Top five cookery schools

More people than ever are turning to the kitchen to earn some extra cash in hard times, but which ones offer the best courses?

Cookery schools are big business at the moment. Whether you’re a beginner in the kitchen or a serious hobbyist looking to add finesse to your craft to start selling, there will be a school out there to meet your needs.

 What’s more, there’s a range of cooking styles that you can learn for a range of prices – so whether you fancy a spot of charcuterie or you could do with brushing up on your pastry skills somewhere out there is a course for you. 

Leith’s (for general cookery skills)

One of the most famous schools in Britain, if not the world, here you can learn a range of skills whether you’re a beginner or a professional. Some of the courses last a day or two while others stretch to full terms and cost an eye-watering £18,000.

If you’re on a tighter budget in terms of both time and cash, you could try out one of the evening classes designed specifically for enthusiasts that could give you the basic skills to get you started in your own business – or just help you discover what you’re truly passionate about it.

10 weeks of evening classes on a variety of programmes including ‘key cooking skills’ costs £690, or you could cram all the lessons into one intensive week for £750. All food and equipment is provided during lessons and there will usually be around 16 students to 2 teachers.

Leith’s School of Food and Wine is in London was established in 1975 in Notting Hill Gate. It can now be found in Wendell Road. More information can be found on the Leith’s School website.

Novelli Academy (for general cooking skills)

Owned by celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, the Novelli academy is rated as one of the top 25 cookery schools in the world and provides a wide variety of options for all levels of skill.

Set in a Fourteenth century Hertfordshire house, all of the chefs that teach at the school are personally approved by Novelli himself. The one or two day classes contain a maximum of 8 students during hands-on courses, or 14 for demonstration courses and are based around seasonal themes and regions.

A one-day French patisserie course, in which you’ll pick up all the basics for creating perfect baked goods costs £195 but there are also courses on Indian cooking, healthy eating, relaxed entertaining, game, British cookery, knife skills and much more.

More information can be found on the Novelli Academy website.

Squire’s Kitchen (for baking)

A number of high profile teachers appear regularly at Squire’s Kitchen. Those include Alan Dunn, Eddie Spence MBE (cake baker to the royal family no less) and Naomi Yamamoto. The senior tutor is Paddi Clark, one of the UK’s leading figures in sugarcraft while Mark Tilling has recently joined the team and was the UK Chocolate Master from 2006-2010.

Jenny from Squire’s Kitchen perhaps best explains why the school and its courses have become increasingly popular recently. “Since the recession hit the UK there has been a big surge in interest. Many people who have become redundant have opted to do courses with us a possible future form of income for them, or simply as a rewarding hobby,” she says.

Squire’s Kitchen is located at The Grange, a Georgian building in Farnham, Surrey.  Prices are varied, but expect to pay around £125 for a day course or up to £675 for a six-day intensive course. More information can be found on the Squire’s Kitchen website.

Padstow sea-food school (for fish)

At sea-food aficionado Rick Stein’s Cornwall school, classes are a balance of demonstrations and hands-on cooking and are available between 1 and 4 days.

One of the most popular courses at the school is called simply ‘Original Fish and Shellfish Cookery’ and costs £195 for one day, with ingredients and equipment provided you get the added bonus of sitting down to eat your creations at the end of the day.

Recommended by Gordon Ramsay, the course will help you with the selection, preparing and cooking of fish and shellfish. If you’re worried about blowing the budget, you can always pop along to an evening demonstration which costs only £14 and should give you an idea whether the course is for you.

More information can be found on the Padstow Seafood School website.

Ashburton Cookery School (for general cooking skills)

Named as the best cookery school for skills by BBC Good Food, Ashburton has more than 40 courses to choose from whether you’re at beginner or pro level and range from 1 day to 4 weeks.

All of the tutors are professional chefs, and here you could pick up some of the essential skills you might need to work in the food industry including one-day breadmaking or knife skills (and plenty more) for £149.

The courses include expert demonstration from the tutors as well as all the equipment and ingredients you will need. Not only that but you’ll get a chef’s assistant to clean-up and wash dishes as you go… if only you could take them home at the end of the day.

Ashburton Cookery School is located in a picturesque Georgian market town on the edge of Dartmoor. For more information, visit the Ashburton Cookery School website.

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