Cooking has been making a comeback in a big way. This trend is hard to miss, with the onslaught of cookery shows, cookery books from nearly every chef in London, and food blogs multiplying like mushrooms. But Leiths School of Food and Wine have been teaching how to bone a leg of lamb since 1975. Located in a spacious and bright building between Shepherd’s Bush and Chiswick, Leiths offers a professional diploma programme plus more than 150 beginner and intermediate courses each year.
With four purpose-built teaching kitchens and a dedicated demonstration room, the school has plenty of space to offer an immense range of training to suit nearly anyone with an interest in food—from Japanese Home Cooking to Scandinavian Curing and Preserving, from Knife Skills Workshop: Butchery to How to Cook: Macaroons. And, truth be told, hands-on courses offer everything Jamie Oliver can’t: guidance, room to experiment and practice, and instant feedback on what went right and wrong.
Leiths’ courses fall into several broad categories. Skills courses focus on specific techniques, such as knife skills, meat cooking, fish preparation or making bread. Topical courses include a perfect Sunday roast, edible holiday gifts, cake decorating, and an array of cuisines such as Greek, Indian, Moroccan, and Malaysian. During term breaks, Leiths offers courses for teenagers who have the MasterChef bug or who could use some basic skills before they leave the nest.
The list of guest chefs who teach at the school (many of whom are alumni) is equally impressive: Henry Harris (Racine), Ben Tish (Salt Yard), Stevie Parle (Dock Kitchen), Valentine Warner (What to Eat Now), Ursula Ferrigno (Trattoria), and Rachel Khoo (My Little Paris Kitchen). These courses are usually a combination of demonstration and hands-on cooking, and wind down with lunch and wine.
If hands-on isn’t your thing, consider courses that help you crack the secret code of pairing wine with food. Or perhaps you would prefer Great British Beer Tasting. Or try exceptional lectures put on by Tom Badcock (aka the “Cheese Guy”), who tells an interactive history of British food through tales and tastings of cheese. These courses require nothing more than listening, eating, drinking and enjoying.
A cautionary tale: In 2011, feeling confident and happy after an all-day workshop with Yotam Ottolenghi, I took home the brochure for the full diploma course. Before you could spell omelette, I found myself going back to school for the first time since law school. Despite having to trade in my high heels for orthopaedic clogs, it was tremendously rewarding to spend my days on my feet doing something I am passionate about. As a recent career-changer, I recommend starting small, but you never know—you could be the next Nigella.
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