Getting a cooking club off the ground might seem intimidating at first, but rest assured, you’re just 5 steps away! Just remember that if you harbour a secret dream of whipping up mouth-watering and taste-bud tickling recipes with a squad of besties, you’re probably not the only one.
1. Find your partners in dine
Aiming for a group of 3 to 4 people is a good place to start. A small group is easier to manage while you cut your teeth on this experience, plus it makes for more food for everyone! Not sure who to ask? Talk to some friends about some recipes you’ve been aching to try and see if the conversation gets their taste buds going. Have friends with similar tastes? Reach out to whip up a big batch of a recipe you all love. Looking to cook zero waste or gluten-free? It’s easier than ever to find people with similar lifestyles through online communities and social media.
2. Find your cooking inspiration
You might try brainstorming collectively: ask everyone to bring their favourite recipes, then select four or five. Or, take turns picking a theme or cookbook to explore. Keep in mind prep time and whether you'll be doubling recipes. We highly recommend batch cooking in a group – it’s a huge timesaver and loads of fun.
3. Pick a time and place
Where will your group meet and how often? Taking turns to host is usually a fair strategy. You might meet up monthly to whip up big batches or weekly and keeping it simple – whatever floats your boat or fits into your busy schedules.
4. Shop alone or as a group
Depending on what you’re cooking, you might want to divvy up ingredients and hit the grocery store separately, or explore some new specialty shops as a group. Either way, don’t do your shopping too far in advance to make sure ingredients stay fresh.
5. Let the cooking begin
If you’re new to this, here are some tips that make group cooking in small spaces just a little bit easier:
- Think about whether you’ll assign a recipe to each person or split up the tasks, for example, one person on cutting veggies, another on seasoning the meat. Just make sure you don’t skip an important step – like preheating the oven!
- Put a few bowls in the centre of the working area to collect food scraps, packaging, etc. That way, you won’t bump into each other on the way to the compost bin every few minutes.
- Prep take-home containers as you go along if you’re batch cooking some freezer meals. It’s also a good idea to label containers in advance, so your friends don’t need to wonder who brought what.
Now that you know how, get out there and find your cooking club. Bon appétit!
