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UPDATE: As the Aldanat Community Hub isn’t often booked in the evenings right now, we’ll be closing earlier on some nights. If the Hub is booked for the sensory rooms, cinema, or hydro pool, we’ll remain open until those sessions finish. Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we get fully up and running!
Cookery
Learn, cook, and build everyday confidence.
Our Cookery courses are designed to build practical kitchen skills and confidence at every level. The Foundation course introduces the basics, from safe food preparation and simple recipes to essential techniques for everyday cooking. The Intermediate course is ideal for those ready to expand their skills, exploring more advanced methods, new ingredients, and a wider range of dishes. Whether you’re learning how to cook for yourself, improve your independence, or simply enjoy making tasty meals, these courses provide a supportive, hands-on environment where learning is fun, practical, and rewarding.
Term 1: 5th Jan - 27th Mar 2026
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Term 2:
Term 3:
13th Apr - 3rd Jul
31st Aug - 4th Dec
- 2027 -
Term 1:
Term 2:
Term 3:
4th Jan - 26th Mar
12th Apr - 2nd Jul
30st Aug - 3rd Dec
Foundation
Foundation Cookery Course
Course Length: 12 weeks
Session Duration: 2 hours per session
Group Size: Maximum of 4 learners
Support: 1 x facilitator and 1 x workshop assistant both with experience of working with adults with learning disabilities and sensory impairments.
Course Aims:
This course aims to:
Introduce learners to simple cookery skills and kitchen safety.
Develop confidence in preparing and cooking basic recipes.
Encourage healthy eating and an understanding of food hygiene.
Support learners in following simple, step-by-step instructions.
Build teamwork, independence, and communication skills.
Promote enjoyment and creativity in cooking.
Encourage reflection and pride in personal achievement.
Week 1 – Introduction to the Kitchen & Fruit Smoothies
Activities:
Introductions.
Explore the kitchen.
Discuss kitchen rules, hygiene, and hand washing.
Make simple fruit smoothies using a blender.
Focus Skills: Kitchen awareness, hygiene, independence, safe use of simple equipment, following instructions.
Week 2 – Preparing Simple Snacks
Activities:
Practise preparing simple snacks such as sandwiches, wraps, or fruit pots.
Focus on spreading, cutting soft fruits, and arranging ingredients.
Focus Skills: Fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, choice-making, hygiene, sequencing steps.
Week 3 – Making Shortbread Biscuits
Activities:
Follow a simple picture recipe to make shortbread biscuits.
Discuss measuring and oven safety.
Focus Skills: Measuring, following instructions, sensory awareness, teamwork.
Week 4 – Vegetable Stir-Fry
Activities:
Learn to wash and chop soft vegetables safely.
Stir-fry with support using a hob or wok.
Discuss healthy ingredients and colours of food.
Focus Skills: Knife skills (safe chopping), hygiene, following sequential instructions, teamwork, healthy eating awareness.
Week 5 – Currant Buns
Activities:
Mix and knead dough to make buns.
Observe how ingredients change when baked.
Focus Skills: Measuring, sequencing, fine motor skills, observation.
Week 6 – Pizza Making
Activities:
Prepare dough or use pre-made bases.
Add toppings of choice.
Discuss food groups and healthy toppings.
Focus Skills: Independence, choice-making, hygiene, use of oven safely.
Week 7 – Cottage Pie
Activities:
Learn to prepare and layer ingredients for a simple cottage pie.
Discuss cooking meat safely and using the oven.
Focus Skills: Timing, following instructions, sequencing, kitchen safety.
Week 8 – Basic Tray Sweets (Coconut Ice or Peppermint Creams)
Activities:
Make a no-bake sweet treat, decorate, and package.
Discuss food textures and colours.
Focus Skills: Measuring, creativity, sensory exploration, independence.
Week 9 – Banana Muffins
Activities:
Mash bananas, measure ingredients, mix, and bake muffins.
Compare textures before and after baking.
Focus Skills: Measuring, observation, teamwork, fine motor control.
Week 10 – Sausage Rolls
Activities:
Prepare sausage rolls using ready-made pastry.
Practise cutting and sealing edges safely.
Focus Skills: Knife skills, hygiene, hand-eye coordination, sequencing.
Week 11 – Cooking with an Air Fryer
Activities:
Learn to use an air fryer safely.
Make a simple snack such as potato wedges or vegetable fritters.
Focus Skills: Safety awareness, equipment use, timing, independence.
Week 12 – Decorating a Celebration Cake
Activities:
Decorate a pre-baked cake with icing and decorations.
