our story
Welcome to AlphaBake
I’m Carole Rose; chief baker, menu maker & whisk extraordinaire!
I have always loved good, wholesome family food. For me, it’s what brings a family together, so it saddens me when I see young people growing up without the basic skills needed to whip up something tasty that they can share.
Sadly, my mum died when I was just 10 years old, so I found myself responsible for cooking all of my family meals at a very early age. We lived on a tight budget and at a time when microwave meals didn’t exist. This forced me to think creatively about how to cook and I discovered that not only did I love cooking, but I had also developed a real knack for making tasty, nutritious meals on a budget.
MAKING FOOD FUN
When I became a mum myself, I introduced my own children to the fun of mixing, measuring and stirring almost as soon as they could stand. And, during my many years of working as a childminder, I regularly used ‘kitchen time’ as a source of entertainment for the children in my care.
Regardless of age or ability, I noticed that all these children had one thing in common. They had fun in the kitchen. Parents were amazed at the dishes their little ones were able to produce and how they developed important physical and life skills at the same time. So, the idea for AlphaBake was born.
THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING
I launched the business (originally called Cookies Cooking School) in 2003 and have been going strong ever since. I am so proud that it has grown into an award-winning business, jam-packed full of fun, foody workshops.
My passion for home-cooked food remains at the heart of everything we do. We now teach children and adults of all ages and abilities how to eat healthily and enjoy cooking, rather than seeing it as a chore.
Food can and should be fun. Mixing bowls at the ready…
GOING (& STAYING) ONLINE
In 2020 when we were all at home, schools etc closed I found myself unable to continue the lessons in person. Everybody was suggesting ‘Zoom’. ‘What on earth is that’ was my initial reaction, followed closely with ‘how can I do that? You need to be in the kitchen/classroom with everybody.’ How wrong was I!!
Zoom actually turned out to be the best ever way of teaching! There were so many advantages.
From the students point of view, they are in a comfortable, familiar setting which reduces anxiety, can cook for the entire family not just a small dish to take home, no worries of contamination if they have an allergy plus the advantage of swapping ingredients if they prefer.
From the teachers point of view, I can see everybody! In class I can only watch one or two students at one time, but online in a group session I can see that everybody is holding their knives correctly, safe on hob etc. I also do not need to worry about allergies and that opens a whole new range of recipes, the best part – I can mute everyone!! Imagine after a year of quiet classes walking straight back into the classroom!
The other massive advantage of Zoom is that you can be absolutely anywhere to join. No travelling time, dinner ready straightaway. We have taught internationally as well as just the UK.
Plus we are cheap!!! No heavy overheads which means that it is not only a fun, life saving activity, but also affordable for most.
