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.

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

If you need a copper preserving pan, a bean slicer, a macaroon mat or a dried chilli grinder, this…read moreis the place for you. It is literally kitchen porn. It's not huge, but it is packed with everything you could ever want in a kitchen, and a few implements that even I was unsure of what to do with! The staff are extremely friendly and helpful and it's almost impossible to escape without having bought anything. I wandered in with a (guy) friend who pooh-poohed all kitchenware, and yet even he walked out with a Japanese carving knife at £60... They even get stock in for you if you ask them to. I feel a bit bad, as I asked them to get in a bean slicer, only to immediately find one elsewhere. The 10 bean slicers sitting forlornly on their hook stare at me every time I go in...I don't feel too bad though, I have since bought a jam funnel, some olive wood spoons and a special cleaning brush for sweetcorn.

From the owner: Borough Kitchen provides everything the at-home chef needs from the kitchen to the table. We…read moreprovide what we believe are the Best of the Best and, where there is a high-quality value alternative, the Best of Value. Our selection includes cookware, bakeware, tableware and barware, as well as a selection of electricals. Brands we carry include: Mauviel, All-Clad, Staub, DeBuyer, Paderno, Lodge, Kai, Wusthof, Zwiesel, Peugeot, Serax, Leonardo, and Rosle. Looking around the world with a focus on quality, functionality and durability, we seek to find not just the best brands, but the products they are best at. From these, we rigorously test and select the best products in each category. In store and online, we then share with you the reasons why we love the products we've chosen. Our services include: gift cards, wedding & gift registry, personal shopping, click & collect from our website, and tax-free shopping.

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!

My daughter and I loved the cooking class with Carla ! She is a passionate and knowledgable chef…read moreand teacher ! I recommend Carla's class to everyone.

From the owner: Borough Kitchen Cook Shop provides everything the at-home chef needs from the kitchen to the table,…read morewhile our Cook School is a hands-on programme of courses designed to teach skills rather than just recipes. Our cook shop provides what we believe are the Best of the Best and, where there is a high-quality value alternative, the Best of Value. From our cook shop, the selection includes cookware, bakeware, tableware and barware, as well as a selection of electricals. Brands we carry include: Mauviel, All-Clad, Staub, DeBuyer, Paderno, Lodge, Kai, Wusthof, Zwiesel, Leonardo, Peugeot, Serax and Rosle. Looking around the world with a focus on quality, functionality and durability, we seek to find not just the best brands, but the products they are best at. From these, we rigorously test and select the best products in each category. In store and online, we then share with you the reasons why we love the products we've chosen.

I've followed Chef Pang and the School of Wok on YouTube for over a year, enjoying the videos and…read morecooking instructions very much. When we found ourselves with a trip to London scheduled, I knew that I had to take one of their classes. We scheduled a 3 hour Dim Sum class for the Friday night that we were there. The class started at 6:30 and we received emailed instructions ahead of time telling us when to arrive and what to wear, etc. For the class, we made several items including BBQ chicken wings, sui mai steamed dumplings, crispy beancurd rolls, and baozi steamed buns with pickled veg. There were about eight of us taking the class, plus the instructor and an assistant. I had hoped that Chef Pang would be teaching the class or even be there to say hello, but alas he wasn't. Our instructor Paddy was very friendly and attentive, so no complaints about him at all. Here are my impressions both good and otherwise on the experience. Pros: -The staff was very attentive and answered all questions. -Each attendee was offered a drink before class started, either soft drinks or wine. Very nice. -I liked the array of items that we made, it was a good cross section of dim sum (though certain items were more successful than others, more on that later). -The learning area was laid out nicely and I think everyone had a good view of the instructor. We were positioned around a large table for the most part, but we did go back to the kitchen for a quick bit of wok stir frying. -Once the class was finished and the food was cooked, we were seated at the same table we learned from and presented the dishes as a nice meal, it was a great way to end the evening (and everyone was very hungry by that point after working with all that food for the past 2 1/2 hours). -Our favorite dishes were the wings, sui mai and the baozi. -Items for sale came with a 10% discount, I picked up a nice cleaver for a fair price that I've since used at home and like very much. Cons: -Couples/partners were often given one item between them during the class to share work on. The individuals who came solo had their own items. The couples were then required to determine who would do what with a shared resource while the solos got to do everything. Considering that we paid full price for each person, I feel that everyone should have gotten their own set of items to work on. It was a more complete experience for the people that came solo. -For the baozi, we actually cooked out of the Baozi kits that School of Wok sells. I have to admit this seemed very self serving and I would have much rather cooked from common ingredients that we find at the market. I understand that the kits are faster acting for dough than waiting for yeast to rise, but in other bread making classes I've attended we would work with the base ingredients to make the dough, then the instructor would have some other risen dough available to complete the preparation. I just think that's a better learning experience than opening plastic bags from a kit. For the pickled veg, we literally mixed a powder with water to create the pickling solution rather than the simple act of mixing vinegar, sugar and other spices (I had to ask for the real recipe). -The only item we didn't enjoy was the beancurd rolls. I was excited to make these as I had never worked with beancurd wrappers before. We enjoyed the preparation steps however the final dish was difficult to eat. I think we used way too much wrapper for each roll as we had to roll them up again and again to get them completed. The resulting rolls (which we didn't cook ourselves but were fried separately by staff) were very chewy inside from the multiple layers of wrapper. I think these would have been much better if we had cut the wrappers in half or smaller before wrapping. My minor complaints aside however, we had a very good time during our class. Even as an experienced cook, I learned some new techniques that I will apply going forward. There are some areas that can be addressed but for anyone looking for a good evening learning to cook and enjoying some good food, I would recommend School of Wok and would visit again if I had the opportunity.

