About us
Coghlans was established in 2001 and has quickly become one of the foremost cookery schools for the private sector in the UK.
Our philosophy is very simple : good produce, grown or reared in a traditional fashion, not necessarily organic or faddy, but good old fashioned produce, cooked in simple to follow recipes which all students should be able to replicate on their own after the course is completed.
Class sizes are small, normally around 8 people on a full day class, giving one of the highest ratio of tutors to students in the UK and Ireland, with full time fully qualified chefs tutoring and demonstrating what is required. Because produce is local and seasonal there can be variations in specific menu items depending on the time of year, but cooking is about making the most of your produce and Coghlans Cookery School is about making the most of individuals skills.
Our team
Janet Coghlan
Founder of the Coghlans Cookery School Janet has over 25 years
experience in the catering industry. She developed the cookery school to
work hand-in-hand with the family wine business which was started over
35 years ago by her husbands family.
Janet is passionate about everyone being able to cook good, nutritional food. The cookery school has expanded over the past several years and is now very proud to be working with Miele - the Rolls Royce of kitchen appliances.
Janet trained at Turnberry in western Scotland, one of the bastions of service in the British Isles, as well as keeping her 5 star pedigree as the opening front of house manager of the multi award winning Swallow Hotel Birmingham, AA Hotel of the Year.
Andrew Coghlan
Andrew Coghlan heads up the wine division of the company and is actively
involved in tutoring WSET wine courses within the organisation. Andrew
trained as an Hotelier with Hilton International in Germany, being
responsible for the Rheingoldhalle on the banks of the river Rhine in
Mainz, the largest banquet hall in Germany catering for 3000 guests in
one room. Those exacting 5 star standards were followed through when
Andrew opened the Swallow Hotel Birmingham in 1990, a hotel that won
over 50 industry awards including AA Hotel of the year.
Simon Lilley
As founding Head Chef of Coghlans Cookery School, Simon and Janet have
now worked together for over 15 years, firstly at the Manor House Hotel
and then at Coghlans. Simon is a Master Chef of Great Britain - a
position which he has held for the past 10 years and is one of only 300
chefs in the country.
Simon trained at Sheffield Catering College.