Courses
We have 3 levels of courses for you to choose from - Absolute Beginners, Beginners and Intermediate. Beginner and Intermediate courses are run over 6 weeks or 3 days. Both of these courses cost £450.00. Absolute beginner courses last either 3 or 4 days and cost £270 or £360 respectively.
We are now taking bookings for the following dates:
| Saturdays - 2, 9, 16, 23 October 2010 | £360.00 |
Closed |
| Saturdays - 15, 22, 29 January, 5 February 2011 | £360.00 |
Open |
| Wednesdays 10, 17, 24 November 2010 | £270.00 |
Open |
| Monday 21, Tuesday 22, Wednesday 23, Thursday 24 February 2011 | £360.00 |
Open |
If you are a total newcomer to cooking and don’t know your spoon from your spatula, then do not fear, this is the course for you! We will teach you the absolute basics so that you leave feeling confident and inspired. This course is all about mastering the fundamentals of cooking, so we take nothing for granted and assume that this is your first foray into cooking. We will teach you simple and delicious recipes that are unintimidating and that you will want to make over and over again.
Day 1 - Soups and Bread
Learn to make some delicious soups. Once you can make one soup, the possibilities are endless. Delicious and nutritious, soups are the ultimate comfort food and great to whip up for a simple lunch or a dinner party starter. Minestrone soup, Borscht, green pea and mint soup, mushroom soup, herby tomato soup, Vichyoisse and butternut soup are all on the menu. We’ll also show you how to make a granary bread.
Day 2 - Stews
You will learn how to make a great stew, and will be amazed at how many dishes are based on the principle of a basic stew. You will learn how to make a classic Bolognese, a lamb tagine, a chicken cacciatore, a beef Bourguignon and a mixed bean ragout.
Day 3 - Roasts
Once you have mastered a classic roast, your Sundays will never be the same! Crispy roast chicken, herby roast lamb, a traditional roast beef, roast root vegetables and whole roast potatoes will all be on the menu.
Day 4 - Sweets*
Learn how to make melting chocolate brownies, a classic Victoria sponge, mini meringues, homemade vanilla ice cream and a scrumptious apple crumble. Making delicious desserts is so much easier than you think and you can wow your friends with your new baking skills!
* Day 4 Sweets is only available on the four day course.
| Tuesday 5th, Wednesday 6th, Thursday 7th October 2010 | £450.00 |
Open |
| Tuesday 11 January, Wednesday 12 January, Thursday 13 January 2011 | £450.00 |
Open |
| Tuesdays - 12 October, 19, 26, 2 November, 9 16, 2010 | £450.00 |
Open |
| Tuesdays - 11, 18, 25 January, 1, 8, 15 February 2011. | £450.00 |
Open |
Learn to enjoy cooking and become a confident cook - or, if you can cook already, come along and expand your repertoire. In each session a three-course meal is taught with plenty of hands-on practice. The emphasis is on delicious food that is quick and simple to prepare but will impress your friends and family!
As with all our classes, the idea is to have fun and enjoy good food. The food cooked during each class is served up for tasting (sufficient for a light meal), accompanied by wine. We also provide recipe cards to take away with you.
LESSON 1
- Green salad with homemade dressings and bread rolls
- Roast crispy chicken and root vegetables
- Baked seasonal fruit with mascarpone
LESSON 2
- Carrot soup with olive and rosemary foccacia
- Grilled prawns with rice and green salsa
- Creme caramel
LESSON 3
- Humous, Middle Eastern salads and flat bread
- Lamb tagine with cous cous or 'Persian' rice
- Almond and orange flower water cake
LESSON 4
- Dips with crudités
- Pizza with various toppings
- Real vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce
LESSON 5
- Grilled vegetable bruschetta
- Fish pie and crispy oven potatoes
- A classic sponge cake
LESSON 6
- Creamy mushroom soup
- Pasta with various sauces (tomato, puttanesca, crab)
- Lemon cheesecake
| Tuesday 12th, Wednesday 13th, Thursday 14th October 2010 | £450.00 |
Open |
| Tuesday 18 January, Wednesday 19 January, Thursday 20 January 2011 | £450.00 |
Open |
| Thursdays - 14, 21, 28 October, 4, 11, 18 November 2010 | £450.00 |
Closed |
| Wednesday 20, Thursday 21, 28 October, 4, 11, 18 November 2010 | £450.00 |
Closed |
| Thursdays - 13, 20, 27 January, 3, 10, 17 February 2011 | £450.00 |
Open |
Master some areas of cooking that are often considered tricky and pick up some fabulous recipes along the way. Take the opportunity to ask all the questions you've always wanted to ask and try out our foolproof techniques for yourself.
After trying out the techniques, you get to eat the food cooked during the class (sufficient for a light meal), accompanied by wine. We also provide recipe cards to take away with you.
LESSON 1 - MEAT AND POULTRY
Learn how to choose your meat and which cuts of meat best suit a particular type of cooking. You will make grilled duck breasts with a fresh orange sauce, braised guinea fowl, roast beef and yorkshire pudding, a delicious Provencal lamb stew, chicken liver pate, and also learn how to spatchcock and grill chicken.
LESSON 2 - BREAD
You will learn the key techniques needed to bake beautiful bread. Once you have been shown how to mix, knead, rise and prove your dough, you will be able to make a basic white bread, granary bread, a traditional chollah, cinnamon bread, spicy hot cross buns, wheaten bread, fruit muffins, pancakes and scones.
LESSON 3 - FISH AND SHELLFISH
Learn how to choose the freshest fish and prepare it for cooking. From grilling to poaching, steaming to frying, you will master the various methods of cooking fish. In this class, you will make a calamari stew, plaice with black butter, moules mariniere, baked sole, griddled scallops with oriental dressing, grilled prawns with green salsa and fish cakes.
LESSON 4 - CAKES
Learn the most important rules for successful cake baking and acquire a lovely and varied cake repertoire. This class includes a devil’s food cake, a chocolate and almond cake, an orange cake, basic sponge cake, honey cake, carrot cake, fruit cake and a lemon cake.
LESSON 5 - SAUCES
You will make a variety of sauces, both savoury and sweet, to accompany the other recipes you have learned. You will make rich chocolate sauce, confectioner’s custard, creme Anglaise, puttanesca sauce, tomato sauce, bechamel sauce, green salsa, pesto, sauce Bearnaise, sauce Hollandaise, a red wine reduction, an aioli and a mayonnaise.
LESSON 6 - PASTRY
In this class, you will master the techniques needed to be able to make perfect pastry. From choux to shortcrust, from pate sucree to puff, you will come away with all you need to know to make delicious pastry time and time again. During the class, you will make apple pie, vegetable quiche, traditional Cornish pasties, cheese straws, palmiers and profiteroles.