At The Chef Upstairs, our favourite classes are our kids classes – be it our weekly programs or our full day camps. If you follow us on Instagram at@TheChefUpstairsJr, you probably understand why. 

These creative minds and hands never cease to amaze us with what they are capable of whipping up in the kitchen. That’s why we wanted to hear directly from some of our youngest chefs what it is they love about cooking! Today we’re chatting with Lenore, 13, who has been part of The Chef Upstairs Family for over 2 years.

Hi Lenore! Can you tell us a bit about when and where you started cooking?

Since I was about 5 years old, I have been helping my grandmother cook every Saturday morning. My parents also cook a lot at home and I always remember joining them. I have tried many different cooking classes to explore my passion for cooking, but The Chef Upstairs is my favourite because it’s so fun and professional. We make everything from scratch.

What is it you love about cooking?

I love the process of starting off with a collection of ingredients and turning it into something amazing. Cooking allows me to be creative and is one of the only things I have a natural gift for. I love finding recipes and making them my own using my favourite flavours. My favourite part about cooking is seeing the joy on people’s faces as they are eating my food.

We’d love to try something you’ve prepared! Is there a personal or family connection between you and the kitchen?

I have travelled to many different places around the world and tried lots of different cuisines. Every time I come home from a vacation, me and my family try to recreate the foods we ate. Cooking and eating always brings us closer together. I have lots of memories of my whole family coming over for a holiday feast and me helping to prepare all the food. The pride I feel always makes any holiday more special.

Those sound like very special family memories. Last question, can you tell us how cooking has helped you in daily life and in other life achievements?

Cooking has helped me become a good problem solver. I am always coming up with solutions to people’s problems just like the problems I fix in the kitchen. If you can fix a sauce that is not thickening, you can fix anything! I learned many of these easy solutions at The Chef Upstairs. Also, although I have never been a naturally creative person, cooking has really helped bring out the creative side of me. Most importantly, cooking (especially at The Chef Upstairs) has given me confidence and helps me stay focused. I believe that as a result, I have become a more serious and focused student, which has improved my grades.

That’s amazing, Lenore! Thank you for answering our questions!

We’ve long been believers that taking a cooking class is a great way for kids and adults alike to release their creativity and improve their confidence in the kitchen as well as at school or work. So it makes us particularly happy when our students also report back how great learning to cook makes them feel! Learn more about ourclasses for kids andadultson our website!