The Foodie Kitchen with a recipe for success

Posted by on 17 Nov 2023

With a low-key opening earlier this month, The Foodie Kitchen culinary school owned and run by self-confessed foodie Seema Ansari, opened its doors in Rochdale to teach guests how to create authentic home cooked dishes from all over the world.

Having lived in Rochdale for most of her life, Seema, a qualified teacher and coach, spent over 20 years working at Hopwood Hall College, with the last 10 years as the Centre Director for Lifelong Learning. It was during a professional development coaching session when she was asked ‘what would your ideal job be?’ that the seed to realise her dream was planted. 

After a long career in education, her daughters had grown up and left home, and like many empty nesters, particularly after COVID, Seema reflected on her life and pulling on her passion and drive to help people enjoy home-cooked food and make better dietary choices the Foodie Kitchen was born.

Seema said “The ‘Sass Pleaser’ or the ‘mother-in-law’ pleaser was a phrase that my mum always used as she taught me how to cook from being a child, and although I can smile about the generational humour, I always wanted to learn the cooking skills my mum’s generation had and that still feeds my passion for cooking today.”

“The way I show love is through food, my inspiration came from my mum, she was an amazing and passionate cook, and I inherited the gene that loves looking after people.” Seema went on to say.

Continuing her mums’ legacy and combining her love for learning, culture, coaching and food the Foodie Kitchen offers a wide range of masterclasses and courses that provides a great foundation for cookery skills.

The vision for the Foodie Kitchen is to create an inclusive school for all ages, backgrounds and technical levels, from beginners to those who what to learn new techniques and create dishes from all over the world. Food is an international language and in addition to learning recipes and dishes, the school aims to support to the needs of the community, build confidence and social interaction for those who take part.

Seeing people enjoy good, home-cooked food gives Seema great pleasure, and conscious that some areas of society continue to face challenges with the rising cost of living, she has pledged that a percentage of profits will go to local foodbanks and shelters supporting local communities in Rochdale.

Ideal for couples, friends, corporate groups and families to enjoy a foodie experience, with ingredients sourced locally from across Greater Manchester, classes include Fabulous Fish, Asian Brunch, The Italian Job and Christmas Fayre, bringing people together and delivered with a sense of humour in a relaxed and fun environment.