Celebrity cookery schools: From River Cottage to Raymond Blanc

Hone your kitchen skills with the best in the business

The Michel Roux Jr Cookery School, London

The Michel Roux Jr Cookery School, London

If you want the thrill of being taught by a master chef in an intimate environment, head to Michel Roux Jr's London school. The kitchen was designed by the Michelin-starred chef, who wanted to create a space in which both beginners and accomplished cooks could learn. As well as lessons with Michel, the school offers a range of classes, focusing on everything from stocks and sauces to knife skills. The school also invites a number of award-winning chefs, such Monica Galetti, to teach. Once they've prepared their dishes, guests are invited into the dining room to tuck into the results.

Cactus Studios, 1 St Luke's Avenue, London SW4 7LG (020 7091 4800; cactuskitchens.co.uk). Day courses from £149, or £995 with Michel.

River Cottage, Devon

River Cottage, Devon

Unsurprisingly, courses at Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall's River Cottage have an emphasis on local, seasonal produce. The school offers one-day Nose to Tail courses, teaching chefs how to cook lesser-used cuts of meat. Also on offer are bread making, cheese making, fish cookery, and gluten-free cookery. You can go the full River Cottage, with a one-day course in which you do everything from feeding the pigs to foraging for vegetables. Although he doesn't teach in the school, Hugh does attend special events.

River Cottage, Trinity Hill Road, Axminster EX13 8TB (01297 630300; rivercottage.net). Day courses from £140.


 Rosemary Shrager's Cookery School, Kent

Rosemary Shrager's Cookery School, Kent

Housed within a three-storey Regency building in Royal Tunbridge Wells, this cookery school runs one- and two-day courses fronted by Rosemary Shrager. Courses feature everything from British classics to cakes and puddings, and there are even “off to uni” lessons for school leavers. The kitchen has a demonstration area as well as individual cooking stations.

The Corn Exchange, The Pantiles, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 5TE (01892 528 700; rosemaryshrager.com). Day courses with Rosemary from £140.

Novelli Academy, Hertfordshire

Novelli Academy, Hertfordshire

Based in his own home in the Hertfordshire village of Tea Green, French chef Jean-Christophe Novelli's Academy runs hands-on Master Classes which are restricted to six people – to guarantee the chef's full attention. Also on offer are Tasting and Demonstration Days, when he cooks his favourite dishes. The academy also has a number of resident chefs who cover everything from Italian to African cuisine.

Crouchmoor Farm, Tea Green, Herts LU2 8PS (01582 454 070; jeanchristophenovelli.com). Day courses from £195pp. Classes with Jean-Christophe cost £350.


 Raymond Blanc Cookery, School Oxfordshire

Raymond Blanc Cookery School, Oxfordshire

Based at the Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons hotel in Oxfordshire, also home to Raymond Blanc's two-Michelin-starred restaurant, the school offers residential programmes, dinner party master classes, and even children's lessons. Tuition is led by head tutor Mark Peregrine, while Raymond makes frequent visits to the school and can be booked for private tuition.

Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Church Road, Great Milton, Oxford OX44 7PD (01844 278 881; bit.ly/RBcookery). Day courses from £365.

Padstow Seafood School, Cornwall

Padstow Seafood School, Cornwall

Where better to learn how to cook fish and shellfish than at Rick Stein's Seafood School in Padstow? It offers British seafood courses as well as lessons in cooking Indonesian curry, Japanese and Thai dishes. Rick does occasional demonstrations, and the school also runs festive mince pie and mulled wine workshops, and lessons in French cuisine. Guests on the two- and four-day courses can book into one of Rick's guestrooms in Padstow.

The Seafood Restaurant, Riverside, Padstow, Cornwall PL28 8BY (01841 532700; rickstein.com). Day courses from £198.