Our Story: Get Cooking! in Leeds, Bradford & Halifax

As a young girl, Emily grew up in a family where her parents made most things from scratch. Her father was a artist and potter, and her mother, a talented women insistent on sustainable living. A maker and mender, always utilising natural resources in creative and beautiful ways. As a family they made their own little cheeses, wine, yoghurts and bread, and even clothes and furniture.

Dinners were long drawn-out affairs of mainly Mediterranean cooking influenced by Elizabeth David, and travels to France, Spain and Italy whilst they were all squashed in an old Renault. This clearly sparked Emily’s passion for exploration of food and culture.

As a child I loved to spend my pocket money on things like olives and anchovies from little markets or local shops. I also have a vivid memory of sitting in the school playground thinking I would probably end up working with food and teaching. It’s funny to think back to those early hunches.
Emily CareyDirector, Get Cooking CIC

This creative way of living is deeply embedded into Emily’s lifestyle, inspiring her to carry on the tradition of making things from scratch.

About Emily

Emily has been teaching people to cook classic and original dishes for over 10 years, driven by her passion to make home cooking more widely accessible. She developed an eye for good recipes and learning what foods work well together, adding to this a flair for bringing food and people together, and that became the basis for Get Cooking.

Emily’s original classes (such as one early course based on different ways of using a tomato sauce) led to funding which allowed her to open the current ‘home from home’ kitchen still in use today. Her classes are continually evolving and now encompass her recent skill set and knowledge to teach about the art of fermentation. This is alongside her interest and ongoing fascination with the science behind gut health and the wonders it can do for your health, which Emily likes to share with you.

Emily continues to incorporate fresh ideas into the business including new wellbeing gut-health lifestyle days at The Heatherwood Centre, in the Shibden Valley, Halifax & Esholt Village Hall, Esholt (near Guisely, Leeds)