The Spinney School of Fine Food

Basic ingredients: The purpose-built teaching kitchen at The Spinney School of Fine Food is compact with a homely country kitchen ambience. It boasts a central four-oven Aga, for use in the school’s bespoke Aga courses led by specialist in the field and school principal, Ali Stevenson, a former Masterchef finalist. The school’s hands-on courses are mostly £110, with around two per month showcasing various international cuisines and themes such as Stress-free Entertaining, Blissful Bakery and Dynamic Dinner Parties. A typical day will start at 10am with refreshments in the morning, followed by a three-course lunch – with wine to accompany the students’ efforts – which can be enjoyed in the conservatory overlooking the quiet gardens.

They say:  At the Spinney we believe that cooking should be fun and relaxing and invite you to join us on a culinary journey to experience fresh ideas, exciting new flavours and to learn new techniques.

We say: Small groups mean plenty of individual attention and they seem to pack a lot in to a day class. The school also offers parties for hens and children and corporate events as well as one-on-one tuition. When in season, students cook with ingredients from the kitchen garden.