A cookery school is to provide classes to children and young people in care after coming under new management.

Bournemouth-based Flavours School of Cookery has been acquired by Five Rivers Child Care.

The social enterprise and child care provider works with children and families across England.

Under the new ownership, Flavours, in Christchurch Road, will continue to offer its wide range of cooking classes for adults and children.

Many of the masterclasses will be delivered by Head Chef Liz Hagger.

But, outside of the usual classes, Flavours will now also provide cookery classes to local children and young people in care.

Five Rivers say that, as another strand of its alternative education provision, Flavours will provide an excellent base to give children the opportunity to learn how to cook, meal plan and shop for healthy meals.

James Hall, Head of Education at Five Rivers said: “We are very excited about this new venture.

“It’s a key responsibility of ours to equip children with skills that will help them to live independently when the time comes to leave our care.

“Meal planning, shopping and cooking are important life skills and working together with other children to create something they can be proud of is really important too.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer this amazing space to vulnerable children who may never have had the opportunity to access this sort of learning before.”

Five Rivers has reassured regular members of the cookery school that Flavours will continue to offer all the usual courses and that all scheduled classes are going ahead as usual.

It stresses that Flavours will continue to be an exciting, fun place for children, families and adults to learn how to cook.

However, under the new management structure it will now also help disadvantaged children from the local area.

Liz Hagger said: “I have always had a passion for food, and I love the community it builds.

“This passion led me to a very fulfilling career in the hospitality industry.

“This, along with my experience as a Chef Lecturer in a college, meant Flavours School of Cookery was a natural choice for me.

“I am really excited about the future opportunities that working with a social enterprise like Five Rivers will bring to Flavours and our community.”

• flavoursschoolofcookery.co.uk