Waitrose unveils live shoppable cooking show with Ruby Bhogal

Created by Dentsu Creative UK, the Waitrose Cookery School Live campaign features GBBO’s Ruby Bhogal and star chef Alex Szrok

By creative salon

12 January 2024

Waitrose has unveiled a live shoppable cooking show streamed online: Waitrose Cookery School Live.

Hosted by the sparky duo of BBC Good Food Show presenter and Great British Bake Off finalist Ruby Bhogal and WCS’s own star chef Alex Szrok live from the cookery school’s premises in London’s King’s Cross, Waitrose Cookery School Live is free-to-view live or stream later on waitrose.com.

The show hits current live-shopping trends, and is a first for the food and drink sector. It was conceived, created and produced by Dentsu Creative UK, long-time publishers of Waitrose Food and Waitrose’s strategic content and creative partner, with help from Groovy Gecko and live shopping platform Livesell.

The 60-minute show brings a new style to Waitrose & Partners’ food content, with its spontaneity, fun and breaking of the fourth wall. It’s designed to bring all the inspiration and expertise of Waitrose & Partners’ unique physical cookery school and its resident chefs to a wider audience across the nation, combining premium food show cookalongs and know-how with lively, fun formats and sparkling, irreverent presenter chemistry.

Classes from this ‘ultimate finishing school for flavours’ are hosted live and are fully interactive, giving viewers the chance to ask questions to Ruby and Alex in real time – and even to vote live on how they want to see each episode’s recipe finished and served. Viewers can also directly shop the recipes in the show in a TV shopping first by clicking through to ingredients readily available on Waitrose.com.

Each episode in this launch series is themed around a culinary calendar moment. It launched with Canapés and Cocktails Christmas special in December. This is followed in next week’s episode (18 January, 6.30pm), The Whole Chicken and How to Use It, showcasing attainable butchery skills and thrifty tips to get you through cold winter days with a whole week of meals from a single bird. February’s show, All Things Steak (and wine, of course), will help Britain go from being a nation of steak lovers, to one of true steak experts, with tips on choosing the cut, tricks and techniques for truly inspired cooking, and ways to finish, serve and enjoy it with flair for any cuisine and occasion. With guest spots on wine and other accompaniments, it’s the perfect foodie package.

Kirsty Rolfe, Content Strategy, Programme & Production Lead at Waitrose & Partners said: “The whole Waitrose team is thrilled that we’ve launched these supermarket-first interactive classes. Quality and taste is at the heart of everything that we do, and we’re so happy that we’re able to showcase our products, ethical values and the brilliant skills of our cookery school team to more customers in a fun and innovative way.”

Jessica Tamsedge, CEO Dentsu Creative, added: "We are incredibly proud of this first for Waitrose, as we bring their impressive Cookery School to the masses. Live cooking, shopping and entertainment all in one, what’s not to love? Reaching loyal customers and new audiences, we can’t wait to see where the series takes us."