GOURMET GETAWAYS

Food and travel have long gone hand-in-hand, but these days, inquisitive travellers are departing for more immersive destinations where they can take their own culinary skills to new heights. Food and lifestyle writer Rebecca Sullivan picks her top cooker

EXPERIENTIAL TRAVEL, where making memories comes with a side of valuable life skills (in this case, cookery-related ones), has never been more popular. Whether you yearn to make your own cheese, forage for wild greens or butcher a beast, there’s a cookery school out there to teach you, and many of the best can be found in some of the most beautiful and interesting parts of the UK and Ireland.

RIVER COTTAGE, DEVON, ENGLAND

The headquarters of this acclaimed sustainable-food empire is nestled on the Devon-Dorset border, where it’s run by Hugh-Fearnley Whittingstall of River

Cottage TV show fame. The fun begins with a tractor ride down to the school over rolling green hills, passing local heritage breed livestock that supplies the cottage. Depending on the class you choose, a forage in the garden and farm may be in order. Once in the kitchen, you’ll don your apron, learn all about quality ingredients and enjoy lunch cooked by the HQ chefs using produce from the farm and surrounding region. Courses offered range from the basics of making bread and cheese, to more specialist subjects such as bee-keeping, foraging, meat-curing and cider-making. rivercottage.net

THE SCHOOL OF ARTISAN FOOD, NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND

Located in 19th-century stables on the stunning Welbeck Estate in the heart of Sherwood Forest, the School of Artisan Food is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to teaching the many aspects of artisan food production. Courses – from baking, brewing and butchery to curing, foraging and preserving – suit all skill levels and range from half- day tasters through to week-long masterclasses. As well as learning how to prepare exceptional meals, guests are encouraged to question why food is produced the way it is, and examine the entire food chain, not just the ingredients in front of them. schoolofartisanfood.org

BALLYMALOE COOKERY SCHOOL, EAST CORK, IRELAND

You can gain a qualification or just some inspiration at this cookery school and working farm, but whichever you decide, you will definitely become more connected to food than you ever thought possible. For more than three decades, founders Darina Allen and her brother, Rory O’Connell, have given their students valuable food skills established by a respect for the land, seasons and nature, and based around slowfood principles. The very first thing students of Ballymaloe’s 12-week certificate course do is plant a seed on the farm. A multitude of other courses run for as little as half a day up to five weeks. Whatever your pick, an enriching experience is assured. cookingisfun.ie

PADSTOW SEAFOOD SCHOOL, CORNWALL, ENGLAND

Dubbed ‘Padstein’ by the locals, there’s no better place to learn all things seafoodrelated than at Rick Stein’s cooking school. The fish doesn’t get any fresher, and the view from the Camel Estuary, where the school is based, is unbeatable. You won’t just learn how to cook seafood, you’ll also leave able to prepare it expertly – scaling, boning and filleting are the beginning of classes that teach fundamentals in a relaxed atmosphere synonymous with the school’s founder. It’s not just about fish; there are also day classes in diverse cuisines, from Mexican and Italian to Indian and Far Eastern. rickstein.com/school

NICK NAIRN COOK SCHOOL, PORT MENTEITH OR ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND

Michelin-starred chef Nick Nairn (who is also a TV presenter and author of countless cookbooks that have become kitchen bibles) set up his first school nearly two decades ago with one very simple idea: to get more people cooking by teaching them the skills to make them feel confident in the kitchen. His founding school is in the idyllic Trossachs National Park; his second is in inner-city Aberdeen. Together, through more than 20 ‘friends of the school’ expert teachers, you’ll learn everything from how to cook the perfect steak to Thai street eats. Classes taught by Nairn are in high demand, so it pays to be quick when booking your spot. nicknairncookschool.com

THE COOKERY SCHOOL AT DAYLESFORD, COTSWOLDS, ENGLAND

With ingredients such as native lamb, beef, red deer and guinea fowl, together with delights from the larder, creamery, bakery and smokery, the produce alone at this picturesque cookery school makes it worth the visit. Dozens of classes range from classic to specialised and include Simply Healthy, the Perfect Christmas Table, Butchery ‘Nose to Tail’, Best of British, Fish & Shellfish and Artisan Bread-Making. The bonus is the beauty of your surrounds; the school sits in almost 10 square kilometres of organic Cotswolds farmland. Classes are on the pricier side, but worth every pound. daylesford.com/cookeryschool

CLOCKWISE (from top left): students at River Cottage forage for wild ingredients; preparing beans; rhubarb goes under the knife; the grounds of The School of Artisan Food. OPPOSITE: ripe, red tomatoes ready to be turned into a finished dish.

CLOCKWISE (from top left): Ballymaloe students get busy in the kitchen; organic kale grown on the cookery school’s grounds; Padstow Seafood School’s executive pastry chef Stuart Pate; a student honing her seafood prep technique; feeding time at Ballymaloe.

The garden at Nick Nairn Cook School in Port Menteith; (below) Nairn (left) instructs students at one of his classes. Fresh produce at Daylesford; (left) the school’s impressive kitchen.