Food is – and always will be – my passion. I absolutely love to cook. In fact, I started this blog as a way to document sustainable food choices, from there my interest grew into sustainable fashion, lifestyle, travel, and more. So, when the Cookery School at Little Portland Street invited me to attend a cooking class, I jumped at the chance! Here’s why they are my favourite cookery school, and what I learned on the Flavour of the Middle East cooking class.
Why Attend Cookery School at Little Portland Street?
Cookery School at Little Portland Street is a special place. It was the first cookery school I attended – way back in 2019 – and it’s the one I’ve subscribed to ever since. As a cookery school, their classes are affordable, thoroughly enjoyable, and also centred around sustainability. From creating seasonal dishes through to composting food waste, the school makes sure to honour the food they work with.
As a student, Cookery School at Little Portland Street is great because the teaching style is friendly and knowledgeable. Class sizes are small, so you get to know the teacher quite well and can ask and answer questions across the class. You’ll also be shown ways to improve your existing skills. This time round, I learned how to dice an onion extra fine, and how to season dishes to perfection!
The Best Cooking Class In London
I’ve attended two in-person cookery classes at Cookery School at Little Portland Street. The first was the Pasta, Risotto, & Gnocchi Cooking Class, which runs on weekends from 10am – 3pm. This time, I attended the Flavours of the Middle East Cooking Class, which also runs to the same schedule.
(I also gifted a friend the French Breakfast Pastries Cooking Class a while ago, and she thoroughly enjoyed it, while I thoroughly enjoyed the pastries afterwards!)
This year, I attended Cookery School at Little Portland Street’s free 20 day online cooking course, which was created as part of the National Cooking Programme 2024. I recommend checking out their videos to see just how great their cooking classes are.
On this latest class, I was pleased to see the cookery school was just as I remembered: friendly, well-equipped, and spotlessly clean. Our teacher, John, welcomed us into the space on arrival, and had shakshuka cooking for us as a little pre-class breakfast. It was a great taster of things to come – lots of aromatic recipes, cooked fresh, and full of passion!
What I Made During My Cooking Class
A weekend cooking class at Cookery School at Little Portland Street is quite full on. The day starts at 10am – sharp – and you’re invited to place your personal belongings in a locker before donning an apron. John, our teacher, took us through the recipes we were going to make as part of the five-hour session:
STARTERS
- Pitta
- Hummus
- Tzatziki
- Muhummara
- Roast aubergine salad
MAINS
- Spanakopita
- Chermoula fish with tomato sauce
- Chicken tagine
- Couscous with caramelised onion, pine nuts and raisins
DESSERTS
- Ravani cake
- Rosewater and cardamom ice cream
Ahead of the class, we were sent the recipes over email, and also told that we didn’t need to bring anything with us to the class; everything will be provided. We were also given a pro-tip: wear comfortable clothing and closed-toe footwear!
The class runs a bit like a kitchen would – meals are made congruently, so there’s a lot of chopping and mise en place first, followed by cooking, and then presenting. I really liked the breadth of the food in this class, with recipes from North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. We also made the most of tomatoes being in season, with an additional tomato sauce for the chermoula fish, and tomatoes in our roast aubergine salad.
If I’m honest, I was most excited to make pitta bread – simply because I had never tried it before – and despite it being a relatively easy recipe, it really was rewarding. The pitta, coupled with perfectly seasoned hummus, and followed by the most delicious mains and dessert, really was the cardamom on top.
Why Sustainable Food Matters
Learning how to cook is a vital skill. Learning to cook sustainably is an even better skill; it gives you the ability to cook with the seasons, support local food producers, and make the most of everything in your pantry. One-third of all food waste takes place between farm and fork, so knowing how to better preserve your food and cook with it can be better for the planet, and for your wallet.
Cookery School at Little Portland Street leads by example, cooking less meat-heavy meals, and focusing on seasonal and local ingredients. They also avoid using foil, cling film, and other disposable plastics in the kitchen, and try to use organic ingredients wherever possible. During this class, I discovered just how much zestier an organic lemon is, and how to preserve energy when cooking multiple dishes.
My Rating of Cookery School at Little Portland Street: 10/10
I absolutely love attending cooking classes at the Cookery School at Little Portland Street. This latest one reminded me of why I love cooking – there’s a real joy in creating delicious food, understanding its heritage, flavour profiles, and sharing it with others!
At Cookery School, I really enjoy the friendly yet direct approach the teachers take, and the knowledge they share on everything from food origins to flavour profiles. Eating all the food we made at the end of class really felt like a celebration, and I’ve come away with a new repertoire of recipes that I can’t wait to cook for my partner and our friends.
If you’re looking for a cooking class in London, this is my top recommendation. In fact, I’ve said for a few years now, if I ever won the lottery I would book onto the Cook’s Certificate Course in an instant! We have to eat three times a day, so why not make those three meals the best they could be?!
