London’s Best Cookery Courses

Try your hand at some of the best cooking schools we’ve found in London.

Cactus Kitchens

Cactus Kitchens sits in the eaves of an old chapel housing Le Gavroche’s Michel Roux Jr’s cooking school. Class sizes are small with only 12 cooking stations so you’ll get plenty of hands-on experience and tuition from award-winning chefs. There’s even a rare chance to meet the master chef Michel himself on the one-day complete Michel Roux Premier Experience (£995). Maybe you want to speed up your chopping skills in the Knife Skills class (£149) or specialise in making Stocks and Sauces (£189).

Address: 1 St Luke’s Ave, SW4 7LG  Tel: 020 7091 4800  Website: www.cactuskitchens.co.uk/
Nearest tube station: Stockwell

Leith’s School of Food and Wine

This longstanding leading academy founded by Prue Leith in 1975 is reputed to be “la creme de la creme” of cooking schools. It made headlines recently when the Duchess of Cambridge enrolled on a course but don’t feel intimidated as there are one-day, week-long or evening courses for every level of cook, from home cooks and amateurs to professionals wanting to open a restaurant or catering business or learn about food styling and food presenting. It all depends on your need and budget.

Address: 16-20 Wendell Rd, W12 9RT  Tel: 020 8749 6400   Website: www.leiths.com
Nearest tube station: Shepherd’s Bush or Stamford Brook

Billingsgate Seafood School

Gut, fillet and shuck like a fishmonger! Learn how to prepare the Catch of the Day for family and friends, or rustle up a fish stock, marinade or sushi sashimi. But first get to know your fish by starting your day with an early morning tour of Billingsgate Fish Market.

Billingsgate Seafood School is a charitable organisation that aims to promote awareness of fish among young people and to generally increase knowledge of the industry, including responsible fishing and health benefits.

Address: Billingsgate Market, Trafalgar Way, E14 5ST  Tel: 020 7517 3548
Website: www.seafoodtraining.org/
Nearest tube station: Canary Wharf

Ginger Pig

Ginger Pig aims to take us back to the basics of traditional butchery skills so that we know how to buy our meat fresh from the local butcher (rather than sealed in plastic trays from the supermarket) and how to get the most from each cut. Choose from pork, lamb, beef, game, poultry or sausage-making, and spend more than three hours learning how to prepare your meat for a two-course supper with wine. £155 per person.

Address: 8-10 Moxon St, W1U 4EW  Tel: 020 7935 7788  Website: www.thegingerpig.co.uk/
Nearest tube station: Marylebone and Shepherd’s Bush

E5 Bakehouse

Tucked under the railway arches of London Fields, artisan bakery and coffee shop E5 Bakehouse is worth the search if you are looking for organic bread and homemade baking treats. The owners are also happy to share their secrets if you sign up for their day or evening courses. Learn to make traditional pizza, sourdough bread, cakes and pastries, or be bold and let Chef Ruth Quinlan teach you a whole dinner course choosing from vegetarian, Fish, Indian, Spanish, Italian, Greek or Middle Eastern menus (£75).

Address: 395 Mentmore Terrace, E8 3PH  Tel: 020 8525 2890
Website: www.e5bakehouse.com/
Nearest station: London Fields or Hackney Central

Paul A. Young Fine Chocolates

National Geographic voted Paul A. Young Fine Chocolates one of the world’s best chocolate shops in 2016. Now you can learn how to make his multi-award winning sea-salted caramel. Or start with the essentials of making chocolate in a five-hour Chocolate Tasting & Making Workshop where you can learn marble slab tempering and molding, and make truffle shells and silky smooth ganaches (£250).

Address: 143 Wardour St, W1F 8WA           Tel: 020 7437 0011
Website: www.paulayoung.co.uk/shops/camden-passage-islington/
Nearest tube station: Tottenham Court Road

Atsuko’s Kitchen

Atsuko teaches authentic Japanese down-to-earth home-style cooking. Catering for beginners and advanced, you can choose from two-hourly sessions making Okonomiyaki pancakes, sushi, bento lunch boxes and Japanese tapas, to more extensive five-week evening cookery courses. Vegans will be interested in Atusko’s Shojin Ryori super healthy vegan cuisine of Buddhist origin.

Address: 35 Charlotte Rd, EC2A 3PB
Website: www.atsukoskitchen.com/

Tel: 07921 397 792      Nearest tube station: Old Street

School of Wok

Learn, laugh and eat! School of Wok founder Jeremy Pang says he has three main goals: to eat great Asian food, to teach great Asian food, and to laugh while doing so.

The School of Wok started off as a mobile cooking school but now has a permanent professional kitchen in Covent Garden where you can sign up for one of the many Oriental cooking classes as an individual, or bring your colleagues for a fun and educational team-building experience. Operation Chinatown is the ultimate cooking challenge ⎯ each team is sent to Chinatown with a list of ingredients, a map and a deadline to get back to the School of Wok in time to rustle up a three-course Asian banquet. Gift vouchers available.

Address: 61 Chandos Pl, WC2N 4HG  Tel: 020 7240 8818   Website: www.schoolofwok.co.uk/
Nearest tube station: Covent Garden or Charing Cross

Casa Sibilla

Head to busy and bustling Brixton Market to find Casa Sibilla, where chefs Paola and Lydie serve up top-notch real Italian food using only the freshest seasonal ingredients sourced locally. Chef Paola is also an excellent teacher, we’ve heard, so be sure to get in touch if you want more information about the next master class in Italian food.

Address: 66/68 Granville Arcade, Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8PS  Tel: 07756 574077
Website: www.casa-sibilla.com/  Nearest tube station: Stockwell

Le Cordon Bleu

Recognised internationally for its world-class professionalism in delivering culinary programs, Le Cordon Bleu goes beyond teaching the fundamentals of cookery to include hospitality, food management, gastronomy, nutrition and wine pairing.

Whether you aspire to be a culinary professional or simply the best party host, Le Cordon Bleu has a vast range of courses to match your ambition and budget.

Address: 15 Bloomsbury Square, WC1A 2LS  Tel: 020 7400 3900
Website: www.cordonbleu.edu/london/cafe-le-cordon-bleu/en

Nearest tube station: Holborn

La Cucina Caldesi

Everyone loves Italian food, and the owners of La Cucina Caldesi share their passion for the cuisine as the only dedicated Italian cookery school in London. The success of Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi’s first book Italian Mama’s Kitchen led them to open their London cookery school in a quiet lane just down the road from Caffé Caldesi. Regular day, evening and weekend classes for adults and children range from £40 to £180, tutored by guest Italian chefs including Valentina Harris.

Address: 118 Marylebone Ln, W1U 2QF  Tel: 020 7487 0756

Website: www.caldesi.com/la-cucina-caldesi/           Nearest tube station: Bond Street

Divertimenti Cookery School

Divertimenti is renowned for being the ultimate cookshop selling beautifully finished, high quality cookware. No wonder its cookery school takes place in a luxuriously designed kitchen with the finest appliances.

Classes are competitively priced and teach a mix of classic and contemporary menus. Their Hands On Classes are limited to nine people to ensure everyone gets practical experience, while Demonstration Classes held around the Chef’s Table are an opportunity to watch leading chefs prepare a variety of dishes from around the world. Teen Cuisine classes for young people focus on a culinary theme such as Mexican food, Italian or Cupcakes. If you sign up for a course you will also receive a 10% discount Divertimenti shopping coupon.

Address: 227-229 Brompton Rd, SW3 2EP  Tel: 020 7486 8020  Website: www.divertimenti.co.uk/cookery-school 

Nearest tube station: South Kensington

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