By far the best cooking day and class every. I attended the meat and poultry class and it was…read moreamazing! I've now done classes in Paris, Barcelona and London and the one at the Cookery School is by far the best!!!!! Ill Be taking more classes when I return to London

I attended a half day course 'The ultimate meat and poultry'. Surpassed expectations on all counts…read more The cookery school is centrally located, just off Regent St.Surprisingly compact inside but everything worked well due to great organisation of the space and activities. We were welcomed with freshly baked caraway seed cakes and cheese scones, still warm from the oven with tea or coffee. Our group of ten budding cooks was split into 3 groups. We had around ten dishes to make so each group did three / four dishes. The chef leading the class was excellent. Too many dishes to describe here but highlights included guinea fowl (a favourite of mine) braised in red wine and port, spatchcock poussin, lamb stew, duck with orange and roast beef with Yorkshire pud. We all worked on fully deboning a chicken which we then stuffed with a mushroom mixture, tied up like a burrito (I think ballotine is the correct term) and took home to eat. I can report it was delicious. On the side we also made two rice dishes and creme caramels. Finally, after a 10 am start and solid demo, concentrated prep and cooking, we reached 3pm. The table was set and the group sat down to eat what became a 10 course tasting menu. Tired and weak with hunger we ate and ate sampling each dish with a nice glass or two of wine to accompany. As well as being interesting and educational, it was enjoyable and learned lots of new tips and cookery techniques. It was busy and intense but not too much and pitched to the group who all had a reasonable level of cooking knowledge. I have the recipe cards and slowly working through some of the dishes we made...not too bad so far. Would definitely return for another class.

I just attended my first day class at Leiths, who offers courses for professional accreditation as…read morewell as "enthusiasts." The building and location were convenient and work space well laid out. The instructors, Adriana and Andrea, were phenomenal. I really appreciate how they took the time to explain technique and variations that can be applied at home. Also, the staff on hand to help with set-up and clean-up were amazing. They were always available to assist and contributed a great deal to the good experience. -I wish I had someone to prepare all my ingredients and wash dishes at home! My only complaint is related to the temperamental ovens. An oven can make or break all the hard work that goes into preparing a dish. Technique and materials went out the door with uneven, inaccurate ovens. Leiths offers such a wide variety of classes so I'll likely sign-up again...for a class that doesn't require an oven.

I am very impressed I took a baking course at Lieth one…read moremorning and expected to be handful of housewives attending to pass time. To my surprise the class had over 40 people of all ages and professions And the day was so organised, starting with the theory part of baking, the tea, coffee and tasty lunch breaks To the kitchen itself All ingredients were ready on stations, instructors were helpful and washing up was so prompt I remember nothing but perfection of that day and the lovely bread, cheese and jam I was given to take with me home. If I can get myself on another cooking workshop (seems to be very hard to sign in these days all fully booked) I will be the happiest

I was shopping for a unique cooking class experience as a birthday gift to my friends. After…read morebrowsing through many cookery school offerings nothing seemed to either match my friend's tastes or was promising to be a personal enough experience. I was quite relieved and excited when I found Old Town Cooks through a recommendation. A cooking class in your own home with no hassle, no shopping (and no cleaning), just enjoying preparing and eating incredibly tasty food - that's what I was looking for! The chef, Chris, is a real pro. We worked out a 3-course menu based on produce in season. On the day of the class Chris brought everything with him down to tissues and dishwasher soap. We learned a lot about knife technique, opening scallops, making your own brioche, baking egg yolks (delicious!), making apple salsa and coconut milk sauce, and much more. And, boy, was that one of the tastiest dinners I've ever had! True unique experience. My friends are still talking about this unforgettable evening.

I wholeheartedly recommend cooking lessons with Old Town Cooks. From being an absolute novice,…read moreafter just 4 lessons I now have a whole repertoire of dishes up my sleeve. Chris from Old Town Cooks is an excellent teacher and unbelievable cook (he works in some of the best restaurants and with the best chefs in London). The lessons are fun and are very good value (especially because my wife and I ended every lesson with a 3 course michelin starred quality meal!). I had previously thought about going for group cooking lessons, but it was so much better learning with my own equipment and having Chris come to the house. Overall, an excellent experience which has given me much more confidence in my cooking.

