At 75 years old, when most people are thinking about taking their foot off the gas, this week’s guest has plans to shake up the school curriculum.   

Forget ‘Home Economics’ or ‘Food Technology’. Rosalind Rathouse’s  vision is to offer every child aged between 5 and 15 the chance to go on an annual week-long intensive cookery course.  She believes immersing the younger generation in the delights of baking bread or preparing a roast, would set them up for the rest of their lives – and give them real insight into nutrition and sustainability. 

Rosalind knows what she’s talking about. Her teaching experience spans five decades, starting in South Africa in the late 1960s, with a bit of culinary bribery.  And in the 16 years since her Cookery School at Little Portland Street opened, she has welcomed tens of thousands of students through its doors.   

They include senior figures from all over Africa, taking part in Desmond Tutu’s African Leadership Institute Training Programme.  And if you’re wondering what cookery has to do with executive coaching, all will become clear.