24 of the best cooking classes in London and across the UK

Whether you’re a novice cook or an accomplished chef, cooking classes are a great way to expand your repertoire. It really doesn’t matter how experienced you are in the kitchen, there’s always more to learn, and who better to learn from than an expert in their field?

The best cooking classes in London and across the UK are run by some of the country's best chefs, restaurants or schools and offer a range of tutorials for all abilities. If you looking to treat yourself to a course and haven’t yet mastered the basics you could sign up for a half-day workshop where you’re taught how to make pasta, bread or even biscuits. These kinds of classes strip things back to the very start to give you guiding principles that you can adapt and tweak on your own as you get more confident, safe in the knowledge that you’ve got a good set of building blocks under your belt.

But cooking classes aren’t just for newbies. There are amazing offerings across the capital – and further afield – to help you take things up a level, whatever standard you’re at. For something seriously special, there are courses at Raymond Blanc’s Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, which give you an insight into the chef’s classic French cookery. Under the chef’s head tutor, you’ll create an incredible three-course meal to help you build on your existing skills.

Cooking classes aren’t just a thing you buy yourself either, they also make great gifts for any foodies in your life. And the best bit? You can ask to see what they’ve learned at a later date and get yourself a few tasty treats under the ruse of being a supportive friend.

So, whether you want to hone your own cooking skills, take a fun class with friends or discover the perfect team-building task that everyone will enjoy, we have rounded up the best cooking classes in London and across the UK. From gourmet workshops to fun chocolate making classes, there is something for every budget and every ability.

The best cooking classes in London

It's no surprise that the capital has a huge number of cooking classes on offer. From the fun boozy ones to the super-serious Gordon Ramsay-style ones, here are the best cooking classes in London.

Cookery School at Little Portland Street

The Cookery School at Little Portland Street offers classes and short courses that have a heavy focus on straightforward cooking and hands-on training. Removing jargon and technical terms from cooking, their classes can be tailored for all abilities and you can choose from a range of cuisines and cooking styles. It's also London's most sustainable cooking school.
Where: Little Portland Street, London
How much: From £165
Book a class at the Cookery School now

Ann's Smart School of Cookery Italian and Pasta Cooking for Two

Learn to make anything from fresh pasta and tortellini to fluffy focaccia and polenta at Ann Smart's School of Cookery in Canary Wharf. Ann Smart's instructors show you all the little tricks of the trade to great Italian cooking, through demonstration and then a practical cooking session where you get plenty of one-to-one help over the course of two hours. Delizioso!
Where: Canary Wharf, London
How much: £148.50
Book your Italian experience now

Full-Day Cookery Course with Portobello Market Tour at Enrica Rocca

Who doesn't love a good trip to the market? Peruse deliciously fresh produce at the iconic Portobello Market before heading to Enrica Rocca Cookery School in Notting Hill for a six-hour Venetian cooking class. Prepare delicious antipasti, pasta, meat, fish and more, then eat and drink with your new chef pals. 
Where: Notting Hill, London
How much: £173
Book the class and Portobello Market tour now

Jamie Oliver Cookery School

Brush up on old skills or learn something new with the team at Jamie Oliver’s cookery school. There are lots of options to pick from – depending on preference – ranging from a northern Indian thali feast to a pasta masterclass. During your two-hour tuition session, you’ll be led by a team of professional chefs before tucking into a lunch of all the dishes you’ve made.
Where: Islington, London
How much: £148
Book a Jamie Oliver class now

Luxury Chocolate Making Workshop Including Martini and Bubbly for Two

Get chocolatey with this seriously sweet workshop by My Chocolate. Mix chocolatey martinis before diving into dipping, infusing, piping and decorating galore. Choose from toppings like strawberry curls, sea salt, honeycomb and white chocolate flakes, before packing up all your goodies to take home. The workshop comes with a glass or two of Prosecco to help get your creative juices flowing. 
Where: Haggerston, London
How much: £106
Book the luxury chocolate making workshop now

The Avenue Cookery School

The Avenue Cookery School is a family-run business on the outskirts of Wandsworth that offers a huge selection of classes in pretty much any specialism you can think of. Alongside more familiar cuisines, like Italian and Indian cookery courses, there are plenty of niche offerings to satisfy hungry minds, like a bao class, Mexican street food, Peruvian, doughnut-making and even a Pastel de Nata class! 
Where: Wandsworth, London
How much: From £75
Book a class at The Avenue Cookery School

Pizza Making Class and Party with Drink for Two at Bunga Bunga

If there's one place where fun is guaranteed, it's Bunga Bunga. Start off with an Aperol Spritz and some antipasti before getting your hands on the dough. The expert chefs will teach you the art before a dough tossing competition. Drinks flow throughout to keep the energy high. Following the class you'll get the chance to eat pizza and dance - you even get to take home your own kit to further hone your skills. 
Where: Covent Garden, London
How much: £78
Book the Bunga Bunga pizza class now

