Meet the Experts: Kieran Lenihan

A professional chef with a long and distinguished career working with the likes of Michael Caines and Marco Pierre White, Kieran leads some of Vale House’s most popular courses in chef skills and seasonal cookery. We’re also very excited to introduce two new courses which will feature Kieran’s expert guidance, our Beginners’ Cookery Day and our Family Cookery Day, both aimed at getting more people into the kitchen and preparing simple, delicious meals from scratch. Whether you’re a keen cook or a complete novice, Kieran’s the man to demystify home-cooking and answer all your questions.

How did you get drawn into your particular area of expertise?

One of my biggest passions is seasonal cookery, using the best local ingredients available, and that’s something I really push on my Vale House Kitchen courses. I’m privileged to have worked with some great chefs who all encouraged me to work with seasonal produce.

What really inspires you about it?

Working with great ingredients and brilliant local suppliers, who can often come up with something really new and exciting, is constantly inspiring. When I’m working with seasonal produce, good dishes come naturally because the ingredients themselves lead the way.

What attracted you to Vale House Kitchen?

I’ve always wanted to teach and pass on my passion for food, and Vale House Kitchen is the perfect place to do that. It’s a real foodie hub that attracts people who are properly interested in great cooking and eating.

Why would you encourage people to take your course in particular?

I’m really keen on the idea of getting people into the kitchen, and sharing how delicious, seasonal cooking can be quick, easy and achievable on a budget. Often people are intimidated by the idea of cooking things like fresh fish, or homemade bread, when in fact all you need are a few good basic skills. Simple food done well is really important to me – in the new Family Cookery Day, we’re going to be focusing on preparing a Sunday roast, which is another thing that people can find quite intimidating, but it really doesn’t need to be complicated in order to be delicious.