TOP international chef Breda Murphy looks set to boost the culinary skills of East Lancashire home cooks.

Breda, chef at the famous Inn at Whitewell, Trough of Bowland, is to host a series of cookery demonstrations and masterclasses in the Ribble Valley.

She is a popular television chef, with numerous credits in the UK and her native Ireland, where she taught at the acclaimed Ballymaloe Cookery School.

She is to take part in a series of cookery workshops, aimed at helping budding chefs make the most of entertaining at the Bashall Barn Farm Shop and Caf, Bashall Eaves, near Clitheroe.

They include special workshops on fish and seafood, dinner parties and how to drum up the best Christmas dinner.

Breda said: "The basis of my recipes has always been to use simple, fresh ingredients, because they are at the heart of any successful meal.

"These workshops are ideal for anyone wishing to use professional methods in the home environment.

"We'll not be over-complicating the cooking, because the idea is to make entertaining easier and allow the cook to be part of a dinner party, not locked in the kitchen, sweating over cookery books!

The courses are: October 22 and 29 - Fish and sea food, November 5 - Nutritious food, 12 - Canaps and wine, 19 and 26 - Christmas is coming A, December 3 and 10 - Christmas is coming B.

Anyone wishing to take part is asked to contact Simon Barnes on 01200 428964.