Reflect on learning and celebrate achievements.
Focus Skills: Creativity, fine motor control, teamwork, reflection.
Outcomes:
By the end of course, learners will:
Demonstrate improved confidence in basic cookery skills.
Understand and follow simple food hygiene and kitchen safety rules.
Use basic equipment safely and with support.
Follow simple recipes using pictures or symbols.
Work cooperatively with others in a kitchen environment.
Make a variety of simple sweet and savoury dishes.
Reflect on their achievements and enjoy cooking as a group activity.
Intermediate
Intermediate Cookery Course
Course Length: 12 weeks
Session Duration: 2 hours per session
Group Size: Maximum of 4 learners
Support: 1 x facilitator and 1 x workshop assistant both with experience of working with adults with learning disabilities and sensory impairments.
Course Aims:
This course aims to help learners:
Build independence and confidence in the kitchen.
Improve weighing, measuring, mixing, chopping, and cooking skills.
Follow multi-step recipes with increasing independence.
Pre-learn skills needed for more complex dishes.
Use kitchen equipment safely (oven, hob, air fryer, microwave).
Work in pairs or small groups to create healthy meals.
Explore new ingredients, flavours, and textures.
Plan and prepare a final cooked product with minimum support.
Week 1 – Food Hygiene Recap + Cheese & Herb Scones
Activities:
Course introduction, expectations, safety rules.
Food hygiene refresher (handwashing, cross-contamination, storing food).
Recap: Using weighing scales & dry measuring.
Reflection + kitchen clean up.
Focus Skills: Kitchen routines, safe oven use, measuring ingredients, following a multi-step recipe, fine motor skills, confidence.
Week 2 – Knife Skills + Coleslaw & Potato Wedges
Activities:
Knife safety recap.
Practice: slicing, grating, shredding.
Recipe 1: Coleslaw (cabbage, carrot, dressing).
Recipe 2: Potato Wedges (cutting, seasoning, baking).
Taste test and feedback.
Focus Skills: Knife skills, coordination, seasoning food, sequencing steps, preparing a simple balanced meal.
Week 3 – Homemade Pizza (Dough from Scratch)
Activities:
Make pizza dough: weighing, mixing, kneading.
Make tomato base.
Chop toppings.
Bake individual pizzas.
Focus Skills: Dough making, kneading, safe knife use, oven safety, independence.
Week 4 – Pasta Bake with Sauce
Activities:
Learn to boil pasta safely.
Make a simple tomato or cheese sauce.
Combine and bake.
Add optional vegetables.
Focus Skills: Hob safety, timing foods, stirring, sauce making, using oven independently.
Week 5 – Fruit Crumble (Learner Choice Fruits)
Activities:
Chop fruit.
Make crumble topping.
Bake and evaluate texture/flavour.
Compare soft vs firm fruits.
Focus Skills: Chopping practice, measuring, combining textures, baking independently.
Week 6 – Savoury Muffins (Vegetable or Cheese)
Activities:
Weigh, mix, fold ingredients.
Add chopped vegetables/herbs.
Work on portioning batter evenly.
Focus Skills: Accuracy, portion control, mixing wet/dry ingredients, oven confidence.
Week 7 – Cottage Pie (Layered Dish)
Activities:
Prepare mince or vegetarian filling.
Chop and boil potatoes.
Mash and layer pie.
Bake and taste.
Focus Skills: Timing, multitasking, safe hob use, assembling layered dishes.
Week 8 – Air Fryer Meal (Chicken or Veggie Goujons with Chips)
Activities:
Breadcrumb coating method.
Cut potatoes into chips.
Air fryer timing & temperature.
Serve with dips or salad.
Focus Skills: Air fryer safety, coating technique, knife skills, coordinated cooking.
Week 9 – Banana Bread or Carrot Loaf
Activities:
Learner choice: banana bread or carrot loaf.
Creaming method.
Grating skills.
Bake and compare textures.
Focus Skills: Mixing methods, grating, portioning, oven independence.
Week 10 – Savoury Pinwheels (Pastry Skills)
Activities:
Work with ready-made pastry.
Spread fillings.
Roll and cut.
Bake pinwheels.
Focus Skills: Pastry handling, rolling, spreading, precision cutting.
Week 11 – Cake Decorating Practice (Buttercream & Piping)
Activities:
Make simple buttercream.
Practice piping shapes.
Decorate cupcakes or small sponge.
Focus Skills: Precision, fine motor skills, creativity, recipe timing.
Week 12 – Celebration Cook & Showcase
Activities:
Learners choose their recipe.
