Our courses
Welcome to The Woodspeen Cookery School – where anyone can learn the skills and confidence to deliver precision cooking. Our courses range from foundational culinary knowledge such as butchery and baking, to classic Woodspeen dishes, to seasonal specials, all the way to simply having fun.
Browse our courses below, or click the ‘view calendar‘ link below to browse by date.
Daytime Classics Courses
10AM – 2PM | £165 PER PERSON
Do you love our restaurant? Then come and join this exciting course where you will learn how to recreate our most popular starter, main course and dessert of the season, at home, in your own kitchen. During this course our team will teach you to confidently re-create these restaurant dishes at home. We’ll share some of our kitchen secrets including ‘partition preparation’ where most of the cooking is done before your guests arrive, leaving you to spend more time at the table and less time in the kitchen. Before you head home, you will get to enjoy your starter with your fellow cooks around The Chef’s Table for lunch. The main-course and dessert you have made will be packed up for you to serve at home to impress your family and friends!
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10AM – 2PM | £165 PER PERSON
This Course is designed to take the stress out of the Sunday Roast and make you look like a culinary genius to your friends and family. You will learn kitchen tips & tricks that will take your Sunday roast to the next level. you will take home from the course a Sunday lunch for 4 people including starter and dessert, all you need to do is choose a meat option and after the course you will be able to cook it perfectly.
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10AM – 2PM | £165 PER PERSON
Do you know what great fish looks like? During this course we will show you how to identify quality points in fish, and ensure you know what to buy. We will teach you preparation and cooking techniques of flat and round fish, ensuring maximum eating quality and flavour. At the end of the course you will sit down at the chef’s table and enjoy some of the food you have made.
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10AM – 2PM | £165 PER PERSON
Learn the basics with us, and before you know it, you’ll be whipping up classic and modern breads, from traditional soda bread to shortbread.
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10AM – 2PM | £165 PER PERSON
At The Woodspeen we believe that a good understanding of traditional butchery skills gives the cook an advantage for getting the most out of each cut. Just as important as the prep skills, is the skill to cook and we will run through times and temperatures to ensure you cook your meat perfectly, every time! We will cover how to keep your stews and casseroles tasty with the meat being moist and tender, we’ll be breaking down a chicken and also demonstrating the perfect way to cook lamb and beef, explaining the cuts as we go along and the best cooking methods to use. You will make, pate and lamb koftas.
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Sweet & Continental Courses
10AM – 2PM | £165 PER PERSON
Traditional cakes and desserts are at the heart of good home cooking. During this course, we will focus on the techniques you need to make pastry, desserts, while giving you tips on creative presentation that will transform you into a star baker! Our hands-on day will give you the opportunity to learn many techniques, whilst making several desserts, which you get to take home and impress your family and friends with!
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10AM – 2PM | £165 PER PERSON
Italian food is the ultimate in social food, and what could be better than gathering a group of friends or family around the table for homemade Italian specialities. Join us for this fabulous course where we will teach you to prepare an Italian feast, including classics such homemade pasta, gnocchi, risotto and focaccia.
You will end the day around the chef’s table, with your fellow cooks, enjoying some of the delights you have prepared
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10PM – 2PM | £165 PER PERSON
Italian food is the ultimate social food, and what could be better than gathering a group of friends or family around the table for homemade Italian specialities. Join us where we will teach you to prepare Italian classic desserts to enjoy after that beautiful homemade Gnocchi, pasta or Italian bread you had to start.
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10AM – 2PM | £165 PER PERSON
Ever feel like your dinner parties need a little bit more je ne sais quoi? If so, our French Cookery Course will give you all the tools that you need to pull off the perfect dinner party. You will learn a multitude of skills including making a cheese Soufflé from scratch, Classic Coq au Vin and creamy potato & finish with a beautiful Tart Tatin.
