About Us
JULIE ATKINS Has spent 25 years cooking!
She trained and qualified in cordon bleu cookery. Then spent 13 years employed as a cook, taking her first job in Shelter Island New York, before embarking on employment that took Julie across the world with work placements as diverse as:
Peralta Tuscany, Mallorca, Pertuis Provence, Corfu, San Francisco, Colorado, Hawaii, Manhattan & The Hamptons - New York, Geneva & Gstaad -Switzerland, Tortola - British Virgin Islands, Islay Western Scotland & London.
Julie is now a cooking mum with two children, living in Bury St Edmund's. Whilst her passion for cooking remains, Julie wanted to share her experience in making cooking accessible for children of all ages.
Julie has taught cooking in primary school planning hands on lessons with the class teacher. These sessions have enabled children to experience and enjoy the pleasures of food with a healthy slant. Julie set up Hand-madefoods cookery club in May 2008, with the intention to educate and inspire children with food.Her aim is to have fun whilst experiencing hands-on cooking; gain skills for life in healthy eating, whilst understand the building blocks of cookery and gain pleasure from the knowledge of cooking.
She has enhanced CRB status. SAFE trained & certified (Safe guarding children's board). Public liability insurance, Food Hygiene training with approval from the Environmental Health Office for her premises. Additionally Julie is also an Appointed Persons First Aider.
Hand-madefoods has been a burgeoning success since its inception with Julie commissioned also to make cakes, children’s parties, food demonstrations and technique workshops & dinner parties. In addition we make each year seasonal offerings of indulgence; Christmas puddings, cakes & festive foods.
In November 2008 & 2009 Julie has been a supporting contributor to the "festiveopenhouse" event which is a collaboration of local small businesses located in Elmswell.
2009 and 2010 have seen the 2 cookery classes established with keen and returning students on Monday's 6-8's & Friday 8-12's.
Julie has a calendar of evening demonstration of cookery throughout 2009 and in 2010. Showing preparation techniques, cooking methods, ingredients & tips as well as enjoying the actual dishes prepared with a glass of wine!
These have included Vegetarian cookery, Food from Asia; Men's cooking night; Just Desserts; Provencal South of France; Food from the Mediterranean and Food from Morocco & Southern Andalucia.
