Classes take place around a big table at Food at 52
Basic Ingredients: Food at 52’s new premises are just down the road from their original school in Clerkenwell. The new school is equally cool, with an upstairs ‘arrivals’ lounge decorated with quirky artefacts and a spacious kitchen downstairs where classes take place around a long table. The kitchen has its own range cooker and vintage wooden boxes full of fresh vegetables. The owner and chef, John Benbow, creates a fun atmosphere, with background tunes and free-flowing wine, but is serious about his cooking. Courses are hands-on, focus on super-fresh flavours and ingredients and usually end with a convivial banquet-style feast.
They say: Saturday, after-work and express lunchtime courses offer a fresh take on popular modern cuisines such as Italian, Moroccan, Spanish and Southern Indian and are ideal for beginners to improvers.
We say: No strip-lights and hi-tech TV screens here. This is a charming boho cookery school where the passionate owner-tutor delivers relaxed, well-informed classes on international cuisine. The two-hour evening classes offer particularly good value at £65; other day classes start from £115 but keep an eye on the website for occasional special offers.
Read more about the cookery school’s owner and head tutor John Benbow
07814 027 067; www.foodat52.co.uk
Please consider this school for your new awards – it is an excellent and inspiring place.
This school is definitely worthy of the award – a really welcoming and relaxed learning atmosphere with loads of tips and techniques as well as great recipes. Plenty of time to ask questions – and share the wine and food with the other students.
I think this is the best cookery school in London!
Perfectly pitched for a keen but (very) amateur cook like me. Have been on 3 courses here, enjoyed every one – and have used the recipes and techniques at home many times. Recommended for students – and awards.
Amazing food, wonderful athmosphere, great music, great wine. John is both extremely knowledgeable and very friendly. Can’t recommend it enough!
Had a great day cooking a number of really exciting dishes. Good food and good company in a very relaxing and welcoming environment. Most enjoyable.
Loved the ‘Stress Free Dinner Party’ course – very hands on, great fun and we ate all the delicious food we cooked. Would certainly book again.
I loved the Cooking for Confidence course. Great atmosphere, delicious food and a really interesting mix of people. The teachers were informative, friendly and patient. It didnt matter what level of experience you had in the kitchen – everyone just mucked in. There was wine throughout the whole class and you had to be careful not to end up a bit sozzled. It was more like a big dinner party by the time we all sat down to eat. A great experience.