WORDS & PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN
Before Claire Bell moved to Canada from England years ago, she was an elementary teacher during the school year and worked as a private chef when summer rolled around. Her travels through Africa, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and India influenced her interest in the expression and impact of the culture of food. Since settling (with her husband Robert Bell) in the town
of Erin (bordered by Caledon, Halton Hills, and Guelph/Eramosa) Claire has succeeded in combining her two primary passions (the classroom and the kitchen) into Woolen Mill Kitchen – an enterprise she runs out of her riverside house.
Claire especially loves to work with children. ‘Learning how to cook teaches kids so many things – including responsibility, teamwork, risk-taking, and more,’ she tells me when
I settle at her large kitchen island with a steaming mug of herbal tea, enjoying a fresh- baked shortbread cookie. ‘This business is primarily about teaching children life skills through the act of cooking whole food from scratch and, in the process of learning, the children enjoy the adventure of discovery as they explore new flavours and textures.’
Woolen Mill Kitchen offers after-school and weekend classes for kids (with a maximum of six participants per class), as well as ‘one- of-a-kind’ birthday / special occasion cooking events. And while Claire adores teaching children how to move about a kitchen, she also offers adult cooking classes and demos. These sessions have included ‘Feast of Fish’ and ‘Taste of Italy’ classes, for example, as well as ‘Educate & Eat’ demos where guest chefs teach attendees about Lebanese cuisine, Indian cooking, and more. Every class is held in Claire’s beautiful Erin home overlooking the West Credit.
Like so many other remarkable producers, farmers, and food businesses that dot Guelph and Wellington County, Woolen Mill Kitchen is a partner of Taste Real – a County of Wellington program that promotes local food and facilitates valuable connections among farmers, food businesses, and consumers alike. That includes food educators like Claire, whose business is a model for teaching children and adults new skills.
Learn more at woolenmillkitchen.com and tastereal.ca
