A WELL-KNOWN American lifestyle influencer has brought her family to Cork to attend the Ballymaloe Cookery School.

Hannah Neeleman, also known as Ballerina Farm, visited the rebel county in November with her husband Daniel and their eight children, and apparently they took a liking to it.

The family’s base is Utah, where they have a 328-acre farm. Neeleman (34) named it Ballerina Farm, as she gave up her career as a professional ballet dancer to have a family and run the homestead.

Husband Daniel is the son of David Neeleman, billionaire founder of major airline JetBlue.

The couple have five daughters and three sons that range in age from one year to 12 years. They’re homeschooled on the farm by a teacher who comes in each day.

In an Instagram reel of the couple, in chef’s uniforms, Neeleman wrote: “Daniel and I moved the gang across the pond for the next little while to attend Chef school. First day of school for mom and dad.”

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Ballymaloe, located in Shanagarry, is one of Ireland’s most famous cookery schools. Run by Darina Allen, the enterprise boasts a 100-acre organic farm, where ingredients for their classes, as well as their relishes are produced.

Those who wish to learn from chef and food writer Allen can take one of the school’s many courses, which range in price from €85 for a half day to €16,295 for 12 weeks.

They focus on farm-to-table dishes and the “Slow Food Movement”.

Neeleman did not give details on which course she and her husband are doing, but she said in a TikTok video that they will be out of the States “for some time”.

On a video update yesterday where she is seen making jam, dessert and a quiche, Neeleman captioned the reel: “Only a few days in and culinary school is teaching me and inspiring me tremendously. I love creating beautiful food with beautiful ingredients- loving it!”

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Many of Ballymaloe’s ex-pupils have gone on to be successful in the food business. These include author and TV chef Clodagh McKenna, and Jack Crotty, owner of Rocket Man food delivery service.

Chef and TV personality and Rachel Allen (née O’Neill) graduated from the school as a teenager and went on to marry Darina’s son Isaac.

‘Trad wife’

Last year, the Ballerina Farm family became engulfed in controversy after an article in The Times of London.

A journalist had joined Neeleman and her clan at their home for a day, interviewing and photographing them.

The article, by Megan Agnew, sparked discourse as portraying Neeleman as a woman trapped in a conservative bubble.

Meanwhile, others lauded the reporting, saying it lifted the veil off the “trad wife” movement that had risen in popularity on TikTok.

The family’s values have been repeatedly questioned by online onlookers, some expressing concern for Neeleman’s wellbeing, others bashing her for “undoing feminism” by promoting strict gender roles in marriage and the home.

After the article came out, Ballerina Farm was subject to an influx of abuse online.

Neeleman responded in a video post to her social media accounts, saying she was “shocked” by the words that were published and the way she was portrayed. She called it an attack on her family and her marriage.

This prompted The Times to publish a follow-up piece and release the voice recordings of the conversations from the day in question.

Some viewers continue to criticise Neeleman and her husband, expressing rage at incidents such as Neeleman’s birthday last year. She posted a video saying she’d asked her husband for a trip to Greece and he instead got her an apron, which she said she was happy with.

Despite this, she continues to post on the Ballerina Farm social media accounts, sharing her recipes, tips and struggles. Some viewers speculate that the content is “rage bait”, meaning Neeleman makes videos to spark outrage as it is more profitable. However, Neeleman maintains the content is authentic.