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We are Jane Todd and Sarah Cripps. We both originally trained as home economists gaining degrees from University of London and Leeds University . We have had busy, successful careers in the food industry and in the NHS - teaching cookery, nutrition and healthy eating within school and NHS settings. We both have additional relevant qualifications - Sarah has a Food Hygiene Diploma and Food Purchasing qualifications and Jane has a Post Graduate Teaching Certificate and a Masters Degree in Health Education. After we had our children we both felt we didn't want to re-enter corporate life, so decided instead to use our food skills to develop a business together. We feel passionately that everyone should be able to cook a basic range of dishes as a fundamental life skill and also for the enjoyment of creating something that can be shared and enjoyed by many. 

'Pattacakes' was established in 1999 and was at the forefront of identifying the lack of cooking skills in children. A need that was later picked up by the UK's media and celebrity chefs. Pattacakes concentrated on teaching children from the age of 2 to cook through our fun and educational workshops, and cookery parties.

Demand from all areas led us to establish a grown up division of the partnership concentrating on adults and older children who want to either learn new skills or re familiarise themselves with skills long since forgotten.

Our social enterprise - The Kitchen Front CIC- was established in 2016 to teach older people, disabled groups, and those on a low budget. We have been fortunate in being chosen to participate in the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs programme and are currently developing our community activities with the help of this scheme.  As The Kitchen Front we also teach other members of the community who wish to benefit from our straightforward simple teaching style that brings cookery to everyone whatever their previous knowledge or skills.

To extend our skills, satisfy our passion for knowledge and to stay updated we are always looking at specialist courses and have recently attended Leith's Cookery School in London successfully completing extended courses in  Food Styling and Food Photography (taught by Sarah Cook from BBC Good Food and accomplished food writer Jennifer Joyce) and  Artisan Chocolate Making with Paul A Young  (leading chocolatier, author and TV personality).  We are also qualified  'Bread Angels' - Bread Angels are part of the Virtuous Bread Network and are  trained bakers who are dedicated to bringing real bread to the community ( as identified by the Real Bread Campaign for more details click here).  To further this aim we are in the process of  establishing a microbakery in Harpenden that will be selling delicious breads  ( watch this space for more details) and we run workshops in artisan breadmaking skills.