The latest lifestyle, fashion and travel trends
The latest lifestyle, fashion and travel trends
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of sitting down to eat a meal you’ve made yourself.
Cooking has long been billed as ‘therapeutic’ and a way to de-stress, but a recent study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology has found that cooking and baking can make you feel more relaxed and happier in your everyday life.
Yet, living in London leaves little time to cook; when we’re not at work we’re either sleeping or socialising.
So why not mix in some socialising with learning new ways to cook? The more cooking skills you gain, the more you will enjoy it and make time for it – so grab some friends (or go solo) and head to one of the cooking classes below.
The Dusty Knuckle
The Dusty Knuckle bakery in Dalston is also home to The Dusty Knuckle School of Baking located in a shipping container opposite the shop. The all-day, half-day and evening classes will teach you how to make a killer loaf of bread or a number of delicious pastries from scratch. Plus the class includes a delicious dinner and drinks, including beers from its neighbours at the 40ft Brewery.
Price: from £75
Location: E8 3DP
Mimo
A new foodie experience is coming to Borough Market in April, as the husband and wife team behind Mimo from Spain’s Basque Country will bring the award-winning cookery school to London. Using produce from the market next door, the cooking classes will specialise in Iberian cuisine along with British fare. Learn to make Spanish tapas and paella or try a traditional Portuguese cuisine class. A modern British class is also available as is learning to make the perfect Sunday roast how to make a luxe afternoon tea.
Price: from £175
Location: SE1 1TL
Yuki’s Kitchen
A Japan food fan’s dream, Yuki’s Kitchen is run by Japanese chef Yuki Gomi. Her individual evening classes offer an array of options covering traditional Japanese food including udon noodles, sushi, ramen and gyozas. You can also take a full course, singular classes or even have a one-on-one teaching session.
Price: £60 – £85
Location: SE19 3PU
My Home from Umbria
A different take on the traditional cooking class. Watch and learn as Assia Rosica cooks up traditional Italian food sourced from their hometown of Umbria. Each Thursday they host an event at their apartment in Holburn with a maximum of 12 guests, learning to cook the food and ending the night with a lively dinner party.
Price: around £53
Location: WC1
Food at 52
Each cooking class at Food at 52 is centred on a certain cuisine. You can choose from Vietnamese, Spanish, Italian, Thai, Moroccan and Southern Indian among others. Multiple classes are offered each month with their ‘half day’ class running from 6:30pm to 10pm – perfect for an after work simmer down.
Price: £115 – £145
Location: EC1V 8AJ
E5 Bakehouse
While they offer a number of brilliant classes, our pick would be the sourdough pizza class. Here you will learn how to make the perfect sourdough base and prepare a traditional tomato sauce base. The evening class runs twice per month and beer is included. In 2019 they are offering a week-long baking retreat to southern Spain which includes a full-day sourdough workshop and half-day pizza making class.
Price: £70
Location: E8 3PH
e5bakehouse.com/classes/pizzas
Anna Barnett’s Summer Cookery Classes
The Standard’s food columnist, Anna Barnett has teamed up with Miele to bring a number of intimate cooking classes to Londoners this summer. Available for groups of up to eight people, Barnett will teach attendees everything from kitchen basics to her favourite tips, tricks and hacks for quick, fuss free cooking.
Price: £125
Divertimenti Cookery School
This school offers something for everyone. From amateurs to professional cooks, the diverse selection of classic and on-trend classes will cater to everyone’s taste. With each masterclass you are paired with a well-known chef or foodie who will guide you through the recipes – whether it be learning the art of the chocolate dessert from Hotel Chocolat or cooking for a Japanese dinner party with Reiko Hashimoto – the options are endless.
Price: Varies per class
Location: SW3 2EP
divertimenti.co.uk/cookery-school
Leiths School of Food and Wine
Whether you want to learn how to make artisan pasta, learn the art of Malaysian street food or how to bring Persian recipes to life – this is your place. Leiths prides itself on continually trialling new food trends and incorporating them into its cooking school.
Price: From £95 to £185
Location: W12 9RT
Le Cordon Bleu
The famed cookery school not only trains chefs but they also offer day and evening classes for the aspiring cook. Whether you want to make pistachio croissants for Christmas breakfast, try your hand at baking artisan Italian bread or make handmade truffles and bon bons, there’s a course for everyone.
Price: Varies per class
Location: WC1A 2LS
The Cookery School at Little Portland Street
The Cookery School at Little Portland Street offers a range of day and evening classes for all ages and abilities across a number of cuisines. Informal but well-structured, some of the class options include vegan cooking, eating for a healthy gut, the ultimate baking course and a taste of Mexico.
Price: £125 for singular classes – £860 for multiple-day courses
Location: W1W 8BW
Pasta Remoli
Choose from four classes that will teach you all the essentials you need to make authentic Italian pasta. You can do one or all of them and pick between gnocchi, ravioli, tagliatelle and a number of others to handmake.
Price: £75 per session or £275 for four-week course
Location: W5 2TD
pastaremoli.co.uk/masterclasses
Pied à Terre
You can go behind the scenes at this Michelin-starred restaurant and learn how to make your very own Michelin-worthy meal. Taking place one per month, you will help to prepare food before being treated to a four-course lunch. The course usually takes five people so if you have a group you can do it together.
Price: £230 per person
Location: W1T 2NH
pied-a-terre.co.uk/masterclass-kitchen-experience
The Avenue Cooking School
The Avenue Cooking School has a class to suit everyone’s schedule. Whether you’d like to do a day class, evening or weekend class you can choose from a number of delightful course like the macaron masterclass, Mexican street food class or learn how to make delicious Thai food. There’s even an after school cooking class for the young people in your life.
Price: From £55
Location: SW18 1FZ
Borough Kitchen
With locations in both Hampstead and Chiswick, Borough Kitchen offer a number of three-hour classes. Choose from a Chinese dumplings and bao class, a gluten free baking class, learn how to cook a whole fish or how to make filled pasta. If you’re buying it as a gift, they offer a gift card so the recipient can choose their own class.
Price: £99
Location: NW3 1RG & W4 1PP
boroughkitchen.com/cookschool/