Create Your Own Sushi Dragon with Free-Flowing Brunch for Two

What's better than bottomless brunch, we hear you ask? Bottomless brunch and a sushi dragon-making class, of course! Learn how to make Inamo's signature sushi dragon, which features crunchy tempura prawns, avocado and a touch of mayo. After the roll-making, you and your guest can enjoy a 90-minute brunch with unlimited tapas, sushi and bubbles, beer or wine. Check out the chef camera or play retro video games on Inamo's signature tablets and projectors. 
Where: Soho, London
How much: £99.95
Book the sushi dragon class now

Borough Kitchen Cooking Classes

The rota at Borough Kitchen is so varied that you could book a new class every month for a year and not repeat any content. From knife skills to Chinese dumplings, these guys can teach it all. Plus, there are Borough Kitchen sites all across London, with classes taking place in Islington, Chiswick, Hampstead and Battersea Power Station.
Where: Chiswick, Hampstead, Islington and Battersea Power Station
How much: £125
Book a class with Borough Kitchen now

Le Cordon Bleu

Chances are you’ve already heard of Le Cordon Bleu given that it’s a world-leading culinary school with sites across the globe. Having begun in France back in 1895, this age-old institution now has a London headquarters, and it’s here that you can be taught all kinds of incredible cooking techniques. There are short workshops which have a specialist focus – like petit fours or plant-based cooking – or there are complete accredit courses for diplomas in cookery if you’re ready to take your qualifications up a gear. There are also kids classes at Le Cordon Bleu, which are great for budding chefs.
Where: Holborn, London
How much: Masterclasses start from £75 per person
Book a class with Le Cordon Bleu now

School of Wok

Award-winning School of Wok – as you might expect – has an Asian focus and teaches students the fundamentals of oriental cookery. Here you can learn how to make dim sum and bao by hand, or delve into the wonderful world of Thai cooking. Three-hour classes are typically around the £100 mark, with all ingredients included as well as tuition from one of the industry-leading teachers. To secure your spot you’ll have to be speedy, as these routinely sell out. Classes at the School of Wok make an ideal present, or even a company team building day if you’re looking to do something a bit different with your colleagues.
Where: Charing Cross, London
How much: From £115
Book a class with School of Wok now

Gordon Ramsay Restaurants

For serious foodies, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants provide something special. The pinnacle of the masterclasses is the chance to go behind the scenes at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay to create a three-course menu before sitting down to enjoy your hard work over lunch with the other students. Aside from this big-name headliner, there are also a whole host of other options. Choose from making a beef Wellington at Heddon Street Kitchen, pasta with the experts or treat yourself to a sake masterclass at Lucky Cat. There are also kids' classes for little ones.
Where: Various locations, London
How much: From £30
Book a class with Gordon Ramsay Restaurants now

Bakery and cooking classes at The Dusty Knuckle Bakery

The Dusty Knuckle offers a range of baking and cooking classes suited to corporate groups looking for a teambuilding activity, as well as amateur bakers wanting to hone their skills alike. Learn how to make freshly-baked bread, level-up your pasta skills, or give fermenting a go! It offers morning and evening classes so you can easily fit them into your schedule, and the team are all super friendly.
Where: Dalston, London
How much: Prices start from £92.80
Book a class at The Dusty Knuckle now 

Biscuiteers Boutique 'Icing Lates' Evening Icing Class with Prosecco

Biscuiteers offer a few different classes but our favourite has to be their ‘icing lates’ - this is an evening icing class that caters for small groups. You will never be in a class of more than ten people so there is plenty of opportunities to receive one on one tuition and you also will be welcomed with a glass of prosecco on arrival. Their experts will guide you through the skills and techniques you will need to ice like a pro and you will leave the class with five biscuits you have iced yourself. 
Where is the class? Notting Hill or Clapham, London
How much does it cost? £70
Book a class with Biscuiteers now

Sauce by The Langham

The Langham Hotel isn't just a luxurious haunt in the heart of Marylebone. It's also home to an impressive array of cooking classes, as well as the occasional guest masterclass featuring world-famous chefs such as Michel Roux Jr. Classes include kitchen confidence, covering the key principles, proper puddings and master the pasta, as well as a children's baking classes. Cocktail classes include whisky tasting and cocktail making skills with the award-winning Artesian bar team. 
Where: Marylebone, London
How much: £175 for cooking classes, £125 for children's baking and £95 for cocktail classes
Book Sauce by The Langham now

Leith’s School of Food and Wine

Whether you are looking to train professionally or become the most amazing host for your next dinner party, Prue Leith’s School of Food and Wine has a range of classes to suit - from one-off classes to full courses. Individual classes include knife skills, sauces, gluten-free cooking and classes tailored to a variety of different cuisines.
Where: White City, London
How much: Prices vary by class
Book a class at Leith's now

The best cooking classes in the UK

Of course, London is not the centre of the world and nor is it the centre of cooking. There are plenty of excellent cooking classes all over the UK, so here are our favourites.

