Pie and crumble at Westbury’s ‘Bake Off’

COTTAGE pie and apple crumble were top of the menu at a community cooking class in Westbury recently.

21 local people took part in the free cookery session at Grassacres Hall and all received a free slow cooker.

The afternoon was one of two sessions run by not-for-profit, Anybody Can Cook, using funding from Westbury Area Board.

Anybody Can Cook founder and chef Catherine Maxwell ran the day alongside colleague Sarah Hopkins. They taught people how to cook the meal  for themselves and handed out a free slow cooker to everyone who joined in.

Catherine said, “I was pleased that the day went so well. Everyone joined in which was really positive and just what we want to see!

“We’d love to come back and do more regular sessions if the funding was available.”

Anybody Can Cook is a community interest company – meaning it focuses mainly on helping the community rather than making money – based in Warminster, and puts on a variety of cooking classes for families, children, adults and students.

Westbury Area Board’s health and wellbeing group paid for the sessions.

Town councillor Sue Ezra, who runs the White Horse Day Centre at Grassacres, joined in and told White Horse News, “We had a good response to the idea at the day centre, and there was a good turnout on the day.

“Events like this are important for elderly people because, while teaching them useful skills, it gets them out of the house and they get a hot meal, too.

“We see some people at the day centre who will have their only hot meals of the week while they’re with us. Sessions like this are a good way to tackle social isolation and a good use of council money.”