The Kitchen

The superb IKEA kitchen

Our purpose built IKEA kitchen is fully equipped for some cracking hands-on cookery...

The cooking takes place upstairs in the light and airy kitchen, with its exposed oak roof trusses.

It's big, too, and at 10m x 6m is a dream to work in with its well planned layout and and large central hands-on preparation area.

This is not a professional restaurant kitchen with hard to find expensive toys...

No, everything you use is of domestic quality, so you won't be using equipment you can't immediately go out and buy in the shops when you get home.

That's not to say that our gear isn't top quality, just that the kitchen isn't totally 'up itself'!

Cooking with some great appliances...

Alongside your fellow cooks you'll be searing and flambéing, tossing and swirling, and using:

• SMEG - two extra wide electric fan ovens with gas hobs

• Gas hobs - four portable stainless steel gas hobs

• Fridges - three upright fridge-freezers

• Dish washers - two of them to minimize the washing up

• Wash up areas - well, it had to happen sometime!

You'll be using up to the minute equipment...

Many of our guests leave here vowing to replace their own aging gear, as you may well when you finally get to use our cool gadgets:

• Knives - professional one piece stainless steel chef's knives

• Food processors - is two enough for you?

• Ice cream machines - we make a lot of ice cream here

• Blowtorches - six of 'em

• Pasta machines - for our own raviolis, spaghetti, tagliatelle, etc

• Stainless steel cooking utensils - stacks of shiny pots, pans and bowls

Preparing dishes for lunch and dinner...

Because this is a very hands-on cooking course (and because it's more fun) we'll be doing most of the ingredient preparation, cooking and plating up around our:

• Food prep - ergonomic central hands-on food preparation island

And, of course, not forgetting your comfort and safety...

• Espresso coffee machine - for those pending snack attacks!

• Fold-out stools - there's a lot of standing, so we provide plenty of comfy seating while you work

• Tea, coffee and snacks - frequent rest stops for when the going gets tough!

• Store your own food and wine purchases - room in the fridges to stash any food and drink you buy on the market

• Moisturising hand wash - see, we care about you!

• 1st Aid kit - well, it can happen, you know

• Fire prevention equipment - we've not had a fire yet...