All of us, at some stage since the first lockdown plunged us into isolated uncertainty, have decided we’d take to the kitchen to pass some time. Whether this experimentation became a full-blown obsession, however, is what distinguishes one member of the general public from the next.
From sourdough starters, kimchi fermentation and pasta making from scratch to the honourable banana bread loaf and many, many other endeavours – the lockdown period saw any old Joe and Jane taking up and perfecting an artisan skill.
Since the world has begun to return to relative normalcy, many of us have ditched the kitchen in search of dining experiences that are fuss-free and designed and executed by the experts. However, a particular quote from what may be one of the first home chefs to explore how to replicate high-brow gastronomical techniques with limited utensils and expertise, continues to swirl in my head:
“...but I still think that one of the pleasantest of all emotions is to know that I, I with my brain and my hands, have nourished my beloved few, that I have concocted a stew or a story, a rarity or a plain dish, to sustain them truly against the hungers of the world.” - M.F.K Fisher, The Gastronomical Me
Though written in 1943, Fisher’s sentiment continues to ring true. Home-cooking enthusiasts are fuelled by an insatiable hunger that extends to our friends, family, and loved-ones. To cook is to create sustenance and weave an intricate tapestry of emotion at the same time – whether in the form of a humble jacket potato or an extravagant three-course meal aux delices. There’s a reason we so often refer to our favourite meals as soul food.
If, like M.F.K Fisher your hunger for food, knowledge and storytelling knows no bounds, we’ve rounded up a selection of the best cooking courses currently on offer in London.
Middle Eastern Mezze Cooking Class at Kitchen Skills for Two
Price per person: £119
Duration: 4 hours
Location: Sydenham, South London
This class is inspired by the vast and varied world of Middle Eastern culinary traditions. You’ll learn the techniques behind traditional mezze dishes originating from all over the Middle East, including marinated labne balls, hummus and its regional varieties and much more. You’ll even be able to learn from a falafel expert andf make fatayer from basic ingredients.
Buy now £119.00, Red Letter Days
Waitrose Cooking Courses - Ceviche & Margaritas
Price per person: £65
Duration: 2 hours
Location: Waitrose Cookery School
Hosted at the Waitrose Cookery School in King’s Cross, this class is designed to teach you all there is to know about the Peruvian raw fish dish. Plus, you’ll be greeted by a freshly shaked margarita upon entry to get you in the mood for some fresh cooking. Each ceviche dish that you learn to craft will also be paired with an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink by the dedicated Waitrose team.
Buy now £65.00, Waitrose
Ultimate Knife Skills Masterclass at The Jamie Oliver Cookery School
Price per person: £165
Duration: 5 hours
Location: Highbury and Islington
If, like us, you just watched Florence Pugh’s latest home cooking video, your ears might have pricked up at the mention of how a perfectly sharp knife and the know-how to use it properly do most of the work when you’re cooking.
During this workshop at the iconic Jamie Oliver Cookery School in London, you’ll learn how to use a knife like a true pro under the guidance of a professional chef chosen by Jamie himself. Covering the essential skills needed when handling vegetables, meat, fish and the basic safety involved in handling knives in the kitchen, this class is a wonderful option for home-chefs looking to hone their skills.
The class content includes how to select, handle and look after knives, fillet a fish, debone a chicken as well as the classic vegetable cuts. You’ll then learn to combine these newly mastered techniques to complete four whole dishes: chicken saltimbocca, sticky teriyaki chicken, noodle vegetable salad and a lovely fish dish.
Buy now £165.00, Virgin Experience Days
The Ultimate Fish and Shellfish Class at the Cookery School at Little Portland Street
Price per person: £230
Duration: 6 hours (full day)
Location: Fitzrovia
If you’re in the market to learn a little bit more than fileting a fish, this is the cooking course for you. Under the guidance of a Le professional chef you’ll learn to prepare a variety of fish and shellfish and a range of exquisite recipes which can be easily replicated at home.
Delve into the preparation and cooking of fish stews, mussels Provençale, scallops, lobster bisque, smoked mackerel pate, fish cakes, braised calamari and so much more. You’ll become a maestro of all things seafood in just one day.
Buy now £230.00, Virgin Experience Days
Sauce by The Langham – Master the Pasta – Half Day Class
Price per person: £150
Duration: 4 – 5 hours
Location: The Langham Hotel, Fitzrovia
Within the luxurious setting of The Langham hotel in London, you’ll be taught to master the Italian staple dish. You’ll be instructed how to roll out and make from scratch a plethora of different pasta shapes, as well as how to cook some classic sauces to go with them.