Prepare ingredients independently.
Create a dish with minimal support.
Optional decorating.
Share food with group.
Certificates and celebration.
Focus Skills: Planning, independence, confidence, presentation, evaluation.
Outcomes:
By the end of course, learners will:
Show increased confidence in following multi-step recipes.
Demonstrate improved knife, weighing, measuring, and cooking skills.
Prepare a range of sweet and savoury dishes.
Use the hob, oven, and air fryer safely.
Work well in small cooking teams.
Make a final dish with significantly reduced support.
Foundation
Foundation Cookery Course
Course Length: 12 weeks
Session Duration: 2 hours per session
Group Size: Maximum of 4 learners
Support: 1 x facilitator and 1 x workshop assistant both with experience of working with adults with learning disabilities and sensory impairments.
Course Aims:
This course aims to:
Introduce learners to simple cookery skills and kitchen safety.
Develop confidence in preparing and cooking basic recipes.
Encourage healthy eating and an understanding of food hygiene.
Support learners in following simple, step-by-step instructions.
Build teamwork, independence, and communication skills.
Promote enjoyment and creativity in cooking.
Encourage reflection and pride in personal achievement.
Week 1 – Introduction to the Kitchen & Fruit Smoothies
Activities:
Introductions.
Explore the kitchen.
Discuss kitchen rules, hygiene, and hand washing.
Make simple fruit smoothies using a blender.
Focus Skills: Kitchen awareness, hygiene, independence, safe use of simple equipment, following instructions.
Week 2 – Preparing Simple Snacks
Activities:
Practise preparing simple snacks such as sandwiches, wraps, or fruit pots.
Focus on spreading, cutting soft fruits, and arranging ingredients.
Focus Skills: Fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, choice-making, hygiene, sequencing steps.
Week 3 – Making Shortbread Biscuits
Activities:
Follow a simple picture recipe to make shortbread biscuits.
Discuss measuring and oven safety.
Focus Skills: Measuring, following instructions, sensory awareness, teamwork.
Week 4 – Vegetable Stir-Fry
Activities:
Learn to wash and chop soft vegetables safely.
Stir-fry with support using a hob or wok.
Discuss healthy ingredients and colours of food.
Focus Skills: Knife skills (safe chopping), hygiene, following sequential instructions, teamwork, healthy eating awareness.
Week 5 – Currant Buns
Activities:
Mix and knead dough to make buns.
Observe how ingredients change when baked.
Focus Skills: Measuring, sequencing, fine motor skills, observation.
Week 6 – Pizza Making
Activities:
Prepare dough or use pre-made bases.
Add toppings of choice.
Discuss food groups and healthy toppings.
Focus Skills: Independence, choice-making, hygiene, use of oven safely.
Week 7 – Cottage Pie
Activities:
Learn to prepare and layer ingredients for a simple cottage pie.
Discuss cooking meat safely and using the oven.
Focus Skills: Timing, following instructions, sequencing, kitchen safety.
Week 8 – Basic Tray Sweets (Coconut Ice or Peppermint Creams)
Activities:
Make a no-bake sweet treat, decorate, and package.
Discuss food textures and colours.
Focus Skills: Measuring, creativity, sensory exploration, independence.
Week 9 – Banana Muffins
Activities:
Mash bananas, measure ingredients, mix, and bake muffins.
Compare textures before and after baking.
Focus Skills: Measuring, observation, teamwork, fine motor control.
Week 10 – Sausage Rolls
Activities:
Prepare sausage rolls using ready-made pastry.
Practise cutting and sealing edges safely.
Focus Skills: Knife skills, hygiene, hand-eye coordination, sequencing.
Week 11 – Cooking with an Air Fryer
Activities:
Learn to use an air fryer safely.
Make a simple snack such as potato wedges or vegetable fritters.
Focus Skills: Safety awareness, equipment use, timing, independence.
Week 12 – Decorating a Celebration Cake
Activities:
Decorate a pre-baked cake with icing and decorations.
Reflect on learning and celebrate achievements.
Focus Skills: Creativity, fine motor control, teamwork, reflection.
Outcomes:
By the end of course, learners will:
Demonstrate improved confidence in basic cookery skills.
Understand and follow simple food hygiene and kitchen safety rules.
Use basic equipment safely and with support.
Follow simple recipes using pictures or symbols.
Work cooperatively with others in a kitchen environment.
Make a variety of simple sweet and savoury dishes.
Reflect on their achievements and enjoy cooking as a group activity.
