Cookery Courses

Cooking and entertaining are more fashionable than ever and attending a course at a celebrated school like Leith's is an enjoyable way for enthusiasts to expand their knowledge. There are courses held in the evenings, on Saturdays, or holiday courses lasting from one week to four weeks. Gift vouchers are available from £10 to £2,500 valid for a year. Price quoted is for a four-hour daytime class, covering basic knife skills, pastry making and chicken jointing, while tackling a classic menu from provincial France such as French Onion Soup, Coq Au Vin and Tart Au Citron.

Not surprisingly, Scottish cookery features heavily in the large range of classes run at the school of celebrated chef Nick Nairn, and you can learn divine recipes for scallops, beef with whisky sauce or Scottish raspberries. But there are also courses featuring Italian, Thai and Indian food and even one guaranteed to turn the most committed Pot-Noodle student into a gourmet graduate! Prices start from £165 for a one-day course with resident chef John Webber or £295 for Nick himself and there are also visiting celebrity chefs. Gift vouchers available to redeem on classes or the cookshop.

One, two or four days at the Raymond Blanc Cookery School at Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons will provide you with skills to translate a love of food into imaginative cuisine. Subjects offered include 'Blanc Vite' – guaranteed to be nothing like high street 'fast food'! Gift certificates are available.

Lifestyle courses from Tante Marie are for people passionate about food who want to learn a few new ideas and tips from the professionals, but can't spare the time for a professional course. They range from one day to four weeks and are taught in small groups, with lots of hands on experience.