A STOURPORT woman has launched a dream career as a top chef and cookery teacher for people who struggle in the kitchen.

Sara Dover, 42, of Severn Manor Gardens, said the “ingredients had finally come together” in her life after a 25-year rollercoaster journey which started after accidentally enrolling on a full-time catering course.

She explained: “I considered that although nowadays we are all told what we should and shouldn’t eat, few people know how to actually cook.

“As a result, a light went on in my head and I decided to launch Can’t Cook Will Cook, running cookery classes for people who really need culinary skills and want to understand more about nutrition.”

Her clients range from teenagers through to people in their 70s, with regulars including divorced and widowed men who relied on their wives to cook, widows who used to share the cooking knowledge with their husbands but do not feel confident to cook alone, women who are looking after a family but are “bored and stuck in a rut” and students.

Her company is based at the Top Barn Training Centre in Holt Heath, near Hallow, where she recently cooked for the Princess Royal during a visit to the centre.

Ms Dover, a mother-of-one, said: “Unlike many cookery teachers who opt for cordon bleu creations, I concentrate on everyday dishes that require only a minimum amount of equipment, basic skills and no more than 30 minutes to make. Consequently, even the most apprehensive cook quickly gains confidence and the skills they need to cook for themselves.

“I ensure a personal touch by keeping my group sizes to only four, whereas many classes are for at least 12 people – which the less confident can find intimidating.”

Ms Dover, a former teacher who worked with special needs children, runs lessons at weekends and corporate classes on weekdays, along with demonstrations in the evenings and said she had not allowed the recession to affect her.

She explained: “Launching into self-employment for the first time at the start of this recession, I have never known any difference – so I’m just blindly getting on with it and everything seems OK.

“I only know that it’s essential for me to keep on getting out there to network with potential clients and tell everyone what I have to offer.”

She added: “Can’t Cook Will Cook is my dream job. As much as I enjoyed teaching schoolchildren, to go from 60-minute lessons with almost 30 teenagers to just four people with a captive interest is so relaxing and satisfying.

“I feel passionate about having the opportunity to empower people to take care of themselves.”