Clara Melluish

I undertook the MA in Cultural Policy, Relations, and Diplomacy in the academic year 2013-14, and developed an interest in the way national and regional cuisines can be used as tools of soft power in cultural relations. After graduating, I sought to pursue these interests further. Initially, I worked for several month in Barcelona for the Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Art, and Tourism (IGCAT), where I facilitated the European Region of Gastronomy, a program that encourages tourism through a focus on regional food.

Since returning to the UK, I was lucky enough to find a job as an Exports Account Manager for Neal's Yard Dairy and now much of my time is spent travelling around different countries, promoting and selling British cheese. I basically eat and talk about cheese for a living! At the same time, I co-founded and now run The Melting Pot School of Home Cooking. We offer cooking lessons in locations across London, taught by cooks from different cultural backgrounds. In our classes, we explore both the history and cultural significance of different dishes and celebrate the wonderful variety of food being prepared in homes around London. We currently offer classes in Persian, Filipino, North Indian and Armenian cooking.