Read more ▼
Intermediate
Intermediate Cookery Course
Course Length: 12 weeks
Session Duration: 2 hours per session
Group Size: Maximum of 4 learners
Support: 1 x facilitator and 1 x workshop assistant both with experience of working with adults with learning disabilities and sensory impairments.
Course Aims:
This course aims to help learners:
Build independence and confidence in the kitchen.
Improve weighing, measuring, mixing, chopping, and cooking skills.
Follow multi-step recipes with increasing independence.
Pre-learn skills needed for more complex dishes.
Use kitchen equipment safely (oven, hob, air fryer, microwave).
Work in pairs or small groups to create healthy meals.
Explore new ingredients, flavours, and textures.
Plan and prepare a final cooked product with minimum support.
Week 1 – Food Hygiene Recap + Cheese & Herb Scones
Activities:
Course introduction, expectations, safety rules.
Food hygiene refresher (handwashing, cross-contamination, storing food).
Recap: Using weighing scales & dry measuring.
Reflection + kitchen clean up.
Focus Skills: Kitchen routines, safe oven use, measuring ingredients, following a multi-step recipe, fine motor skills, confidence.
Week 2 – Knife Skills + Coleslaw & Potato Wedges
Activities:
Knife safety recap.
Practice: slicing, grating, shredding.
Recipe 1: Coleslaw (cabbage, carrot, dressing).
Recipe 2: Potato Wedges (cutting, seasoning, baking).
Taste test and feedback.
Focus Skills: Knife skills, coordination, seasoning food, sequencing steps, preparing a simple balanced meal.
Week 3 – Homemade Pizza (Dough from Scratch)
Activities:
Make pizza dough: weighing, mixing, kneading.
Make tomato base.
Chop toppings.
Bake individual pizzas.
Focus Skills: Dough making, kneading, safe knife use, oven safety, independence.
Week 4 – Pasta Bake with Sauce
Activities:
Learn to boil pasta safely.
Make a simple tomato or cheese sauce.
Combine and bake.
Add optional vegetables.
Focus Skills: Hob safety, timing foods, stirring, sauce making, using oven independently.
Week 5 – Fruit Crumble (Learner Choice Fruits)
Activities:
Chop fruit.
Make crumble topping.
Bake and evaluate texture/flavour.
Compare soft vs firm fruits.
Focus Skills: Chopping practice, measuring, combining textures, baking independently.
Week 6 – Savoury Muffins (Vegetable or Cheese)
Activities:
Weigh, mix, fold ingredients.
Add chopped vegetables/herbs.
Work on portioning batter evenly.
Focus Skills: Accuracy, portion control, mixing wet/dry ingredients, oven confidence.
Week 7 – Cottage Pie (Layered Dish)
Activities:
Prepare mince or vegetarian filling.
Chop and boil potatoes.
Mash and layer pie.
Bake and taste.
Focus Skills: Timing, multitasking, safe hob use, assembling layered dishes.
Week 8 – Air Fryer Meal (Chicken or Veggie Goujons with Chips)
Activities:
Breadcrumb coating method.
Cut potatoes into chips.
Air fryer timing & temperature.
Serve with dips or salad.
Focus Skills: Air fryer safety, coating technique, knife skills, coordinated cooking.
Week 9 – Banana Bread or Carrot Loaf
Activities:
Learner choice: banana bread or carrot loaf.
Creaming method.
Grating skills.
Bake and compare textures.
Focus Skills: Mixing methods, grating, portioning, oven independence.
Week 10 – Savoury Pinwheels (Pastry Skills)
Activities:
Work with ready-made pastry.
Spread fillings.
Roll and cut.
Bake pinwheels.
Focus Skills: Pastry handling, rolling, spreading, precision cutting.
Week 11 – Cake Decorating Practice (Buttercream & Piping)
Activities:
Make simple buttercream.
Practice piping shapes.
Decorate cupcakes or small sponge.
Focus Skills: Precision, fine motor skills, creativity, recipe timing.
Week 12 – Celebration Cook & Showcase
Activities:
Learners choose their recipe.
Prepare ingredients independently.
Create a dish with minimal support.
Optional decorating.
Share food with group.
Certificates and celebration.
Focus Skills: Planning, independence, confidence, presentation, evaluation.
Outcomes:
By the end of course, learners will:
Show increased confidence in following multi-step recipes.
Demonstrate improved knife, weighing, measuring, and cooking skills.
Prepare a range of sweet and savoury dishes.
Use the hob, oven, and air fryer safely.
Work well in small cooking teams.
Make a final dish with significantly reduced support.