The Friendly Food Club is offering more community cooking classes for adults, plus there’s a new course to support parents moving their babies from milk to meals, in Swanage, Dorset.
Following the success of the first six week cooking course for adults in autumn 2025 at the United Reform Church, new dates have been organised, and separately there’s a new Mush and Munch baby weaning course being held at Herston village hall.
The Friendly Food Club is a charity which promotes food education
Budget-smart tips and food-waste hacks
Wimborne-based charity The Friendly Food Club, has run food education projects across Dorset for more than 12 years.
The community cooking course for adults at the United Reform Church in the High Street, aims to pass on the knowledge of how to produce healthy, low cost cooking.
It offers hands-on cooking with new recipes each week, budget-smart tips, and food-waste hacks.
It’s recommended for beginners and improvers, and promises a welcoming, sociable atmosphere where people can sit down to eat together and make new friends.
The six week rolling programme of sessions runs on Thursdays from 10 am to 12 noon, starting on Thursday 8th January through to Thursday 12th February 2026. A second six week programme starts on Thursday 26th February through to Thursday 2nd April 2026.
The classes need to be booked in advance and are free to attend. A donation of £4 per session is welcomed to cover the cost of ingredients.
The first Swanage cooking course for adults was held in autumn 2025 at the URC
Mush and Munch
Over at Herston village hall in Jubilee Road, a new baby weaning course called Mush and Munch is being held which offers support to parents introducing their baby to solid foods.
It takes place on four Thursday mornings from 9.30 am to 11 am, starting from Thursday 22nd January 2026 at Herston Village Hall.
The free sessions offering practical advice, have been funded by the NHS Purbeck Integrated Neighbourhood Team.
Herston village hall is the venue for the new baby weaning sessions
“Help parents create happy, positive food memories”
Rachel Tapping from Wellbeing Swanage, which is organising the course in conjunction with the Friendly Food Club, said:
“The move from milk to meals is one of the first big adventures a parent and child take together. The journey can be really rewarding but can also be an anxious time. The course will help parents create happy, positive food memories from the very start.
“Each 90 minute session is personal, informal, and non-judgmental. Led by a friendly and knowledgeable team, the course focuses on achievable, budget-conscious strategies that align with nutritionist-approved guidance.
“The course aims to reduce anxiety about feeding, provide a safe environment for children to play with and explore new foods, including key allergenic foods, and equip families with ideas to encourage a wider, healthier diet that sets the foundation for long term wellbeing.”
Further information
- Book a community cooking course for adults session online
- Families with young children can book a Mush and Munch session, by registering online, by calling 01202 057100, or by dropping into the Welcome Lounge at the Focus Centre on the High Street in Swanage
