Supermarket Education

Ever think shoppers would buy more if only they knew how to cook with sea vegetables or bulgur wheat? Maybe this—and the tuition fees—was behind the decision for a U.K. supermarket chain to open its own culinary school.

Waitrose, with stores throughout England, Scotland and Wales, will open its school in October above one of its London locations, according to an article in the Daily Mail. The cooking school is designed to show shoppers how to use items found in the store below, and these shoppers-turned-students will be able to pick up a few ingredients from store aisles to take home.

The article said the school is for the everyday novice cooks to aspiring chefs. Topics covered will range from different cuisines, such as Indian, Thai and Italian; as well as kitchen skills, such as butchery, bakery, fishmongery and knife use. Also included will be classes on entertaining with menu-assembly tips and instructions on holding wine tastings. Classes will range from half-day, full-day and weekend workshops.

Waitrose did not disclose the cost of its school to the Daily Mail, but it seems like it will cost quite a bit to keep the school running with a  cookery theatre, teaching area, dining area, bar and kitchen. The school will also create 16 jobs.

I know some retailers hold cooking classes, but this is the first I’ve heard of a store opening a separate building, and adding additional staff to work exclusively for such workshops. I think it’s a great idea, and hope it catches on with some natural product stores. Sure, the initial investment will be high, but tuition costs will cover some of that, and it may just increase sales.