Family owners of former Ilkley Vietnamese restaurant Bistro Saigon launch popular online cookery classes

Loc Bui, 46, and Paula Cooper, 48, are the creators of Loc's Taste of Vietnam, an online Vietnamese Cookery School.

They closed their popular restaurant Bistro Saigon after 16 years at the heart of the Ikley community due to the devastating impact of Covid.

"We just could not continue making a loss week on week, with no end to the hospitality Covid restrictions in sight.", Paula told the Yorkshire Post.

However - not to be defeated - the couple quickly set out on creating and launching Loc's Taste of Vietnam, an online cookery school which offers members recipe videos, live cook-alongs and guest speakers.

The new venture has proven a quick success, with more than 1000 followers on Facebook and in excess of 50 members since launching six weeks ago.

Paula - speaking to the Yorkshire Post - said "the membership is growing every day" and explained how the couple were "really excited for the future".

She said the Covid lockdown and the closure of the restaurant had left the pair reassessing what was important in life.

Paula said: "This last torrid year allowed us to take a step back and reassess what is important to us as a family.

"Loc has enjoyed being more present in our children's lives and as a couple spending Christmas together made us realise how much of our personal lives we sacrifice for the restaurant.

"It was not an easy decision after 16 years [to close].

"We realised before Christmas that we needed to look for a new focus and Loc has always had a desire to share his passion for his homeland, Vietnam, food.

"Many times in the past customers have asked for classes and so an online cookery school was the perfect new focus for us."

Paula hopes many of their Leeds based customers may join them online for the courses.

She added: "Our existing customers could learn how to cook their favourite dishes as well as many new ones."