Start Healthy Habits Early by Teaching Cooking Classes for Kids

If you want to find out more about running cooking classes for kids, you’re in the right place. In this article, we cover everything from the benefits for children to the key skills you’ll need to set up your business. And, of course, we’ll take a closer look at one of the best children’s cookery school franchises out there.

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If you love food, you may have considered starting a cookery school. This can be a fantastic venture and, as long as you have the patience, determination and vision to carry the business through to profitability, it can be incredibly rewarding. Read on to find out more about launching cooking classes for kids.

Why start a children’s cookery school?

• Cookery lessons don’t just have to cover baking cakes; you can teach a whole host of skills that will become essential in later life. From creating veg-packed meals to knowing when food has gone off, there are a wide range of different topics you can deliver classes on.
• Learning to cook can help with children’s development in other school subjects. For example, counting eggs and measuring flour can help with basic maths skills, while recipes introduce new words. Following the steps in a recipe can also improve concentration levels.
• There is no better feeling than cooking a meal that others enjoy. The praise that children receive when they master a new dish can boost their confidence and self-esteem.
• Children are renowned for being picky eaters, so introducing them to cooking encourages them to try tastes they’ve never experienced before. By using healthy ingredients that children may not have tried before, you’re encouraging them to be adventurous with new foods and educating them about the best foods to help their bodies grow.
• At a time when obesity and unhealthy eating habits are at an all-time high, there’s never been a better moment to start a cookery class. Research has shown that more than 34 percent of 10-11-year-olds are overweight, and 20.1 percent are classified as obese. If we’re to remedy the situation, we need to help educate young people on creating and consuming nutritious food.
• Watching your pupils develop their cookery skills over time will be rewarding; you’ll know that the skills you’re imparting will stay with them for life and help them build healthy habits. Who knows, they could even drastically change the course of their lives. This knowledge will give you the motivation to push on if the going ever gets tough with your business.

There are plenty of reasons why you should consider starting a business offering cooking classes for kids. Not only will you be helping the children in your local community, but you’ll also be starting a rewarding business with plenty of profit potential. But how do you get the ball rolling? Read on to find out…

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Questions to ask yourself when starting children’s cooking lessons

Starting a kids’ cookery school requires lots of planning before you get off the ground. Start by asking yourself the following questions:

• What age children would I like to teach? The way you’d teach a class of reception children will be very different to how you’d run a course for teenagers. Think about what age group you’d like to aim your classes at. But remember, if you’d like to cater to a wide range of age groups, then you’ll need to schedule in times that fit around school hours.
• What will I teach? Cooking is a huge category with a wide range of different cuisines, styles and groupings within it. Ask yourself whether you’ll specialise in a certain cuisine or type of food, or whether you’ll provide a general cookery course with a number of different tasks.
• Where will my cooking classes be run? When you start your business, it might be practical to offer kids cooking classes from your home kitchen if you have space. However, as your popularity grows, you’ll probably need to consider finding a dedicated business premises. The perfect solution would be to hire a school kitchen to teach, so children can attend your classes straight after school. You could also lease a commercial kitchen; if you do this, you can also store equipment and food there.
• How much money will I charge for classes? Although there is a lot of enjoyment to be had in teaching children how to cook, it’s also vital that your business makes a profit. You should make sure you cover the cost of the ingredients used and that you’re charging a fair fee for your time and knowledge.

The answers to these questions will help shape your business plan. This is an important document that will be needed to secure funding for your new venture, but it’ll also give you direction and goals to aim towards.

What you’ll need to run cooking classes for kids

The good news is that you don’t need any formal qualifications to teach cooking classes for kids. But you will need:

• Cookery skills – Unsurprisingly, the most important thing you’ll need is the ability to cook! And if you can prove your experience in the field, you’re more likely to be able to persuade parents to enrol their children onto your classes.
• The ability to explain processes and techniques – You’ll probably find that most of your pupils have never cooked before, so you’ll need to be able to explain the steps clearly. If you’re teaching different age groups, you should also have the knack of judging their ability levels and understanding. Older children won’t enjoy being patronised when you use the same teaching techniques you do for reception children.
• Leadership skills – As much as you wish it weren’t true, it’s unrealistic to believe that children will never misbehave. Therefore, you should be able to control a class of children and ensure they stay focussed. This is especially important in a kitchen, where there are dangerous items like knives.

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Start your own cookery school with a franchise

If you want to start your own cooking school for kids but don’t know where to start, why don’t you consider franchising? This business model is great if you’ve got the drive and passion, but you’d appreciate additional support and security from an established brand.

Smart Raspberry is a fantastic children’s cookery school that’s looking for franchisees to take it to new territories. Here’s a little bit more about the franchise:

Smart Raspberry

About the franchise: Smart Raspberry was established in 2011 due to a lack of cooking classes in schools. Once it was up and running, word soon spread, and the business began to grow. Due to the demand, founder Alicia Cronin decided to franchise her business in 2016 to take it to children all over the UK.

Becoming a franchisee: If you’re motivated, ambitious and interested in teaching children how to enjoy cooking healthy and delicious food, you’re just the franchisee Smart Raspberry is looking for. Experience in teaching or childcare would be preferred but isn’t a requirement. You’ll need to have the confidence to engage and educate your pupils, so it will help if you’re a real people-person with great communication skills too.

The investment: As well as being fun and rewarding, this is a low-cost franchise. You’ll need £3,995 to secure your Smart Raspberry territory, and this covers training fees, essential equipment and your own website and email address. You’ll also need to fund your initial marketing costs, insurance, a food hygiene certificate and first aid training, which will cost in the region of £800.

What you get in return: Full training is provided to ensure you have all the skills you need to make your new business a success. You’ll also attend an intensive, one-day business training course, followed by two days of practical training. Then, you’ll continue to receive ongoing support and advice throughout your franchising journey.

So, if you’re looking for an affordable franchise that will enable you to teach children how to cook and grow in confidence, this could be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.

Start running classes for kids with a franchise

Smart Raspberry is the only cookery franchise on our books at the moment, but if you’re interested in teaching children in other fields, there are plenty more options for you.