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Sam
Head of the Vegetarian Society Cookery School
Life-long vegetarian, now vegan, Sam is Head of the Vegetarian Society Cookery School. She has a wealth of experience, having worked in the catering industry for more than 15 years.
Originally from Liverpool, with a mixed European heritage, she has experimented with many different flavours and dishes throughout her career. She frequently leads cookery events at the school and across the country to teach people how to make fantastic vegetarian and vegan food. Sam says: “I love that I’m able to pass on my knowledge and skills through the cookery school. I always aim to inspire people to be more creative when preparing food for themselves and their families and to thoroughly enjoy cooking.”
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Lajina Leal
'The Indian Guru' Tutor
The Indian GuruLajina Leal teaches our popular Indian course.
An enthusiastic and passionate chef; Lajina loves to cook authentic, home-style Indian food. Her dishes are full of flavour, with a focus on health, so her recipes have a reduction of fat, sugar and salt.
Lajina’s love of cooking stemmed from wanting to cook nutritious meals for her son. She drew inspiration from TV shows and cookery books before deciding to set up her own company ‘Lajina Masalas’. Lajina believes that the key to delicious Indian food is in the spices. During her class, you will learn some perfect spice blends to bring your own curries to life!
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Fiona
Vegan Tutor
The Essential VeganFiona has been vegetarian for nearly 30 years and vegan for the past year. She has been a student on many of the Vegetarian Society Cookery School’s courses before successfully completing the Professional Chefs’ Diploma in October 2017.
As a mother to two young children, Fiona enjoys using seasonal produce, that help her family glow from the inside and out! With more people enjoying plant-based food, Fiona’s courses show you where to begin and give you fresh ideas to experiment with at home too.
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Maz
tutor of world food courses
World Street Food – African VeggieMaz has a passion for fantastic flavours! She teaches on a wide range of courses at the Vegetarian Society Cookery School, including World Street Food and The Thai and Viet Veggie.
Her love of tropical flavours was enhanced when she worked in a restaurant in Mauritius as a teenager. She has worked in the catering industry for more than 30 years and the vast majority of her teaching has been vegetarian. She now uses her vast experience to teach on our Professional Chefs’ Diploma.She has worked with big organisations, including the LGBT Foundation and Manchester University, and has catered for the England women’s cricket team too.
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Lyn
‘The Essential Veggie’ Tutor
The Essential VeggieLyn is already a familiar face around the Vegetarian Society Cookery School, having worked at the charity for over 10 years as a cookery school assistant.
During her time at the Vegetarian Society, Lyn developed a passion for tutoring, completing the Professional Chefs’ Diploma back in 2006. For Lyn, a vegetarian for over 30 years, being able to pass on what she has learnt over the years is very rewarding. She will always make you feel at ease with her friendly and warm nature.
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Danielle
‘The Vegan Dessert Guru’ Tutor
The Vegan Dessert GuruDanielle currently teaches students to make jaw-dropping vegan desserts on our Professional Chefs’ Diploma. We thought it wasn’t fair that everyone else misses out, so now she runs The Vegan Dessert Guru, too!
Her Belgian heritage has given her a love of good chocolate, and she has been a pastry chef around the Mediterranean, from Greece to Lebanon. After challenging herself to come up with a range of dairy-free desserts that beat the competition, Danielle decided vegan patisserie was her calling. Those who come on this course will discover how to make sweet treats look and taste as great as hers.
Our tutors
The Vegetarian Society Cookery School holds host to a number of highly knowledgeable tutors with years of experience in teaching, nutrition and the catering industry. You can find out more about them below.
