A TELEMARKETING company boss has found a new calling as he takes his passion for cooking to the next level.
Elite Education director Nick Stringer has decided to formalise the love of cooking he developed as a student by signing up for a Level 3 NVQ in professional cookery at Darlington College.
Yorkshire born, the 37-year-old relocated from Harrogate to Darlington in 2019 to run a business which specialises in education software for schools around the UK.
But his real passion is cooking. “I am very proud of a business which provides me with a good standard of living, but it doesn’t always feed my soul,” said Nick.
“I started cooking when I was a student at university back in 2004. Throughout my 30s I have enjoyed it more and more developing a decent understanding of good food and drink. Cooking for my fiancé, family and friends is where I’m at my very best. I am now fortunate to have several talented colleagues helping to run the business day-to-day which has allowed me more time to dedicate to my own personal journey.
“By going back to college I’m able to turn an obsession into a vocation and I love it. Strangely, I’m more focussed in my real job because of the enormous lift the course is giving me.”
He said he was looking forward to seeing what opportunities arise. “I have no fixed objective, it could be a restaurant one day or a pizza van, supper clubs, or just many more dinner parties for friends,” he said. “But it is going to be a huge part of my life moving on and the college experience has put a smile on my face again”.
Darlington College tutor Dawn Cobb-Neate said: “Nick’s passion for cooking is plain to see and infectious in class. It is so rewarding for me to be able to teach someone who shares my appetite for cuisine and he is a great example of the fact that learning is a life-long experience.”
As the ‘Call Centre Cook’ Nick posts his culinary creations on Instagram set to appropriate classical music, with frequent references to his hero Keith Floyd, and is already building up a loyal following.
He said he hoped his Instagram account would inspire others. “It is about a chap in his late 30s who decided to upskill and follow his dream,” he said.
“I know a lot of my mates would love to do something else but can’t because they have ‘proper’ jobs, mortgages and children to take up every hour of the day. I am very lucky to have the time and resources available to do this. The Call Centre Cook is for people who, like me, love cooking and how good food brings people together from every possible walk of life.
“I manage to get out of the rat race three times a week, put on chef’s whites and have fun. I am at my happiest in the kitchen and I love all kinds of cooking. It’s a never-ending journey with always something more to learn.”
For more information on opportunities at Darlington College visit www.darlington.ac.uk.
