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10 Best UK Cookery Courses

Best cookery courses in the UK: From Michelin-star masterclasses to fun, casual date nights

best cookery lessons UK
  • A great cookery course can help you go from a complete kitchen novice to experienced and confident cook in just a few hours, with hundreds of cuisines, dishes and more to master
  • Learn first-hand tips and tricks from some of the most experienced chefs and cooks in the food industry, or enjoy more relaxed and casual social affairs, designed to give date nights or special occasions a more creative and interesting flair!
  • Explore cuisines from around the world and learnt to create those rare and beloved dishes you adore to eat but can’t quite seem to master by your own hand
  • From long, intensive, educational sessions to short and sweet, immersive experiences – there’s a cookery course out there to suit everyone’s own personal taste

Our Top Courses For Fun And Engaging Cooking Lessons

The Best Cooking Courses In The UK

Cookery lessons and courses are a fun, socially-engaging way to get better in the kitchen, whether you’re a complete chump who’s never even picked up a whisk or something of a dab hand who’s just looking to broaden their knowledge.

That’s because cookery lessons are designed to be suited to all levels of cook – as the whole beauty of cooking is that anyone can do it provided they’re willing to learn!

As long as you’ve got the passion and enthusiasm for food (and let’s face it, most of us do), then you’re likely going to slot into a cookery course no bother, with plenty of forms available to choose from.

To select our favourite courses in the UK, we’ve made our picks based on the nation’s most beloved cuisines, restaurants and celebrity chefs, so we can hit you with a great mix of fine culinary schools and more relaxed, social affairs.

Bon Appetit!

Cookery Course Advice: Before You Buy

Things To Consider

Location

Unfortunately, not all of us live within a stone’s throw of a fantastic cookery class, especially if you’re wanting a really upmarket experience from a particular restaurant. For fun and casual cookery events for friend’s parties or a date night, you should find it relatively easy to find a pizza or pasta making class somewhere near you, but serious cookery courses tend to vary depending on your geographical location.

People

Are you looking for a great solo gift for the wannabe chef in your life, or do you need to mix up your weekend activities with a fun experience for two? Cookery course packages tend to come in one of either of these options, so if you’re looking to entertain a large party of people, you may have to contact your chosen cookery course to request more places.

Duration

If you’re after a relaxed and casual event, it’s probably not wise to choose something with well over a three-hour duration, as you’ll likely tire and get bored well before the end. However, if it’s an intense and serious cooking course you’re after, there are plenty of half-day and full-day cooking courses with experienced chefs out there, with some offering a full 14 hour day in the kitchen!

Cuisine

When choosing a cookery course, try and pick a cuisine you want to refine your skills at or cuisine you love but have no experience within the kitchen.

Unless you’re just out to have fun, never pick a class just because it sounds unusual or different – as if you don’t end up eventually making the dishes, it’s going to be a big waste of your time and money.

Intensity/Atmosphere

If you read the descriptions of certain cookery courses, you’ll see the differences in tone vary greatly. For those who fancy themselves as a would-be chef, there are many intense classes which will put you through your paces and elevate your understanding of cooking, however, this is probably the completely wrong atmosphere for casuals looking for a laugh!

Always read the description on what the course entails to work out whether it’s serious and educational or a fun, social event. And of course, sometimes they can be a mixture of both!

Availability

As many of these classes take place in busy restaurants and are taught by hard-working, busy cooks, they won’t always offer the most convenient timings.

In general, cookery courses run by restaurants and companies tend to take part on a certain day of a week or on select occasions throughout the year to ensure the lessons do not conflict with their normal working day.

Be sure to check what kind of dates your chosen course can offer and whether it fits your timetable.

Time Slots

Similar to the above, most cooking lessons run by restaurants and companies need to be fitted around a working day and away from busy periods. This means they are often unusually not held at weekends and can often be held in evening weekday hours.

Again, be sure to check your chosen course offers timeslots to match up with your schedule.

Celebrity Expert/Draw

If you know your Nigella Lawsons from your Nigel Slaters, then having your cookery course run by a certified cookbook legend or well-regarded chef is always going to be a huge plus point.

Be careful though, as going to particular cookery schools or events under the name of a celebrity chef may not actually feature an appearance from them unless it specifically says so!

Age Restrictions

By and large, most cookery classes are exclusively for adults of 18 and over, however, if you are looking to gift an experience for a younger person who is getting into cooking, there are some available to lower age groups (usually provided they have an adult guardian with them)

Price

Cookery classes tend to be on the expensive side – especially if run by highly trained chefs. For Michelin star courses or well-regarded cookery schools, you can expect to pay up to £200, sometimes for as little as just a 3 hour day.

However, if you want something more fun and relaxed, your best bet is to choose a lesson which focuses on a particular cuisine or dish that’s fun or educational to make. These are often the cheapest options, ranging from around £30-60 per person.

Common Cooking Course Queries

How much should I pay for a cookery class?

It depends entirely on the experience you’re looking for.

If you want an in-depth, educational course from an experienced chef or cookery school, you can often end up paying hundreds of pounds for just 3 -6 hours of tutelage. Whether that price is worth it is entirely up to you and your opinions on the school/chef and the level of expertise they’re offering.

For a more relaxed and fun evening though, we’d suggest you might simply pay the same amount you would to attend another event such as a music gig or sporting fixture (£20-£40).

Do I need cooking experience to take a cookery lesson?

One of the main aims of nearly all cookery courses and classes is to try and show the customers that cooking is not an exclusive exercise and that with the right education and know-how, anyone can become a phenomenal cook.

This means it is a very rare event that a course won’t accept a complete novice onto their course, as the course leader or chef actively wants to help people get better, rather than turn away anyone who is seemingly lost in the kitchen.

Given that many top chefs only take up cooking in their early adulthood, this is not a talent you’re born with or has to be learnt from a young age; you’re never too old to learn and should never be intimidated by what a course entails!