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.

Not quite the same as when it opened. I asked where I could buy something that was on the display…read more The shop was empty and I clearly didn't look important enough so he waved his hand and said, 'downstairs'! Went in there to get some glassware. Everything was dusty and filthy and my palms were black with dirt from handling items. Told the shop assistant and he said something along the lines of, 'this isn't Harrods. Why do you think I wear these? (he was wearing latex gloves)'. He also mentioned they were on a main road and things get dusty. Why then is the neighbouring Skandium immaculate? I love this store but stick to the Marylebone High Street branch. It's much more lovelier and awesome and you don't leave wanting to take a shower! Yuk!

Pure kitchen romance. This is where love affairs with things like copper pots and French cooking…read moretechniques start. The store is *gorgeous.* If the store's warm wood-floored interior and enticing shelves filled with decadent kitchen appliances doesn't seduce you into joining the snobbish ranks of high-brow cooking and epicure - I don't know what will. I *love* this store. I can spend copious amounts of time browsing each and every corner... admiring the unique dishware... inspecting the waffle iron... contemplating the varieties of saffron. And unless you want to spend the entire afternoon in the shop, don't even let me go downstairs where they keep piles of the most fantastic cook books. This is also where they hold their classes - expert instruction on everything from Chinese cooking to Whiskey tasting... but if you want to sign up, don't procrastinate... they book up quickly... most of January's offerings are already sold out.

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 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.

Great selection of books and very friendly, helpful proprietor; it's a lovely spot a few steps off…read morethe main market road where you can find books on just about anything cooking related. I would definitely recommend allowing yourself some time there.

Ever scoured sites such as Amazon to find that perfect cookbook? Ever been disappointed when you…read morecan't find an out of stock cookbook that has the pumpkin pie recipe to end all pumpkin pie recipes? I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this store, it's a foodie's paradise. There are some 8,000 recipe books filling the shelves from floor to ceiling on all manner of topics related to food: history, nutrition, art, chemistry and so much more. But here's the real attention grabber - at the back there is a reasonably priced cafe dishing up different treats from the 'test kitchen' which is devoted to trying out the recipes from the books themselves. Upstairs, too, they run cooking classes. So if you want to be the next kitchen big shot, look no further.

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

My daughter and Is attended a sushi making class this past Monday, and overall we had a great time…read more The classroom was spotless and beautifully set up. Our stations were spacious and organized. The instructor was personable and helpful, and was quite thorough. The price was quite reasonable, especially as children were free with a paid adult. The few negatives were that the room was FREEZING and the class started 15 minutes late. Overall we'd definitely return and would recommend this school and class to others!

One of the best cookery school classes I've been to. Not unreasonably priced; helpful and thorough…read moretuition; plus I learned lots of new techniques I'd never come across before. The pea and mint risotto and arancini balls we learned to make were simple enough that you could make them at home with some ease and I was very proud of the finished result.

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!

Founded in 1882 by Edward, Prince of Wales (later Kind Edward VII), the RCM is one of the great…read moreeducational institutions of the UK. A world-leading conservatoire of music, the list of former students reads as a 'Who's Who' in the world of British Classical music, including Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Benjamin Britten, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, the conductor Leopold Stokowski, Dame Joan Sutherland and Sir James Galway. Designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield, the main building was completed in 1894. Its red-brick façade rather freely mixes Classical, Romanesque and Gothic elements, all framed by two large towers in the French Baronial style. It provides an imposing prospect from the steps of the Royal Albert Hall opposite. The interior includes two major performance spaces in the Concert Hall (added in 1901 to the designs of the architect Sidney J Smith) and the more intimate Britten Theatre, alongside practice rooms and a smaller recital hall. The Library has an important collection of original scores and manuscripts from late mediaeval times to the present, and an impressive museum of instruments, which includes 800 items from 1480 to the present. The college provides academic courses for 600 students from undergraduate to postgraduate level, and the libraries and museum can be accessed by those undertaking research contact them ahead of your visit to discuss your requirements. The building is open to the public for performances, which focus on major classical works, opera and chamber music, and the museum is open to the public (free entrance) from Tuesday to Friday from 14h until 16.30h. Recitals are also held in nearby churches and other public buildings. The studios can be hired by musicians, and the halls can be booked for conferences and other major events.

For starters this has nothing to do with the College itself. It is about the "museum" inside, the…read morelay out and the staff. The college is located in the outside of the city of London. It is more like the suburbs of the city. It is in a very traditional looking part of town and is directly across from the Royal Albert Hall, which is very fitting. However, when you enter the college you are immediately in the college you are in the Lobby where there is a desk manager in attendance to keep the students of the campus safe from strangers (Stranger Danger!!!). However the guy who was working when I was there was very weird. He kept ignoring us and our questions. He mumbled so we couldn't really hear what he was saying. The directions located on the building to point us to the museum where they house very old instruments like pianos violins, and a wait for it.... harp guitar. Yes that's right citizens harp guitar. It was very interesting. The directions led us in circles and we accidentally ended up at the studios where the students go to re-string their instruments or practice. The museum was very small and very cold in order to preserve the instruments. The lady working there didn't really say much. She just sat there. My mom was really tired from walking around all day so we decided to take the elevator back up to the main floor to leave. So when we got in the elevator we assumed when we hit 1 it would take us back to the main floor in the lobby. No. It took us INSIDE a students studio room. As we were in the elevator were thinking "Oh wow this is some really nice elevator music. Very cool" when the doors opened all I saw was a bow moving back and forth, back and forth. I almost wanted to click the close door button and run away. The girl who was practicing turned around and gave us a very weird look but she never stopped playing. So good for her! But seriously who puts an elevator in a studio room?! I mean really? really?! that's just ridiculous. But if you're the girl whose room we accidentally burst into, SORRY! But again so weird your studio has an elevator in it. There are also free shows to watch the students perform but we didn't get a chance to see it because it's not every day that is available. Maybe if I saw this it would have heightened my experience here.