Nikki Reid, 27, hopes to secure funding at Stirling Soup to set up a community cook school

Nikki Reid started CouthieCantie as a blog nearly three years ago, with a view to writing about and sharing food-related content.

However, the project has since evolved and she now offers food education, along with business services to local food and drink providers.

The 27-year-old believes cooking at home is fast becoming a long-lost skill – leading to health and social issues within communities.

She reckons learning to make meals will allow people greater control of what they eat, while using Scottish produce keeps the economy strong, celebrates natural larder and takes another step towards becoming a 'Good Food Nation'.

Nikki, who grew up and went to school in Alva, hopes to bring food education to those who need it most, by setting up a Community Cook School.

In order to do so, she needs to secure the necessary capital to get the project off the ground and will take part in the crowd-funding event Stirling Soup.

She will go up against four other initiatives also looking for finance and hopes to win people over with her foodie pitch.

She said: "I adore Scotland, and all it has to offer, but I've forever had a real passion and interest around cookery. 

"I could see there was lots going on in 'the food scene' within the likes of Glasgow, Edinburgh even Aberdeen but there was a real gap within central Scotland, so I took up blogging as a hobby with a view to bridging that gap and to promote our local area over social media. 

"From then on, requests for articles came in, I got to try amazing food and drink whilst developing recipes for local producers and asked help at local food events with schools and community groups – what is there not to love?

"So now it's about building on this momentum with the ultimate goal being to establish a Community Cook School serving the Forth Valley region."

Nikki, who works for Diageo and is a programme and change manager for the global logistics and warehousing team, is hoping to win over the audience at the Stirling event on Friday, May 27.

It kicks off at the Albert Halls at 7pm and tickets are availbale for a donation of £5 or more, which pays for a big bowl of soup, locally baked bread, live music and an all important vote.

There she will share her plans for the project, which includes taking her message to communities in Alloa and Stirling.

She said: "I want to win the funds in order to purchase a mobile cook kit to deliver food education to those who need it most. 

"With a mobile cook kit we can go wherever, whenever – delivering cookery classes with flexibility and ease. But most importantly a mobile cook kit will allow us to target schools and community groups who have limited, or no, cooking facilities so would otherwise be cut off from such education or have to pay a fortune to hire equipment.

"The ultimate goal for CouthieCantie is to establish a Community Cook School, but in order to do so we need the help of the community to make it work. 

"We are looking for people who would be happy to delivery cookery sessions across all aspects – from bakery to cooking on a budget, from knife skills to curry skills we want to hear from those who are keen to help others learn a few hours a week.

"We aren't looking for chefs necessarily, although they will be welcome too, just confident home cooks who are passionate about real food.

"CouthieCantie is the only provider in Scotland who has been granted licence to deliver The Cookbook Project Curriculum and this is what we would be looking to role out to community groups within Stirling and Alloa, initially.

"The Cookbook Project looks at equipping participants with skills and knowledge to make positive changes in relation to food. During these workshops we cover things like slow cooking, salad dressings, pickling and preparing whole grains."

Find out more about CouthieCantie on Facebook, Twitter, via the website or by dropping Nikki an email contact@couthiecantie.co.uk

Tickets for the event can be purchased online.