Cooks school rustles up QMU deal

FIONA Burrell, the entrepreneur behind the Edinburgh New Town Cookery School, has agreed a tie-up with Queen Margaret University as she seeks to position the business as a serious training school for Scots pursuing a career in food and catering.

The partnership will see first-year students on the university's international hospitality management course complete 88 hours in the school's kitchens.

Burrell, who spent more than 12 years working at the renowned Leiths School of Food and Wine in London, opened the Edinburgh business in the depths of the recession in December 2009.

"We knew the first year would be tricky, but when we turned into January 2011 there was a big change," she said. The school has so far benefited from professionals who were made redundant during the downturn retraining in a different field, plus short workshops in areas such as French cuisine, baking and curries.

Corporate hospitality has also picked up, Burrell said, but she is hoping the partnership with Queen Margaret will help establish the school as a destination for quality long-term training.