Cooking up language classes with a difference

CasaLingua French students with Jemma at Creative Kitchen learning to make crêpes.

When it comes to language classes, CasaLingua likes to be hands on to encourage students of all ages.

And on Pancake Day last year, we decided to combine our French lessons for children with a bit of cooking. So, we teamed up with Creative Kitchen, in Consett, where crêpes were the order of the day.

CasaLingua founder Kim originally met Creative Kitchen’s founder Jemma Bushby, when Kim’s youngest daughter, Maisie, joined preschool cooking classes.

She says, “Knowing Jemma for many years as a customer, it was nice to finally be able to get to know her as a fellow business owner.

“Like me, Jemma was a schoolteacher, so it was lovely to meet up and work together as friends.  Having experienced the cooking sessions myself, I had no hesitation to put on a session with Jemma and we both agreed that crêpes would be a perfect mix.”

Cooking up language classes

Jemma, who was a secondary school teacher, says last year’s Pancake Day lessons were a big success. And she adds they’re a great idea to help the children learn French in a proactive way.

“It was a nice way to learn as we asked the children to tell us what was in the recipe using French words. Kim is interactive and enthusiastic when teaching, so mixing the two together really did bring it to life,” Jemma explains.

“In that event we covered some background on pancakes and what Pancake Day is about. We also looked at crêpes, and the children learned the vocabulary for different ingredients.”

The children then took part in the practical side of cooking. They worked in pairs cracking eggs, measuring flour and milk before whisking the ingredients. With Creative Kitchen staff on hand, they then had the fun of watching their crêpes cooking.

Cooking up other lessons

Jemma says the Pancake Day lessons were a big success. And Kim is now talking to Jemma about combining Italian lessons with a bit of fun and learning in the kitchen.

“We’re thinking about making ice cream or gelato and combining that with the words in Italian. It will be great fun for us and for the students!”

What is Creative Kitchen?

Jemma, who has three children, combined her love of cooking and teaching to provide interactive experiences to help engage youngsters. From preschoolers to school children learning from the cooking school, Creative Kitchen teachers have a variety of classes to look after. As well as going into local schools offering cooking lessons, they also having cooking parties, such as Teddy Bear Picnics.

Jemma’s team also offers culinary experiences for adults. Workshops include events for those who love to learn about cooking as well as those who want a different kind of event or celebration.

“We have parties here, including hen parties or baby showers and we are also launching wellbeing workshops,” explains Jemma.

Creative Kitchen also offers corporate events and even edible art experiences.

North East businesses working together

We enjoy working with other North East businesses that share our ethos of helping people of all ages learn in a relaxed way.

“Learning should be fun,” says Kim. “And that’s central to all we do. The more relaxed you are the easier it is to learn. No matter which class you join – whether online or in person – or language you want to master, our tutors aren’t strict. We want everyone to have an enjoyable experience while learning a new language.”

Our approach is helping build a new community of people who love languages. And our LinguaRun movement is also part of our growing circle of likeminded people. We welcomed Jemma from Creative Kitchen recently, who was so inspired by LinguaRun she decided to take part.

Come and join us

Why not contact us today and find out more about our classes. Our classes suit all abilities and ages.