If BBC's MasterChef has got you salivating on the sofa as it reaches its final stages, why not combine a holiday with some kitchen time at the elbow of an acclaimed chef to sharpen your cooking skills? We've selected our top five cookery schools worldwide to tickle the taste buds.
The Raymond Blanc Cookery School, England
Learn to produce exquisite dishes in the illustrious kitchen of Raymond Blanc’s two Michelin-starred Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. Choose from a range of one-, two- or four-day cookery courses, from bread making to patisserie, at The Raymond Blanc Cookery School in the heart of the Oxfordshire countryside in England. Taught by Blanc’s protégés, budding chefs learn the secrets behind producing high-quality food and reasoning behind each carefully selected technique.
Le Cordon Bleu Paris, France
If there’s one place you’ll be sure to gain a great education in French culinary techniques, it’s Le Cordon Bleu Paris. The alma mater of famous US cook Julia Child, recently appeared in the film Julie and Julia. There’s even a demonstration in honour of the homely American celebrity chef, which focuses on her speciality of traditional French cuisine. Other options include a wide-ranging choice of short courses taking in classical skills such as pastry-making, sauces and desserts
Jean-Georges Culinary Master Course, United States
French-born chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, patron of six acclaimed New York restaurants (as well as others in the United Kingdom and China), passes on his expertise in French, Mediterranean, Japanese, South Asian and New American cuisines. The intimate Jean-Georges Culinary Master Course held at the 5-star Trump International Hotel & Tower also give guests a chance to sample a three-course champagne dinner at one of Jean-Georges’s establishments in the Big Apple.
Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School, Thailand
The Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School was the first of a number of similar ventures in the cultural heartland of northern Thailand, and remains an institution in South East Asian cookery. Run by Sompon Nabnian, a celebrity chef, author and star of British television series The Thai Way, the school offers one- to five-day beginners or ‘master’s’ courses, which aim to introduce or to enhance skills and techniques in the fragrant cuisine.
La Foresteria di Planeta, Italy
Learn to cook the Italian way at La Foresteria di Planeta, a charming hotel surrounded by olive groves, vineyards and secluded beaches in rural Sicily. During the courses, run by Tasting Places, you’ll explore nearby Palermo’s bustling markets, peruse shops full of locally-made kitchenware and taste freshly-made olive oil. Lessons are held by Sicilian chef Angelo Pumilia, who has spread his knowledge of Italian food though his food and seminars across the globe.
