Former Masterchef finalist runs cooking lessons for the blind
12:47pm Wednesday 22nd February 2012 in Where I Live By Mark Chandler
The cooking group
WHEN you lose your sight even things you once took for granted like cooking a decent meal can seem beyond you.
Andy Farrow understands how to overcome the challenges a lack of eyesight brings in the kitchen more than most.
A former finalist on the BBC’s Junior Masterchef when he was 14, Mr Farrow went on to a career in fine dining, cooked for the Prince of Wales and appeared in shows like The Great British Menu.
But in 2008 he was made redundant and decided to have an operation to correct his deteriorating sight.
Mr farrow, who is still partially sighted, said: “After that it was a case of getting back out there into the cooking world. It was a lot harder than I anticipated.
“If you’re visually impaired you get to an interview and they want to talk about your sight loss rather than what you can do.”
Mr Farrow now works as a consultant chef and, for the past six weeks, has been running cookery courses for people who are blind or partially-sighted at the Greenwich Cooperative Development Agency.
With the chef’s help, charity Blind Independence Greenwich have held motivational workshops along with sessions on good nutrition and healthy eating.
Budding chefs also had three days where they learned practical cooking skills and then put them into practice with dishes like ratatouille and chile con carne.
Mr Farrow said: “A lot of it’s not necessarily about sight - it’s more about taste, smell and touch.
“You come across a lot of visually impaired people who never cook and have been in an environment where they’ve never had to. Sometimes it’s hard to get them to change that mindset.
“But it’s not as difficult as you think it can be. We’ve had people very resistant to it but then they try and realise cooking can be fun.”
When News Shopper visited, Mr Farrow was teaching students a variety of delicious desserts including rice puddings and smoothies.
And Pippa Goldie explained they had learned about everything, from useful gadgets like talking microwaves to techniques like ‘crabbing’ your hand when chopping to avoid cutting yourself.
Ms Goldie, a skills worker for partner organisation the Royal London Society for Blind People, said: “This shows it’s possible to be a safe, entirely competent chef and cook if you follow certain techniques.
“For example, giving someone a blunt knife is the worst thing you can do. You’re far more likely to have an accident. A sharp knife cuts far cleaner.”
She said: “It’s not necessarily new and revolutionary. Food doesn’t have to pass you by because you might not be able to see it like a fully-sighted person.”
‘I’ve lost all my confidence.’
Molly Juanette has diabetes which she blames for her failing eyesight.
The Charlton 71-year-old said: “Since losing my sight I’ve lost all my confidence.
“I’ve never liked cooking but since the course it seems a lot more pleasurable.
“More courses like this would be useful.”
Mustafa Tosun, 70, of Greenwich, used to cook for a living in fish and chip shops and kebab houses, but gave it up when he could no longer see the money properly to count it.
He said: “My sight was bad from childhood and as time went by it’s gone from bad to worse. I was managing until I was 55 or 60. Since 60 its gone downhill.”
“I cooked commercially but I can’t do that anymore. These are techniques I can do at home.”
For more about these courses and other projects, visit blindindependencegreenwich.org.uk or call 020 8853 2474.
Alternatively visit rlsb.org.uk or phone 020 7808 6170.