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Seasonal & Special Courses
10AM – 2PM | £165 PER PERSON
We all love to throw a sausage on the ‘barbie’ but if you are up for more than this, join us to learn how to prepare in advance for a barbecue. How to marinade your meat, make your own burgers, inventive salads and dressings, and make homemade pitta and hummus.
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10AM – 2PM | £165 PER PERSON
Ever tried to cook the perfect Scotch egg? We’ll show you how to cook the perfect egg enabling you to have runny yolks in your Scotch egg all the time. You will make a veggie , fish and Meat scotch egg with a home made brown sauce. Then it’s over to The Chef’s Table, where you can savour the results with your fellow Pupils and enjoy a refreshing well-earned beverage.
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10AM – 2PM | £165 PER PERSON
Using some of Berkshire’s finest produce we’ll show you how to prepare and cook various types of game, highlighting its versatility and health benefits. Before long you’ll be ‘breaking down’ a haunch of venison, using pheasants with versatility and cooking game birds to perfection
• How to cook your game whilst retaining maximum flavour and moistness
• Theory on ageing
• Slow and fast cooking methods, why and when to use them
• During the day you will make venison Scotch egg, venison sausage roll, pheasant Kiev and pheasant thigh casserole
• Demonstration on partridge preparation and cooking
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10AM – 2PM | £165 PER PERSON
The backbone of British cuisine in the colder months, toe warming stews and casseroles bring friends and family together tucking in to these one pot wonders. Find out how to build flavour.
• Slow cooking techniques like pheasant casserole
• Rich seasonal soup
• Braised red cabbage and to die for buttery and creamy mash potato
• Warming Almond cake and seasonal compote
• The importance of balancing all meals you make, and how to achieve this
BROWSE DATES AND BOOK
Make an evening of it ...
6PM – 9PM | £115 PER PERSON
Discover the secrets to cooking the perfect steak and chips. We’ll show you how to pick the best cuts and share tips on how to keep your steak tender, juicy and full of flavour. To accompany your steak you will make triple cooked chips and a delicious tomato chutney. The chef will also show you how to make classic steak sauces, béarnaise and peppercorn. To end this enjoyable evening, you will head over to The Chef’s Table, where you’ll get to enjoy the fruits of your labour, with a glass of wine, beer or soft drink.
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6PM – 9PM | £115 PER PERSON
Join this fantastic cookery course, where you will learn some robust techniques for making Indian and Thai curries. You will cook a variety of dishes that you can easily replicate at home. This will include techniques on marinating and alternative cooking methods. You will end the evening at the chef’s table, where you will get to enjoy the dishes you have made, with a glass of wine, beer or soft drink.
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6PM – 9PM | £115 PER PERSON
Why not come and learn how to make one of the world’s favourite cuisine, with some homemade pasta and sauces, rich tomato sauce and mouth-watering cheesy and garlic soda bread.
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6PM – 9PM | £115 PER PERSON
A fun evening where you’ll create the ultimate burger, served classically on a brioche bap, with relish, chips, onion rings and a choice of beer or Champagne.
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6PM – 9PM | £115 PER PERSON
Join us to create this classic dish, that will soon become a firm favourite. This time it is beef wellington made from scratch, with homemade puff pastry, perfectly cooked beef fillet and rich velvet red wine sauce. To finish off this fabulous evening, you will get to enjoy your homemade beef wellington at the chef’s table, with delicious fries and a glass of red wine.
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Cookery courses make wonderful gifts
Get in touch
- hello@thewoodspeen.com
- 01635 265 070
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The Woodspeen Restaurant & Cookery School
Lambourn Road, Woodspeen, Newbury, RG20 8BN
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The Woodspeen is owned by The Woodspeen Restaurant Limited, a company registered in England and Wales under company number 08524322 and with our registered office at TVP2, 300 Thames Valley Park Drive, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 1PT.
Don't forget!
The Woodspeen will be open for an extra day on Monday 28th October as we extend our 10th Anniversary celebrations. Book your table on Monday 28th and enjoy a celebratory welcome drink with our compliments!