How are you socialising this Christmas? Being in tier 2 means there are a lot of things we can do - mostly outdoors socially distanced, or indoors with our own households. Devon Cookery School (that’s Jazzi and Dane) have definitely racked up way more outdoor walks this year than ever before!
In fact, we just got out and about this evening to socialise safely and socially distant at Exmouth Beach, and what a cracker of a wander it was! Having gone 4pm, the night drew in by the time we were only a few paces up the beach, turning the heads of the waves into racing white horses in the darkness. It was an envirograting meander up towards the RNLI boathouse and beyond, to the promenade with its blinking rows of coloured lights, shivering on their wires like electric birds, the bowling alley and cafes shuttered for the night.
In the oncoming wind and playful rain only a handful of strangely chipper joggers and determined dog walkers were out - not even braving the elements but fully relishing them. We saw at least four dogs we wanted to dognap but instead just gazed after lustfully, before battling back to the car against what had turned into a spiteful winter wind steaming off the racing sea front.
The Devon coast is definitely the only place for us - and that’s why we set up our cookery school as close as we could get!
But, if you’re starting to feel the elements and the idea of another ‘bracing walk’ makes you feel tired already, we’ve got something quite different for you that you can share with loved ones.
Come and cosy up with us at Devon Cookery School, at Piper’s Farm just outside Cullompton. We’ve got a jam packed cooking calendar ready for you right up until the 20th of December, and the school is all decked out in festive cheer.
There’s a whole load we can say about Head Chef Jazzi’s phenomenal cooking skills, the new recipes you’ll take away with you, the memories you’ll make, and the crazy good food you’ll taste, but quite frankly at this stage in 2020, visiting Devon Cookery School means getting out of the house! And if you haven’t seen it yet - you can check out how we’ve Covid-proofed our procedures including having 5 guests to each class, PPE and thorough sanitary procedures.
Stop the stir crazy, cancel the cabin fever, and instead cook up a Christmas to remember with Devon Cookery School. It’s something you can do outside the house, with (or without - we know a bit of space now and then is a good thing too) a loved one in your bubble, AND you can use your new kitchen skills to level up Christmas 2020.
So what’s cooking at Devon Cookery School? We’ve got a host of classes to choose from - so check out our class calendar for more info, but we thought you might like to see a little preview of three of our most popular courses so far.
Proving popular already, Festive Foodie Gifts is one solution to about 70 Christmas problems (well maybe that’s an exaggeration, but it’s impossible to exaggerate just how good this class is). Whether you want to eat your creations yourself, or gift them as foodie Christmas presents, you’re onto a winner. Learning how to make gingerbread baubles, chocolate truffles (ganache and all), and apple, date and tamarind chutney, you can take these recipes into the new year and beyond. Join us on Sunday 13th or Friday 18th December, both at 09:30 - 13:00 with festive nibbles and mulled wine lunch included.
There’s a lot of talk about roasts at this time of year - whether it’s Turkey, Capon or Duck, but our veggie lovers can have a feast of their own - whether vegetarian or vegan. Take your animal friendly cooking to The Next Level (capitals make it very important) with our Veggie Feast class - a whole day of aromatic, tastebud tingling, imaginative veg dishes including mushroom ragu with creamy polenta, feta and spinach spanakopita and a vegan cheesecake that quite frankly, we’d go to prison for. If you’re vegan we can tweak all this to be totally animal free. 09:30 - 16:00 on the 17th December - and everything you prepare will either be eaten on the day, or sent home with you in responsibly sourced goodie bags.
Whether you’re having family round for Christmas or popping over to theirs - or even staying in, you’ll definitely want some sensational snacks and addictive nibbles. Join our half day (09:30 - 13:00) Christmas Entertaining class on December 19th. Everything you make will either be eaten for lunch on the day or taken home to enjoy that evening.
This is a hugely value packed course brimming with skills and techniques to show off for years to come. You’ll make pork and cranberry sausage rolls, tear and share rosemary dough balls with baked camembert (you might not want to share this it will be so good!), smoked mackerel paté and crudités, and our Chef will demo mulled wine making to enjoy over lunch.
Not only that, but you’ll go home confident in how to flavour sausage meat, knife skills, and making bread dough.
Online Courses
After our fight with the wind on Exmouth seafront, we’ve come to the conclusion it’s the time of year where we just want to cosy up, snuggle down in PJs and cuddle a hot cup of tea (or a cheeky mulled cider). Between that and all things pandemic going on around us, if you’re keen to stay home but tired of the cabin fever, we’re thrilled to be able to bring you brand new online cookery courses!
Devon Cookery School At Home brings professional chef led classes into your home, bespoke for you. And, at a time when we can’t have real friends in our homes, why not invite friends and family to join in and host a cookalong!
Choose your class or cuisine and let our chef create the menu. We’ll send you a recipe card and prep sheet (complete with shopping list, equipment needed and set-up tips), so you can be ready to go when you log into the session via Zoom. And the super thing is, you’re totally relaxed in a kitchen you already know inside out! No dashing to get to our kitchen here at Devon Cookery School, no wondering where we keep the spatulas!
Classes run for 1½ to 2 hours and our chef will leave you to your party on zoom after the cooking is done. Perfect for bigger bookings and for people with family all over the country (or world!) Please get in contact via our submissions form for more information.
£25 per screen, minimum of 6, Maximum of 25 (this means however many people are in your household, you only pay for one screen if you’re only using one!)
Vouchers
And of course, as the perfect stocking filler, you can pick up one of our Devon Cookery School vouchers to delight a loved one. The brilliant thing about giving a cooking class as a gift as that (hopefully) at some point you’ll get to try what your loved one made!
We hope that whatever you get up to, however you celebrate, that you are able to relax and truly enjoy the festive break. It won’t be the same, but different doesn’t have to mean we miss out on special moments and festive cheer. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas.