Little School at Home
B arts started The Little School of Improbable Cooking back in 2016 with a pilot exploring how creative cooking, reading and writing could be brought together to provide a magical school holiday experience for children and young people in the city.
Working in partnership with Stoke-On-Trent Library Service, Writing West Midlands and B arts very own creative cooking and baking programme, Bread in Common the much loved project has now run every holiday period for the past 4 years and aims to support families with the extra costs of cooking and eating over holidays alongside providing stimulating creative writing opportunities with professional writers, poets and illustrators.
In 2020, B arts adapted the delivery of the programme to enable remote participation. The Little School team prepared prerecorded cook-a-longs so children and their families could join in from home. Participants were provided with the ingredients to take part.
The project is funded by Arts Council England and BBC Children in Need.
Little School of Improbable Cooking and the Gardening Catastrophe
The Little School of Improbable Cooking at Home is back! This time the chefs have got themselves into a bit of a pickle gardening. Having accidentally grown some monstrous—and very hungry—plants they need help cooking up an edible garden feast to feed the plants instead!
Episode 1—The Monster Mix Seeds
The Chefs accidentally grow some monster sized plants. They decide to make some edible gardens to feed the plants (so they don’t eat them!). Follow the link for recipes for Puff Pastry Magic Garden Pizza and Super Soil Dessert Cups.
Episode 2—Plant Hide and Seek
This week the chefs try and coax out a rather grumpy plant by cooking it some super comfortable recipes! Follow the link for recipes for Noodle Pancake Pillows and Chocolate Fondue.
Little School of Improbable Cooking and the Time Machine
It's here, the moment you've all been waiting for, The Little School of Improbable Cooking at Home, in YOUR kitchen! Our Chefs have found a time machine in their kitchen and are travelling back in time to bring YOU some delicious recipes. Not only will they be bringing you yummy things to cook along to, but there will be some creative writing activities that you and your little chefs can get involved in too! Click on each of the images below to check out our latest episodes:
Episode 1 Olympic No Bake Cheese Cake
In this cook a long video we invite little chefs and their grown ups to travel back in time with us to the very first Olympic Games and have a go at making the No Bake Cheese Cake!
Episode 2 Save Me Stew
This week our Little School Chefs jump into the time machine and head back to 1666 - and they've got a double recipe for you this week. We’re asking little chefs to make Tear and Share bread rolls and Save Me Stew! SCRUMPTIOUS!
Episode 3 Pick-A-Pocket Pasties
This week the chefs at the the Little School of Improbable Cooking use their time machine fridge to travel back to the Victorian times and cook up some cheese and onion pasties.
Little School of Improbable Cooking and the Silly Emergency
Our Chefs are back again, this time, they face the Silly Emergency!
Episode 1 - The Runaway Pancake
The chefs have to make a pancake party to try and lure back a runaway pancake. This week, the chefs make a savoury pancake patty tower and sweet party pancakes.
Episode 2 - The Monster Cake
Having accidentally unleashed a monster cake on the city, the chefs decide to make some more monster food to be friends with the rogue cake!
Episode 3 - Strudel by a Poodle
In the third and final instalment the chefs have a go at making apple Strudel, made by a poodle and Veggie Ramen!