Exeter Cookery School

In 2000, Brits Jim and Lucy Fisher and their then eight year old daughter, Jenny, moved to the Dordogne, SW France, to set up a cookery school offering cooking lessons to locals and travellers alike.

Despite the locals’ bemusement at the idea of an Englishman teaching anyone to cook, not least in France, CookinFrance became a huge success taking students from all over the world – including France!

Jim & Lucy in action at their French cookery school

Sixteen years later, Jim and Lucy returned to the UK, to the place they first met and fell in love, in Exeter, offering cooking lessons in Devon – the county of their roots – and raring to go with the successor to CookinFrance: Exeter Cookery School. Their new cookery school was an instant success, both for giving people the chance to learn how to cook the way they have always dreamed, but also giving corporate and private groups the chance to enjoy a unique culinary experience in a sophisticated waterside setting.

 

The Chef

Jim Fisher, Chef/Tutor/Director

Jim is a former Masterchef semi-finalist who started his cooking career cheffing in the kitchens of Exeter’s White Hart Hotel (where he and Lucy met and were engaged).

He then went on to cook alongside Rick Stein in Padstow, Alistair Little in Notting Hill, and with Tony Tobin of Ready Steady Cook fame.

Along with Lucy and former chief wine-buyer for Sainsbury’s, Julia Jenkins, he ran a company cooking dinner parties in client’s homes before moving to France.

During his time in France, Jim collected a mass of knowledge and recipes from some of the best chefs in the area and enjoys putting them to use at Exeter Cookery School.

He believes that food is good and that cooking should be fun!

Jim is a Maitre de Chaîne des Rôtisseurs.

The Management

Lucy Fisher, Manager/Director

Lucy was a high powered PA in the City of London before becoming a full-time mum to Jenny.

She sees to the day-to-day running of the cookery school as well as being on-hand to help out in the kitchen.

She doesn’t claim to be a chef, but she is a professional bon viveur!

Jenny

No mean cook herself, Jenny trained as a chef at the renowned Ecole d’Hotelerie de Souillac in SW France. She is now a full-time London fashion model whose work includes regular assignments with Asprey, Trevor Sorbie and Lexus. When time permits, she helps Jim and Lucy at the odd cooking event.