If you sign your kids up for a cooking class with Barbara Beery, don’t expect an afternoon of icing cookies and using Easy-Bake ovens.
“I am a firm believer that children can cook anything adults can,” said the Austin, Texas, resident. “I’ve taught 5-year-olds to cook Cornish game hens just like I’ve taught 15-year-olds. Good food is good food.”
That can-cook attitude is what catapulted Beery’s business from a few classes taught out of her home 15 years ago to a cottage industry that includes multiple classes taught in a fully outfitted kitchen facility, kids’ cookbooks, appearances on the Food Network and even a Girl Scout badge centered on her cooking philosophy.
In April, Beery launched her company, Batter Up Kids Culinary Center, as a national franchise. The first franchise is scheduled to open in August in Austin, but several potential franchisees have expressed interest in opening Batter Up locations in Fairfax, Alexandria and several other locations in the Washington region, Beery said.
Batter Up Kids offers classes for children aged from 2 1/2 to 15. While the dishes — such as Cornish game hens — are the same, the lessons are geared toward the age. For example, 5-year-olds won’t sear off the skin of a game hen, but they would learn how to rub herbs and spices on the bird.
Beery founded her company because she wanted to give kids the opportunity to do more than bake cookies. Her classes, she said, strive to teach kids that cooking can be fun and nutritious.
“The bottom line is when kids are introduced to that at a young age, it gives them a real sense of ownership to what they’re eating and what they’re doing.”
Beery’s franchise is entering an uncrowded marketplace. There is only one other major franchise, Young Chefs Academy, that offers cooking classes for kids. The closest Young Chefs is in Virginia Beach.
“There’s not a lot out there, not because it’s not viable but because it’s such a new concept ” said Patrick Callaway, president of FranCorp Inc., a Chicago-based franchise consulting firm, who said the popularity ofboth adult and kids classes are growing.
“It’s a throwback to the old days when people actually cooked. … It’s definitely a fast growing trend.”
Cooking Classes in the Washington area
There are no kids cooking class franchises in the D.C. region yet, but several restaurants and kitchen stores offer classes for the under-16 set.
» Sur La Table: The Pentagon Row location is offering three five-day culinary camps in July. Classes are split by age group and students learn to cook a variety of dishes. $250 per child. www.surlatable.com, 703-414-3580
» Williams-Sonoma: The kitchen specialty store offers several courses geared toward kids. www.williams-sonomainc.com
» D.C. Coast: Executive Pastry Chef David Guas teaches several holiday-themed classes throughout the year. www.dccoast.com, 202-216-5988
» Equinox: Executive Chef Todd Gray teaches private classes for ages 12 and up on Saturday afternoons. Book with at least five children. $85 plus tax and gratuity. www.equinoxrestaurant.com, 202-331-8118
» Batter Up Kids Culinary Center: www.batterupkids.com
