The Big One - 8 classes over 8 weeks covering a wide range of classic and contemporary cooking autumn

Why? How?

Once you know the answers to those questions, relating to the chemistry of food, you will eliminate kitchen hits and misses and everything will be obvious.

For those who are serious about their cooking and who might have toyed with the idea of enrolling at Leiths or Cordon Bleue. And also for those who don’t cook and who feel that it is time to get a grip.

Over a series of 8 Tuesday evenings with a 2-week break over half term, we cover all the classic French kitchen skills from knife skills via classic stocks and sauces to fish, meat, bread, perfect pastry as well as Italian classics.

Each class starts with a quick snack and introduction before a high octane, full on 3-hour cookery session which culminates in a sit down supper with wine.

The tempo is high, 100% hands on, informative but also hugely enjoyable.

Each class culminates in a lot of delicious food and a well earned glass or two of wine. The camaraderie is strong.

15/9 Knife skills

22/9 Vegetables, stocks, soups, meat based sauces.

29/9   Sweet and savoury pastry, flour based sauces, soufflés, cold emulsion & custard.

6/10  Roasting and pan frying, rice, classic potato dishes & curries

13/10  Meat – slow cooking and prime cuts. Warm emulsion sauces incl Béarnaise.

20/10   Fish

3/11   Bread

10/11  Classic Italian including hand made pasta

We are found at the very end of Purbeck Road (off Hills Rd by the sixth form centre) where you turn left by Abbey college and then carry straight on for about 60m to the white awnings you will see ahead.

Please note that there is parking on site. We tend to recommend the multi storey at the Leisure Centre less than 10min walk away or the Babraham Park & Ride which stops on Hills Road, very close to Purbeck Rd.