Private chef and cookery teacher Laura Pope has, over the years, cooked for the likes of Guy Ritchie, Jamie Oliver, Claudia Winkleman and Laura Bailey.
Laura now lives in the pretty village of Motcombe, in North Dorset, with her husband and two daughters. As well as cheffing for private clients, she runs a range of intimate, demonstration-style cookery classes from her stunning kitchen at home.
Since a young age Laura had a passion for food and drink. After spending time in Paris and Madrid, immersing herself in the food scene of those two cities, she graduated from Edinburgh University and worked in Public Relations. Her client base spanned a range of food, wine and whisky brands – one of these proved to be pivotal: the famous Leiths School of Food and Wine in London.
Laura jokes that she must have written one too many press releases about Leith’s students, as it dawned on her that she yearned for a life in the kitchen instead of an office. Leiths showed her that there were options beyond 18-hour days in the depths of a restaurant kitchen. Although her love of writing inclined her to pursue a career as a recipe writer and food stylist, Laura’s experiences both at Leith’s and in restaurants made her realise her true passion was creating meals for people to enjoy around the table.
On graduating from Leiths, a contact at the school recommended Laura to Orlando Murrin, who then owned a boutique hotel in the Tarn, in southwest France: Le Manoir de Raynaudes. Famed for its elegant and unpretentious French cuisine, this proved to be a career springboard and Laura went from France to the famed farm-to-table restaurant, Chez Panisse in California. Working in this busy, creative hub gave her invaluable experience and confidence, as well as an enduring appreciation of seasonal, local produce at its very finest.
A chance encounter led to a week private cheffing in a boutique chalet company in Verbier, Switzerland. After cooking for the owners of the company one evening, the week turned into four seasons, with the summers spent cooking at the owners’ beautiful home and rental properties in Rock, Cornwall. With a roll call of guests including Jamie Oliver, Laura Bailey, Eric Fellner and the creative team behind Game of Thrones, a network of private clients soon developed.
Laura started teaching thanks to an old classmate from Leith’s. Having taken on the role of Headteacher of the Cookery School at Denman College (the educational institution of the Women’s Institute), he was looking for a new guest teacher. Recognising Laura’s flair for cooking and talking at the same time, she started teaching courses to WI members and their guests on themes ranging from Glamorous Gourmet and Easy Entertaining to Gluten Free Bakery.
This set Laura on the path to the varied career she now enjoys, not only cooking for private clients and teaching her own classes, but also developing recipes and collaborating on events and projects with clients including Comté Cheese and Willy’s ACV. In the beautiful kitchen and glazed dining room she and her husband added to their home in Dorset, she welcomes guests looking for cookery experiences that are entertaining as well as educational – the atmosphere is more dinner party than classroom. She runs a series of classes where she demonstrates skills and techniques to her guests, rather than making them recreate the dishes themselves. This is a winning format as guests get to watch, learn, taste and ask questions before sitting down and enjoying Laura’s creations for lunch, looking out over the idyllic garden.
Laura’s range of classes includes Seasonal Mediterranean, which focuses on a different vegetarian feast each month; a “Kitchen Kickstarter For Men” (giving the basic skills that so many men are craving); “The Freedom Food Years”, designed for those enjoying life after the pressures of work and kids; the self-explanatory “I Burn Toast” Bootcamp for Beginners and “Fire And Feast” – a full day spent outdoors in the orchard around the fire pit, learning to cook meat, fish and vegetables over flames, along with some delicious and versatile accompaniments.
Welcoming and inclusive, the classes are for everyone, whether they are joining on their own to meet fellow guests, or booking as a couple or small group. For a more private, personalised experience, Laura can also create a bespoke cookery session for individuals, pairs or groups of up to 8 people: perfect for families, friends or a team of colleagues looking to escape the office and relax in a friendly environment.
To find out more about Laura, to book a class or to enquire about her as a private chef please follow the links below.
Website: www.laurapope.co.uk
Instagram: @chef_laura_pope