Getting to know chef & tutor Rosie South

Get to know Rosie South regular tutor at the Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School

Rosie South is a regular tutor here at Wold Escapes, home to the Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School.  We asked her a few questions about herself so you can get to know her better before attending one of her courses.

Please tell us a little about yourself Rosie:

“I am married to James, I have three grown up children, Ross, Alex and Izzy.  They are scattered across the country in Chester, London and Lincoln (Ross has taken after his mother and is also a Chef!), I have two lovely grandsons and a lurcher called Stella, she loves her visits to Driffield!

I have worked in the hospitality industry since the tender age of 16 years. I gained a teaching qualification and then a degree whilst working and bringing up a young family, so I’m used to being busy and juggling a lot of plates as well as pots and pans!

I taught in the further education sector for around 20 years, and have also worked as an ‘End Point Assessor’ for the last six years assessing chefs and front of house staff across the industry.

I have had my own business with my husband where we ran a book shop combined with a vegetarian café. I have been involved with demonstrations at food and drink festivals as well as country shows.

I started working with the Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School in 2019, it is such a lovely place to come to, from the beautiful drive over to the lovely staff and pupils.  I love to stay over in some of the glamping cabins at Wold Escapes when I get chance too.  It is so lovely and peaceful down there.”

When did you decide to become a chef?

“I have loved food and cooking since I was a child so knew I wanted to do something along those lines.  I headed to college to do a Hotel Management qualification and got my taste for the kitchen a few years later when the breakfast chef didn’t show up.  I was in Housekeeping at the time but I saw my opportunity and I stood in for the day, and then never looked back!!”

 Talk me through your foodie career: 

“Wow! I suppose I have just loved seeing how the trends change and how styles have developed with the access to so much choice of ingredients. I have cooked in fine dining restaurants, university halls and dining rooms, nursing homes, hotels, I worked in a pub where we made amazing steak and ale pies. I have experienced some shifts in a Michelin star restaurant as part of my personal development, taught cooking skills from the ages of 14 all the way up to 70+ years.  I have cooked vegetarian and vegan dishes in my own café, and demonstrated at food festivals, as well as campfire cooking with cubs and scouts!!

I updated my chef skills and professional chef qualifications throughout the years to support all the supervisory roles I had within the industry.  I have an in Catering and Hotel Management, NVQ Level 3 Professional Cookery, NVQ L3 Pâtissier, and an L2 Pan Asian Cookery.  There is always something new to learn!”

What gets you really excited about food?

“I love using fresh seasonal produce and seeing a very simple ingredient turn into a complex tasty dish. I also love spices and developing ways to bring out flavours in certain foods.

The challenge of developing tasty wholesome vegetarian and vegan or plant-based dishes is so rewarding. I have done several vegetarian cookery courses at the Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School over the years and the joy of passing on those skills and ideas to others is just brilliant!”

What is your greatest career achievement?

“I have loved my different careers, but I think I am most proud of all the work I did with my college students over the years. Some of these young people had been given up on, and I loved the challenge of giving them the confidence and the skills to grow and develop through cooking. I have seen so many of my student’s succeed and I am very proud of having a small part in their journey.”

Who have you met that really inspired you?

“I have met lots of remarkable chefs and food suppliers over the years so it’s very hard to just pick one, however when I was teaching we had a person who came every year from the charity Hospitality Action to talk to our new students.  Hospitality Action is charity which helps people within  the hospitality sector back onto their feet after a set back

The man was Michael Quinn M.B.E.  He was the first English Head chef at the Ritz and the first celebrity chef of his time.  Michael had been homeless and an alcoholic and used his experiences to support and raise the profile of the dangers of alcohol and drug misuse in the hospitality industry.  He remained passionate about food and the industry and was a brilliant supporter of the Ark foundation.  I am proud to say that I got to know him well over the years he visited the college, and acknowledged him as a friend as well as colleague.  Sadly, Michael passed away in 2017 after making a huge contribution to so many lives.”

Have you been to a place that has really inspired you?

“Again, there have been so many. Over the years I have visited Borough Market in London with my students, and I love the nearby fine dining restaurant Roast. Recently I went to Northcote restaurant in Lancashire and was very impressed with their style of cooking and service.

However I absolutely love France, if I could I would live there I would, and I am constantly inspired by the different styles of food and how it changes from region to region.  I absolutely love classic French Bistro style food such as chicken chasseur with fondant potatoes and asparagus… Yum!”

What do you most love about coming to the Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School?

“EVERYTHING! It’s a wonderful place to come and to teach bespoke classes is just lovely. It’s surrounded by gorgeous countryside and the staff are so focussed and supportive.

I enjoy teaching all of my classes, however the one pot suppers and plant-based dishes has been fun to show the guests and pupils just what they can accomplish.

There is always lots of laughing and smiling faces when I visit.  There have been times when I have thought will we finish in time?  Have I planned too much?  There’s been the odd time when its been all hands on deck to get us finished in time, especially one day when snow was falling heavily and we were all worried we were going to get snowed in! We didn’t and we always have a brilliant day!”

Rosie South’s up and coming classes:

‘Use your loaf’ with Rosie South | 19th September 2024 | Full day class | £160 | 10am – 3.30pm

Chinese Fakeaway with Rosie South | 17th October 2024 | Half day class | £65 | 9.45am – 12.00pm

Seafood Paella & Sangria with Rose South | 13th November 2024 | Half day class | £80 | 9.30am – 12.00pm

Yorkshire Born & Bred with Rosie South | 14th November 2024 | Full day class | £170 | 10am – 3.30pm

Knife Skills with Rosie South | 4th December 2024 | Half day class | £80 | 1pm – 4pm

One Pot Suppers with Rosie South | 4th December 2024 | Half day class | £75 | 9.30am – 12.00pm

Read all about Stephanie Moon in our recent article on getting to know our chefs.