I took my Mum for a curry masterclass with Book a Cook, run by the lovely Nikki Mohan. I had heard…read moreabout Nikki from a friend who booked her for a group cookery class for a sophisticated hen do. Nikki holds cookery classes covering everything from curry to paella, baklava and more for small groups, and also cooks for events big and small. Our class was a revelation. We may be a nation of curry-scoffers but when it comes to getting spicy at home, it's hard to emulate the local tandoori for flavour and authenticity. My own curries, despite hours of pounding, grinding and chopping and multi-coloured and multi-flavoured ingredients have always been disappointing. So, my Mum and I were keen to get to grips with our menu of chicken curry, aubergine curry, spicy green beans, cabbage salad, turmeric rice and tamarind refresher. Nikki - though not Indian herself - has strong Indian connections. She told us a bit about the most important indian spices and about the knack of heating spices to release their fragrance before adding onion, followed by garlic. We learnt how it's important to sniff what you're cooking so you don't overcook. This is important with garlic for instance as if you let it go brown it tastes bitter. As well as our array of savoury main dishes, Nikki taught us a cheat's mango fool - a one-minute-to-make dessert that will be on my dinner party menu. Our class was informal and set in her well-equipped kitchen (although she can travel to yours if you prefer). Three hours later, we had prepared and then tucked into a mouth-watering feast of many flavours and textures, washed down with home made tamarind refresher infused with mint, cumin and lemon.

London's Best Cookery Schools Hashi Cooking…read more Hashi Cooking - Pictures @ The London Foodie (http://www.thelondonfoodie.co.uk ) I first met Reiko Hashimoto for her Sushi & Sashimi Class in May 07. Since that first fateful encounter, I have attended most of Reiko's classes, met the most delightful people and learnt a great deal about Japanese cuisine and culture. All classes are held at Reiko's beautiful home in Wimbledon Park for a small number of people. Sitting by her spacious kitchen island with other Japanese food aficionados, Reiko demonstrates in great detail all dishes to be cooked on the day. The informal and friendly setting, coupled with Reiko's contagious enthusiasm, gets everyone talking and asking questions, more like a cooking party at a friend's house. Ingredients are already prepared, and no time is taken washing or chopping them. Involvement is highly encouraged, but attention is focussed mostly on learning the various techniques, like the different ways of rolling sushi, preparing Japanese omelette (tamago), or assembling and frying tempura. In addition to the Sushi & Sashimi Class on Saturdays, Reiko also runs 4-session evening courses. These are designed for students who would like to learn about Japanese food in greater depth and are held at all levels from Beginners, Home Cooking and Gourmet, to Master Chef. Classes are not necessarily taken in this order starting at the Gourmet level, I then took the Home Cooking and Master Chef courses - all very different in nature but equally enjoyable. At the end of the four courses, participants will have learnt how to prepare more than 60 delicious Japanese dishes which can easily be recreated in their own kitchen. All classes' menus can be found at Hashi Cooking's website. I recently returned to Hashi Cooking and was lucky enough to take part in the last session of this season's Gourmet Course. As usual I was welcomed by an eclectic group of students the gorgeous Bann (a dentist of Iraqi descent), Amy (a charming Malaysian architect), Alex (the Law student), who at 21, was given Reiko's course as a gift and was thoroughly enjoying himself, and Arly, a Norwegian fellow who lived in Japan for years and can speak fluent Japanese. We started the evening with a demonstration of one of my favourite dishes Cha Soba Green Tea Flavoured Noodles with Squid and Spicy Yakumi Sauce. The Yakumi Sauce had just right amount of spiciness and the combination of squid, coriander and the green tea noodles was delicious. The Tofu Steak with Japanese Mushrooms in Soy Butter Sauce is, in my opinion, an excellent introduction to Tofu: a wonderful Japanese ingredient, sadly unloved by the Western palate. Reiko's recipe uses buttered Japanese mushrooms, like enoki, shimeji and shiitake, and crisply fried tofu steaks to convert even the most sceptical of foodies. An interesting addition to this season's menu was Roasted Butterflied Chicken Marinated with White Miso & Ginger Paste the meat soaked up the sweet white miso and ginger paste beautifully as it roasted, also helping to keep the meat moist and tender. The star of the evening however was Reiko's signature dish Grilled Scallops on Sushi Rice with Creamy Spicy Sauce. I have made this dish many times at home whenever I am cooking Japanese food for friends - it is one of the best dishes of all her courses. The flying fish roe, seaweed, scallops in sushi rice topped with the creamy, spicy sauce combine very well together. A real winner. As a half-Japanese, I always felt I knew the food of my ancestors Reiko made me re-consider this while helping me to replicate some of the flavours of my childhood I had long lost. I have great respect for what Reiko has achieved over the years, which is to de-mystify what to so many people wrongly seems an overly sophisticated and expensive cuisine based solely on raw fish, while making real Japanese cuisine available to thousands of people in the UK. I would highly recommend Hashi Cooking to anyone wanting to learn more about Japanese food and culture, meet some fascinating people on the way and eat the most scrumptious food!

A really great way to learn about Japanese cooking, great for those of us who love cooking but are…read morenervous about this cuisine. Reiko is a very warm and welcoming host and also has a great teaching style - meticilous and thorough but also ensuring that each student gets practical hands-on experience with tricky techniques and has opportunities to ask lots of questions. Would highly recommend it.

Kitchen Queen is a great way to take cooking classes. The classes are both a lot of fun and very…read moreconvenient! I absolutely loved the class itself with a great teacher and believe there are currently no other cookery schools that not only come to your house to deliver the class but also let you specify any dishes you have always wanted to know how to cook. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and would always highly recommend the service to anyone!

