Around three weeks ago I was invited to join the virtual launch for all about the cooks. This is the third virtual launch I’ve attended now and feels like it could be the future for bloggers like myself, at least for the short- mid term.
All about the cooks is a brand new way to order home made food locally in Bristol. It was created by Claire Ladkin who incidentally, is also on the Bristol Food Connections CIC. When it comes to food and the impact it can have on a community, she knows her stuff.
The concept is simple – so simple that you might wonder why no-one has done this before. All about the cooks allows you to order food from local home cooks. This isn’t about instant gratification like Just Eat or Deliveroo but about planning ahead. Order one day and pick it up or have it delivered a few days later. The food on the platform ranges massively too. It’s a great reflection of the multi-cultural and diverse city we live in. There’s Turkish food, sharing platters, Egyptian food, cakes, chicken wings, Vietnamese food, vegan food, Pakistani food and so so much more…
What did we eat?
Claire’s team arranged for us to sample some of the dishes available on the site. We started with a mini mezze; Turkish lentil balls made by Duygu Karakus, olive bread and dips black garlic and caramelised onion and smoked aubergine by Greek Nikos Kampylis.
For my main course, I had a proper home cooked Italian lasagne by Elena Spinelli and to finish, a whole range of delicious treats including tiramisu from British cook Rosalind Wilson and Swedish biscuits from Elin Fry.
Everything was delicious. The lasagne was comforting and full of flavour, the dips were so moreish I was cleaning the pots out with a spoon and those havrekakor (buttery and crunchy oat biscuits) were unbelievably tasty. Dave ate most of the tiramisu and assures me it was yummy too.
We had a selection of things but each cook on the site has a menu of items available to order and, because you order directly with the cook, there’s nothing stopping you from getting different things from different places to sate your cravings!
How does all about the cooks work?
It’s pretty simple.You go to the website and enter your postcode to find local cooks. Browse what’s on offer, make your order and pay online. You’ll then arrange collection or delivery directly with the cook.
Most cooks require 1-2 days notice and all of them have their own packaging set up so it might be that you drop a dish over to them (for example to make a large cake or pie in) or they have their own recyclable packing in place. Every one is different but longer term, Claire is keen to look at a deposit scheme on reusable packaging. Sounds great to me.
All the cooks on the site are supported to achieve 4 stars or above on the council’s Food Hygiene Rating scheme and are vetted by the team before joining. Once live, their reviews give an idea of how much customers love their food.
Thoughts…
I really love the idea of all about the cooks. Not just as a place that I can benefit from but as a community initiative. On the zoom call, Claire talked about how it can help empower home cooks (especially women) who may not have the opportunity to cook beyond their kitchens before, never mind been able to earn money doing so. Many of the cooks are also doing this to supplement their income. And some, just for the passion, having completely different day jobs in some cases.
Founder, Claire Ladkin says: “Discovering that someone only a few minutes from your home is cooking the most delicious Mauritian-inspired dishes, seriously tasty chicken wings or delicious Baklava is the joy of this concept and Bristol is the perfect place for it to launch. Uncovering the cooks and their stories has been a total privilege and I cannot wait for the people of Bristol to be able to do the same. We are lucky to already have a group of brilliantly diverse cooks on the platform, making a real range of dishes.
It may seem a strange – even risky – time to launch a brand new business, but I strongly believe that All About The Cooks has the ability to create greater connection within the communities we live in and I think there’s a real appetite for that right now.”
Try all about the cooks for yourself
Head to allaboutthecooks.com to take a look at what there is in your area of the city. Give them a follow in instagram and learn more about the cooks themselves as well as the food on sale. Who knows, there could be a whole host of delicious food being cooked up just steps from your front door!
At the moment, this is just available in Bristol but in future, who knows?
*I was invited to try some food from All About The Cooks and attend the launch party for free. However, all opinions are my own.
I love initiatives like this. I’ve definitely come across it before, so I wouldn’t say no one has thought of it before now, but it’s certainly not common and is such a lovely idea for sharing food within a local community. Especially when you live somewhere with lots of people coming baby diverse things. All of what you had looks delicious!
This is brilliant. I’ve been to some supper clubs in people’s homes and had the best food. Home delivery is a cheering alternative