Tiny TAYsters at Glendoick

There seemed like an abundance of classes when Freya was a baby; we went along to lots of things, some which we’ve stuck with, like Turtle Tots, and others that were a great experience for one block but weren’t quite the right fit for us. Most classes offer a free taster session to get a feel for what to expect, and I’d always suggest trying as many things as you can, you might be surprised by what your baby enjoys!

Going along to classes was a great way for us both to socialise with others, it gave me the confidence I now have to take Freya anywhere, and some structure to our week. Freya’s now almost two and a half, and since we ‘outgrew’ the baby classes there’s been a few slightly older age group ones I’ve had my eye on for a while. One of those was Tiny TAYstes, a toddler cookery class, which operates from Glendoick Garden Centre. I know, I know….what ever will they think of next eh?

If truth be told I’d managed to conjure up in my head the image of yummy mummies, with perfectly dressed children in head-to-toe-Joules, swapping quinoa recipes. I felt sure I’d stick out like a sore thumb, and even surer that Freya would be an absolute menace. I’m glad to report only the latter turned out to be true…

The classes are weekly, an hour long, and aimed at 2-5 year olds. They’re run by Louise Donnelly and held in a bright spacious conservatory building out the back of the garden centre, which has a built in mini kitchen, a long table and plenty of room to run around in.

Every week’s there a different food as the theme, which you learn a little bit about and use as the basis for a recipe. The recipes have been adapted so they’re manageable for kids and don’t have loads of fussy ingredients but bags of taste. The kids get super cute little aprons, and there’s songs for everything from hand washing to table manners.

I felt sure I’d stick out like a sore thumb, and even surer that Freya would be an absolute menace. I’m glad to report only the latter turned out to be true…In the few short weeks we’ve been going we’ve made carrot hummus, beetroot brownies, cauliflower hash browns, mini bread & butter puddings and strawberry cheesecake. The squidgy beetroot brownies were a definite hit with everyone (and one of your 5 a day!), and the golden crispy hash browns were so good I made them again for dinner the next week. Louise is careful to source her produce locally; veggies from Grewars Farm, bread baked in Perth, milk from Perthshire Dairy and honey from Scarlett's in Meigle.

Recipes have been adapted to there’s no need for things like sharp knives, and everything you need is in individual little bowls on the main table so there’s no measuring required, and kids can get stuck in straight away. One of the little girls in our group has a dairy allergy and it’s great to see that dietary needs are well catered for. If it weren’t for Freya there probably wouldn’t have been much mess, but bless her, she just can’t wait to get started and more often than not has already helped herself to half the ingredients before we even know what we’re making!

GALLERY

Once the goodies are ready they’re popped in the oven, and it’s time for some crafts. There’s virtually no wastage so where possible we use the leftovers – the purple beetroot juice is used to paint with, the cauliflower stalks are used as a paint stamper, and the bread was used as a canvas to paint wonderful (ahem!) pictures using a mixture of food colouring and milk! Once it’s toasted and buttered the ‘bread art’ still maintains it’s technicolour appearance; ours won’t be winning a Turner Prize anytime soon but it sure did taste good!

While you wait for the goodies to bake, or cool down, everyone moves over to the comfy couches for a foodie themed story time followed by the best bit…the eating! If there’s any left over you can take it home with you, although it’s usually finished by the time we get home – and the brownies didn’t make it past the car park. After class finishes we usually head to the café for coffee (who am I kidding? cake!), or lunch, via the brand new kids playground and indoor beach (you can find out more about that here>) which is the perfect way to burn off any excess steam.

As with many activities, it’s often the other people who make or break it: Louise has been a brilliant teacher and everyone in our block has been really friendly; I’ve even managed to get back in touch with someone I haven’t seen since we were both slightly nervous pregnant ladies! Everyone has different reasons for being there; for some food can be a tricky subject at home, others like me might feel a bit stuck in a rut, but whatever your motivation it’s a great way to expose young children to lots of different exciting foods, allow them to get hands on, and get some new ideas. It doesn’t hurt that there’s no dishes to do at the end of it too!

Classes £6 per child and you can book for a block of 4, full contact details can be found here>

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