Edinburgh New Town Cookery School (ENTCS) has launched its autumn programme of professional and leisure courses.

Based in the city centre, it offers a variety of courses - from a short Easy Entertaining course on a Saturday for time-stretched food lovers, to the Six Month Practical Cookery Diploma which will lead to a career in cookery.

The school also offers a Six Month Diploma for aspiring chefs and a One Week Intermediate Course for the more leisurely cooks.

Principal, Fiona Burrell, said: "Whether students want to learn knife skills or life skills, our courses bring the highest standard of teaching and can either lead to careers in some of the UK's top kitchens, or just bring a professional approach to your home cooking. We have a passion for food and a passion for teaching, and mixing them together makes for inspiring training.

"We bring a unique approach to our professional courses and offer a high pupil/teacher ratio, plus an approach that uses the best quality ingredients and top of the range equipment."

ENTCS was founded by Fiona Burrell, formerly Principal of Leiths School of Food and Wine. She began her career in Edinburgh and has been teaching professional cookery courses for thirty years.

Classes begin in September. For booking information contact ENTCS on 0131 226 4314 or by email at info@entcs.co.uk