A one-of-a kind cookery school has laid down fresh roots in an historic hall where The Beatles performed for the first time more than six decades ago.
Stedychefs Learning Centre, which provides day-long cookery classes, art and music sessions to disabled adults, has come a long way from its humble beginnings in 2017. Once a "home away from home" for just four students, the school now trains more than 40 up-and-coming chefs aged 18 to 64.
Having outgrown its previous premises on Rice Lane, director Steve Bygrave leapt at the chance to move the learning centre into Brockman Hall in Tuebrook, where The Beatles played their first live show on February 16, 1961.
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Steve said: "We were looking for somewhere for six months, and getting nowhere. Then this one popped up, and we were in within two weeks. We looked into a lot of community halls and most of them were derelict and needed so much work, nobody wants them. But here is just perfect for us.
"All out students have been with us for a long time and we want to carry on what we've been doing here, making more opportunities for them, and the main thing is they have fun along the way."
The addition of a large outdoor area and greenhouse at the hall will be used for the cultivation of seasonal crops, which students will use in their cooking, while leftover food will be donated to the food bank at the neighbouring St John's Church.
Steve said: "Most day centres will take students out, whereas us, our chefs come in in the morning, they have their full chef uniform, jacket, apron and bandannas, and we spend the whole day cooking with them,
"We have a fully equipped kitchen with a pizza oven and dough makers. They aren't just coming in and learning basic food technology. We make everything from scratch - bread, desserts - and what they make they will usually have for their lunch, and other things they will take home.
"Because our students are disabled, everyone is different. Some of them see this as a job. Others have gone into employment. The main thing is we help with their confidence. We've had students in the past who have struggled coming in, then over time we'll get a chef's jacket on them and they'll eventually get involved.
"Some students don't get to go out very much. This is the only place they come, so we make it as welcoming as we can. Every six weeks we take the students on a food-related day trip - we've been to Liverpool FC for a walk around, the students have cooked at Everton FC, we've gone to hotels where chefs have given demonstrations about the different types of food they cook.
"Sometimes it's hard to get people to do things with our students. But it's incredibly rewarding work."
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