Is Delia past her sell by date?

Seasider I agree .....Pippa is just trading on her name and connections. I think Waitrose won't see the run on certain ingredients that happened with Delia.

I think Delia wanted to reach people who couldn't cook at all, using a new digital way of communication. I've watched her first online lesson - sponge cake - and it's very easy to follow, for real beginners. Apparently Jamie Oliver also has a similar idea called Food Tube.

If it gets more people cooking, instead of just watching cookery programmes, then it's good.

Plus - Delia doesn't automatically load everything savoury with garlic - which I have an intolerance to.

Delia is loaded and probably does not need the job! Delia has been my favourite cook for years as her recipes are easy to follow and generally do not require hundreds of obscure ingredients. Her popularity is demonstrated by the products that have sold out the day after being featured in one of her shows. Supermarkets even refer to the "Delia effect". I have much more respect for Delia than a girl who appears to be "famous" because her sister married the future king!

My son works in one of "Waitrose's main warehouses and says the amount of stuff that Delia shifts is incredible. He reckons she must have wanted to go.
At the last count I had over 30 cookery books, at least 90% Italian. When I want to check any basic recipes I always go straight back to Delia - she even has some half way decent Italian ones.
I had a quick look through Pippa's book in Smith's but I find any help I need for celebrations in Jane Asher's Easy Entertaining, which must be about 20 years old!

I do agree that there is a need for children to learn to cook, to sew, listen to music, learn a foreign language, learn about the responsibilities of being a citizen, have a comprehensive sex education, learn all about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, be taught manners etc.etc.

There just isn't room in schools these days, to do everything that society thinks we should, because clearly the governments (present and past) want to hot house all children to pass tests in the basics (which in themselves are a GOOD THING!) to prove that they, the govt., are doing a wonderful job. There is no room left for creativity, imagination or doing things that are useful, or even having fun. (Except that brilliant teachers can usually inject fun onto the most unlikely places)

I'm not knocking exams and assessments but...

Delia, oh Delia , as cook you're the top
But Delia oh Delia, you're now for the chop
Waitrose wants Pippa, she's cool like her Mum
And don't think it's anything to do with her b*m.
But Pippa's big sis will be Queen one day
And Wills does his weekly shopping there, they say.
So Delia, oh Delia my idol, you were great
But alas you can't compete with Queen Kate.

I hope you sang along, Grannybug - Always reminds me of the school madrigal group.

DH wandered in and thought I'd completely lost the plot

Merlot gran loved your response! Thank you.

They should bring back proper classes in school, and possibly also evening classes for the generation of adults that don't know how -just to cook simple everyday food, for health and financial reasons.

We did Irish Stew one day at school, I carried the casserole home on my 6 mile bus journey, held in my velour school hat as it was still quite warm - hat never the same again, much to my parents disgust!

I see that Delia has started her new cooking class - Delia Online Cookery Class - how ro make Victoria sponge. Looks good, very clear and simple to follow.

I learned some useful stuff in domestic science. Where vitamins are in potatos, making of pastry and victoria sponge cake.

And how even the most burnt-on looking pans can be scoured shiny again when you had talked too much in the lesson and had to stay behind after school to scrub them.

All I ever learned in Domestic Science was how to make an horrendously complicated pinnie (every stitch and seam you could imagine), pastry and rock cakes. There must have been other things, but I can't remember any of it. But we only did it for a year before it was ditched for more academic subjects. But I spent a lot of time in the kitchen watching my Nan cook and my mother dressmaking, so probably learned by osmosis?

So all my cooking skills have been learned on the hoof, as it were, and I'm considered a good cook. Mind you, I can remember the disasters in the first years of our marriage; I'd never cooked a meal before. (18, got married rather quickly)

Bring back domestic science. The first thing we made were potato nests and carrot boats. I once got 48 out of 50 for my yorkshire puddings and gravy. We had to make ginger buns for an exam once. Two of mine turned out rather badly so I ate them!

I inherited the Elizabeth Craig book from my mother.prewar edition.

It was good, wasn't it, ella. Learned all the baking basics from that

Bags I had that BeRo freebie for years too, and a Trex book, both from my mum

Oi! Wasn't me said anyone was boring!

I just don't see a match between Pippa and the Waitrose demographic - I think she'd fit more as the face of Iceland- no cooking skills or experience needed.

gillybob, I'm another Nigel Slater fan. He doesn't have any daft PC ideas about food.

I know nothing whatsoever about Delia Smith. I've never used one of her recipes, mainly because I learned to cook (from a little Be-ro freebie, from watching my mother, and from an old tried favourites book published in 1900) before Delia came on the scene. Actually, I don't think I've ever watched a cookery programme, except for the children's "Big Cook Little Cook" with GS occasionally.

I've only ever used one of that Victorian Mrs Whatshername's recipes too – the one for bread sauce. Awesome. (Beeton, that's it).

Most of the time, except for baking, I just make it up as I go along.

absent, I love your knowledgeable 'boring' bits

j08 Just to prove how boring I can be – pink peppercorns are not actually from a pepper plant at all. They are berries from South American plant related to poison ivy and are mildly toxic. They are a popular flavouring for pâté, fish and game.

God knows.

Pippa who?

Delia will be on the One Show tomorrow night. No doubt she'll be saying she jumped before she was pushed decided to leave Waitrose.

Am pleased that I don't have to pay for my copy of the Waitrose magazine otherwise I'd be cancelling my subscription now that Pippa is going to have a column in it! Wonder what 'wealth of experience' she has compared to her readers ?

Who, absent and jess?

You can't say that about two perfectly respectable posters!!!