The Pony Chew Valley Cookery School

What: The restaurant once known as The Pony and Trap is now The Pony Chew Valley - completely redesigned, renovated and relaunched by dynamic brother and sister duo Josh and Holly Eggleton. That renovation includes a swish new cookery school above the pub and restaurant, which hosts classes throughout the week. Alongside more technical classes there are also classes for kids, as well as introductions to different world cuisines. Both Josh and Root chef Rob Howell host classes here, and it's not often that you get to learn from chefs as accomplished as that. 
Where: The Pony Chew Valley, Somerset
How much: From £65
Book a cooking class at The Pony Chew Valley Cookery School now

Northcote Cookery School

What: Michelin-starred Northcote is one of the most respected restaurants in the country, and these days it is also home to one of the UK's best equipped cookery schools too. Classes include everything from fresh pasta and flavours of Sicily to Asian cookery, seasonal classes, seafood cooking and more. 
Where: Northcote, Lancashire
How much: From £235
Book a cooking class at Northcote Cookery School now

Cooking Classes at Cambridge Cookery

What: Cambridge Cookery is an independent cookery school and cafe that offers a varied roster of classes for adults and children alike. From hen dos to kids parties to corporate away days, it caters to multiple groups and events and is a wonderful way to bring people together on a relaxed and stimulating day out. Classes are seasonal and vary every month. Look out for courses based around knife skills, bread making, fresh pasta, Italian cooking and Indian curries. 
Where: Cambridge
How much: From £150
Book a cooking class at Cambridge Cookery now

Cooking Classes at The Woodspeen

What: The Woodspeen in Berkshire is a restaurant and cookery school housed inside a 19th-century farmhouse. It runs a range of classes overlooking the restaurant's vegetable garden, all of which are managed by executive chef Peter Eaton, or another of its senior chefs. Learn the basics with a stocks, sauces and soups class, find out how to make a host of classic Woodspeen dishes, or take part in an introduction to bread and enriched dough to become a pro baker. There's plenty to choose from, with most classes lasting a half day from 10am to 2pm.
Where: The Woodspeen, Berkshire
How much: From £165
Book a cooking class at The Woodspeen now

Foraging, Cookery and Lunch for Two with Totally Wild

What: If you prefer the great outdoors to being cooped up in a kitchen, this is the cooking class for you. With 18 locations across the UK, this foraging course run by Totally Wild will introduce you to finding edible ingredients in the countryside. The day lasts six hours and you’ll initially gather ingredients before turning them into a wild food lunch.
Where: Across the UK
How much: £143
Book the foraging, cookery and lunch for two

Half-Day Course at the Raymond Blanc Cookery School at Belmond Le Manoir

What: If you want to venture out of the city and into the countryside then head to the glorious Belmond Le Manoir hotel in Oxfordshire. As you drive through the honeyed-stone gate posts you will be stepping into Raymond Blanc’s world of phenomenal cooking. You will experience an intensive three-hour cookery course from the hotel’s head tutor Mark Peregrine - a chef with more than 30 years of experience and a serious passion for cooking and teaching. Under his expert guidance, you will create a delicious three-course meal with fantastic and fresh ingredients. Courses can be tailored for all levels and abilities so you can build on your existing skills - all while in beautiful surroundings. You will also receive light refreshments of tea and coffee throughout your course.
Where: Belmond Le Manoir Hotel, Oxfordshire
How much: £215
Book the half-day Raymond Blanc course now

One Day Cookery Course at Rick Stein’s Cookery School

What: World-famous chef Rick Stein's cookery school in Padstow, Cornwall is a one-stop shop for top-tier seafood cooking. The day course is full of demonstrations, cooking, tasting and plenty of complimentary wine. There are lots of themes to choose from, including fish and seafood, and courses even include a lunch break overlooking the Camel Estuary. 
Where: Padstow, Cornwall
How much: £198
Book Rick Stein's one day course now

Chef Skills Masterclass at Ann's Smart School of Cookery

What: Those looking to learn cooking from the ground up should take this course. Learn knife skills including boning meat, filleting fish and cutting vegetables, then create a four-course meal featuring sea bream, chicken ballotine and more. You even get a free 30-day trial of Ann's online cookery school to further hone your skills. 
Where: London and other locations across the UK
How much: £142.50
Book the chef skills masterclass now

Which one do you like the look of the most? A more relaxed, fun (potentially boozy) class, or a more serious, culinary expertise type of situation. Either way, we hope you found something you like in this guide.

Are you looking for team-building ideas? If cooking classes aren't quite for you then browse our selection of other team-building activities that would be perfect for your next event. However, if you want to skip to the best part (eating, of course) then we have a great guide to the best group dining spots in London we know you'll love.