Glasgow School of Cookery (Teacher training school: 1875-1908: Glasgow, Scotland)

The Glasgow School of Cookery, Glasgow, Scotland, was established in 1875, opening to the public on 21 February 1876. In 1908, the Glasgow School of Cookery amalgamated with the West End School of Cookery, Glasgow, to form a Scottish Central Institution called the Glasgow & West of Scotland College of Domestic Science (Incorporated), later The Queen’s College, Glasgow .

The School’s first premises were at The Albert Hall, 285 Bath Street, Glasgow, but by the time of its amalgamation with the West End School of Cookery it had moved to premises at 86 Bath Street, 504 Sauchiehall Street and 1 Victoria Crescent. Initially the School hoped to educate young working class women in culinary skills as a contribution to the improvement of family life among lower income groups. This approach however was not very successful although the daytime courses for better-off women were priced to subsidise the cost of the evening classes for working women. A new strategy was adopted which promoted culinary education within the board schools and this proved a successful initiative eventually resulting in the School being responsible for the training of teachers as part of the Glasgow Provincial Committee for the Training & Certification of Teachers from 1906. Subjects taught initially included superior cookery, plain cookery and cookery for the working classes although in time the syllabus expanded to include diplomas in cookery, laundry, housewifery, dressmaking, needlework and millinery. The School not only taught teachers’ diplomas but also provided demonstrations and lectures for the public. These public classes were attended by women and girls of all social backgrounds.

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