Kitchen Queen is such a wonderful idea. Booked a lesson really easily via the website…read more(http://www.kitchenqueen.co.uk) . The lesson was completely tailored to our needs (we have a fussy family so this was great!) & very quickly we given a lovely list of recipe ideas to choose from for our lesson. The lesson itself was great fun & very informative.....have already booked our second lesson & also considering buying gift vouchers for certain friends who could use a little help in the kitchen. Wonderful stuff!

I have just completed the Advanced Professional Chef Course with the Academy and I can honestly say…read morethat taking the course was the best decision I've ever made. I've always had a passion for cooking but never thought I would be able to develop a career out of it. The course took me from the very basics to all kinds of new and different advanced techniques and skills. I worked in some amazing fine dining restaurants, but the real highlight was working in a Michelin star restaurant kitchen which is something I never though I could possibly do. I am very happy to say that I am starting my new job as a chef in a restaurant in Central London next week and can't wait to start. Thanks to all the staff at the Academy who were so welcoming and friendly, we must meet up for that drink soon! You've helped me achieve my dream, thank you!

I worked on the Pastry Course. The chefs were great and to a taught to a high standard. Looking to…read moredo another course with Chef Academy soon.

I've been baking breads for quite a long time now, but I haven't been able to be very consistent in…read moreterms of producing equal quality loaves: sometimes my dough fails to rise; sometimes it rises too much; sometimes it's underbaked when I cut into it and sometimes the flavour is off. I was looking at my favourite foodie-website here in London (Edible Experiences) and there I cam across Maria's Baking Lab. I spent some time browsing the website and then signed up for one of the bread baking classes: The fundamentals of bread baking. The class was lead by Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, an artisan baker from heart. I really enjoyed his teaching style, which is hands-on and very informative; each step in the baking process is explained and he tells you exactly why you do this and what the processes behind it are. The course lasted from about 6pm to 9:30pm and during that time we baked a wholemeal bread, some wholemeal bread rolls and a soda bread. For me, most of the stuff that we did wasn't anything new, but what I really enjoyed was learning some good (kneading) techniques that will make sure my future loaves will be of better consistency. I can recommend this class to anyone and I'm now also eyeballing with the upcoming sourdough classes...my sourdough bread baking attempts have been even less successful and I'd really love to get a handle on this technique. (I grew up in Germany and sourdough breads are just a fundamental way of living there.)

Anything that has food involved in it makes Shrim a very happy girl, although I am not too sure…read moreabout the lab bit (hated chemistry in school :p). The Baking Lab hosted a team building workshop for us where we had to bake our own bagels and pizza (woohoo). Located in a very mysterious building where you literally need to walk through an alley way and then walk up some old stairways, it almost made me feel like I am on the sets of a James Bond film! We went in and were greeted very warmly by the chef there who was teaching us how to BAKE! :) We were taught how to knead pizza dough and bagel dough which was something very new to me, there are so many things that we think we know but in reality we don't! For example I had no idea that if the dough starts sticking all you need to do is leave it for 15 minutes and then get back to it instead of adding extra flour to it. There are so many techniques of folding the dough as well which were very interesting. I also had absolutely no idea that Bagels need to be boiled in water before baking and that is what gives it the texture and guess what boiling the bagels was so therapeutic, could do that for hours! I am not giving out anymore secrets because you should try it out yourself -- go get down and dirty and covered in flour! Verdict : Absolutely loved it and can't wait to go back again to learn some new trade secrets!

I was lucky enough to go to the Qype event too. At first I was a little intimidated - Angela…read moredefinitely knows her stuff, and I always though dimsum was difficult, but after a demonstration and a bit of practice, I got it down! Her staff, especially Geoff, were absolutely brilliant. The food was tasty, and I learned a lot. The big downside though is that the school is in Acton Central, and a total pain to get to. Not a big deal if you live nearby, though!

Of all the things available just off the Uxbridge Road - cheap Chinese buffets, obscure bingo…read moreparlours and many a pizza joint, you don't expect to find a place for gastronomes. But Angela Malik's shop and cookery school seems to fit the bill. The shop itself is stuffed full of intriguing titbits, yumsies and quirky ingredients all designed to persuade you to get out your wallet - and then there's the kitchen just behind the shop, which simultaneously looks industrial and welcoming. The chefs on hand - Angela, Geoff, George - were all incredibly friendly in guiding us through the mysteries of the kitchen, what goes into making the taste sensation of the tongue and of course top quick tips for cooking. Don't overcook pork. I was there thanks to Qype for a session on how to make dim sum - I'd had some prior experience from my Dad - but the expert knowledge and guidance from Angela's team created much tastier dim sum while still somehow retaining that home-cooked feel. We also had some samples of her delicious range of Indian pestos - I haven't been a huge fan of 'Indian' food up till now but I might just have to explore the true Indian palette in a bit more detail. Now I just need to pop back to get some more ... groceries...