunch comprising Asian noodle salad with a soy, lime and sesame dressing and Vietnamese-style vegetable summer rolls with sweet chilli dipping sauce. This can then be enjoyed as a picnic whilst exploring the delights on offer at the food festival. 

“This will be a great opportunity to come along and learn how to make a nutritious lunch that you will then be able to enjoy afterwards,” says Laura, who also writes the popular food blog, How to Cook Good Food, and is a regular guest on BBC Surrey’s Cook on the Books. “Participants will also leave with a recipe card so you can recreate the dishes back home for the rest of your family. We look forward to welcoming you!”

These fun, hands-on sessions, which last half an hour each, cost £17 for one adult and one child and include free entry to the festival and Discovery Walk, your lunch, the recipe card and some chopsticks so you can practise your skills. Siblings are welcome to attend, but each child must be accompanied by an adult. 

Just remember to bring an apron, a container for your noodles and summer rolls, and a picnic rug so you can enjoy your meal in the stunning surroundings of Priory Farm’s Discovery Walk. Picnics are not usually permitted on the attraction, so it’s also a great opportunity to tuck in to your delicious dishes against this beautiful backdrop.