Chefs turn up the heat at fire service’s new cookery school

So to try to cut down on food-related blazes – and promote healthy eating at the same time – cookery lessons have been launched at Rotherham’s main fire station.

The sessions began on Tuesday, February 7 and will run for six weeks, with groups of up to 10 people being taught the basics of preparing nutritionally-balanced meals by a chef from Rotherham Catering College.

During each two-hour lesson, the groups will be taught how to cook up to three meals while keeping costs down..

Crew manager Gary Bruce said: “This initiative will give local people the skills to create healthy nutritional meals while on a budget to help them live a more healthy lifestyle.

“The course will teach them about the importance of fire safety and will hopefully increase their confidence in the kitchen.”

The project is being funded by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and Rotherham Council.

Sessions began just a day after fire crews were called to a kitchen blaze in Victoria Road, Parkgate, which was sparked by a fire that had been left on the cooker.

Nobody was hurt in the fire.

More fires start in the kitchen than in any other room of the house, a fire service spokesman said.