Where can I find out about cookery courses in the UK

asked Grom

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A. As well as the sources listed in the answer, there are lots more courses for hobby chefs, some of which can turn amateurs into professionals.

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Leith's School of Food and Wine in Kensington, West London, was started by Prue Leith, who now works as a government advisor on nutrition, amongst others things, and Caroline Waldegrave. It is still run by Caroline Waldegrave,�who jointly owns it with Sir Christopher Bland, whose other hat is Chairman of the BBC.

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The school started in 1975 and teaches traditional cookery methods with a fresh approach. There are courses of different intensities for the beginner, intermediate and advanced cook and also special evening and holiday classes, one-day workshops,�and even one-day courses for 11-14 year olds.

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The school has its own website at www.leiths.co.uk. There is an excellent restaurant attached to the school, which changes its menu daily according to what is available and in season.

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Q. Do any top chefs run courses

A. Sure do. The most famous is Raymond Blanc who runs residential and non-residential courses from�the two-Michelin-starred kitchens at Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons, his stately pile and restaurant in Oxfordshire.

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The four-day residential course has a topic for each day, such as meat or fish or patisserie, and guests are treated to a seven-course banquet on the last day. There are also one and two-day courses on seafood and Christmas dinner parties amongst many other topics. Visit www.manoir.co.uk.

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Q. Are all courses in English based in the UK

A. No. You can combine perfecting your cookery skills with basking in some gorgeous Continental countryside. Top chef Alastair Little runs courses in Italian cookery from his eighteenth century Umbrian farmhouse called La Cacciata, in the heart of Italy's wine country, not far from Orvieto. There is no website dedicated to this course, but a book is available based on answering the most frequently asked questions from students. Details of the courses feature in the book. It is called Alastair Little's Italian Kitchen and is published by Ebury Press at�around �12.

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Q. What about courses for eating healthily

A. Good question. Health and nutrition generally don't feature heavily in the type of cookery courses mentioned above, but pastry, chocolate and cream do! Check out a site at www.greencuisine.org where, as well as lots of advice about organic rearing of meat and vegetables, there are courses on such things as learning how to cook for energy and radiance. There is also a course on sports nutrition. The courses can be residential and take place in Kington, Herefordshire.

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Q. Are there any courses for people who don't know the first thing about cookery

A. Yes. The Edinburgh Cookery School offers courses for kids in their gap year who have never cooked a thing in their lives. Bless them! Elements of the course include Survival Skills for Independent Living, Living on a Shoestring, Knife Skills (honest!), Budget Dinner Parties and an explanation of all the terms recipe-book authors take for granted, such as parboil, folding, kneading, and whisking until stiff. Visit http://www.cookerycompany.com

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By Nicola Shepherd