Buy now £150.00, Virgin Experience Days
Full Day Oriental Cookery Class at the School of Wok
Price per person: £185
Duration: Full day
Location: Covent Garden
Founded in 2009 by chef Jeremy Pang, the School of Wok’s aim is to ‘eat great Asian food, teach great Asian food and to laugh whilst doing so.’ Hailing from three generations of Chinese chefs, Jeremy’s great love for food and eating well was encouraged further by his father. School of Wok’s flagship cookery school in Covent Garden – just a stone’s throw away form Chinatown – offers a myriad of classes which explore the basics of Chinese, Korean and Japanese cuisine.
Some of their most popular classes include a ‘understanding the wok’ course, introduction to Dim Sum and a class which teaches all the Chinese takeaway classics.
In the full day Oriental Cookery Class, you’ll be able to choose between Thai, Chinese Banquet, Korean, Vietnamese, Takeaway Classics, Japanese or Indonesian cuisines.
Buy now £185.00, Virgin Experience Days
Yuki’s Kitchen
Price per person: From £85-£130
Duration: 1.5 – 3 hours
Location: South East London in-person, Online
Yuki Gomi is a Japanese chef, food writer and cookery teacher on a mission to bring the delights of Japanese home-cooking to everyone’s table. Having grown up in the mountains close to Mount Fuji, Yuki’s earliest memories of food are organic, home-grown produce cooked by her mother. After moving to Tokyo later in her adult life, her intimate love of food and desire to explore the possibilities of Japanese cuisine only grew.
Yuki trained as a chef at Le Cordon Bleu and spent years developing her very own Asian and fusion dishes. However, after returning to Japan and revisiting traditional Japanese perspectives, Yuki re-explored the nourishing wonder of true Japanese home-cooking. Classes are taught from her home in South London, and range from Miso and Umami Koji workshops, vegan Japanese cooking and Sushi-making classes. She also offers a range of online classes, including how to make Katsu Curry and an Okonomiyaki class.
Buy now £130.00, Yuki’s Kitchen
Food at 52
Price per person: £130
Duration: 3.5 hours
Location: Central London
Described as a ‘bohemian and artistic’ space in London, the Food at 52 cookery school offers fun and relaxing classes for friends, family, and colleagues. With wine constantly flowing, the home-style kitchen offers a range of course across a large variety of cuisines for both the seasoned home-chef and kitchen novices – including Mexican, Classic Italian, Thai, Moroccan, Vietnamese, Indian, Sicilian and more.
A family-run business founded by John Benbow, Food at 52 is for food lovers, social butterflies, knowledge seekers and those simply looking to have a grand old time.
Buy now £130.00, Food at 52
Spice Monkey
Price per person: £75-£140
Duration: 4.50 – 5 hours
Location: Alexandra Palace
Run by Nikita Gulhane, cooking classes at Spice Monkey revolve around preparing a complete Indian meal. Designed and adapted to accommodate lovers of cooking and those who are new to the trade, a day at Spice Monkey is all about learning the essential techniques to improve your chef’s instinct. Whichever course you choose to take, you’ll learn to prepare a total of five items – all the while exploring the incredible aromas of the spices integral to each dish.
The classes on offer include, Taste of the Punjab, Flavours of Central India, Student Curries and Keralan Kitchen.
Buy now £140.00, Spice Monkey
Malinche Mexican cooking class and dinner in Shoreditch
Price per person: £69
Duration: 4.5 hours
Location: Shoreditch
With just a four-person maximum, this Mexican cooking class and dinner in Shoreditch is certainly intimate. Hosted by a Mexican couple who have been based in London for a little over a year, they describe cooking and eating as ‘two of their greatest passions.’
During the day, you’ll learn how to cook an authentic Mexican dinner, including how to make tortillas and hot sauce from scratch. Afterwards, you’ll sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labour over some Mezcal and beer.
Buy now £69.00, Malinche
Leiths Classes / The French Kitchen
Price per person: £175
Duration: 4.5 hours
Location: Leiths School of Cookery and Win, Stamford Brook
For the home-cooking traditionalist and lovers of blockbuster classic Julie & Julia – enter the world of French cuisine at the iconic cookery school, Leiths London. You’ll learn how to craft a perfectly balanced duck breast salad from the Landes region, a Marseillaise salt cod with bouillabaisse sauce and a frangipane filled Pithiviers from Orlèans. That’s an entire culinary journey through France without ever leaving London.
Buy now £175.00, Leiths