I went for the Thai cooking class last night. Brilliantly well organised, everything immaculate,…read moresensible teacher was helpful all round. I now know how to make Spring Rolls, a green curry, Thai salad and sticky rice. What' not to like! I will be back.. thanks Guys, it was fun and we got to eat it all too with a good glass of wine at the end. Maxine

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.

At Le Cordon Bleu in Bloomsbury, there is a café/bistro inside this French catering academy and I…read moremust say, Le Cordon Bleu's coffees, teas and other hot beverages including sandwiches and cakes are always worth purchasing and I know the prices are expensive and wallet denting but anything that is branded and made by Le Cordon Bleu is always worth the purchase. Le Cordon Bleu also has a shop inside that stocks the company's branded corporate merchandise.

Obviously to anyone in the food industry, the name itself evokes immediate reactions…read more I have a few friends who have studied for the Pattiserie or the Cuisine diplomas and some ambitious and hard working ones among them have even attempted the Grand Diploma which is a combination of both. I even considered a diploma course for myself, but I realised that with the way we relocate every other year, I'm never going to open a restaurant or cafe of my own and I wouldn't really be able to "leverage" a diploma from here. The diploma courses are expensive and what you are paying for is the brand name and the alumni network. From what I have heard, the teaching is very good, but the advice I received was that: if you aren't looking for a hard core career in the food industry and don't need the advantage of a "brand name" you are better off doing cheaper courses at some of the other institutes around London. It's pretty easy to get into the short term courses or single semester course. If they have a space and you have the money and time and a good command over English and a valid visa, you can get in quite easily. The other options are of course their short term courses which could last anywhere between half a day to a month. The great thing about them, is that if you are not sure about whether you want to join or commit to a diploma, they have open days once a month alternating between Pattiserie and Cuisine when you can sign up and attend. They give you - a tour of the facility. - An introduction to Le Cordon Bleu and their courses. - an interactive demo instruction - a question answer session This is really helpful if you just need a little bit more information before taking the plunge

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.

Tasty, tasty cake. This place offers some of the best cake around look out for the brownies, these…read moreare the best! I am sure this place is going to turn me into a diabetic but at least I will die happy! They also have great coffee and breakfast pots containing yogurt, fruit and granola and an odd fruit juice and fruit compote. With 2 for 3 pounds, its a breakfast bargain!

Everything you need for art, writing, ink, paper, stationery supplies. Located in Covent Garden…read morenear the Underground stations & other retail shops. Service was quick, helpful & very friendly. Great value

Item never arrived, even weeks later. Don't reply to emails for days. All around shoddy.read more