Cambridge Cookery
Cambridge Cookery
4.5
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 6:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
6:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
6:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
About
Zero food waste Cookery school, Bistro and Café. Terrace facing park and public art. Slow Food, hand made, local, organic and seasonal food Micro bakery offering sour dough, Scandinavia Rye, cinnamon rolls, Croissants, Brioche and cakes. Superb coffee. Dog friendly. Live music on occasion. Wine tastings and meet the producer events.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.5
131 reviews
Excellent
106
Very good
8
Average
4
Poor
8
Terrible
5
FlightAndPursuit
2 contributions
Oct 2020
We spent a happy morning with Jackie and Caroline learning the secrets of successful croissant/brioche/baguette making. Both of them were very generous and helpful and I felt like I'd learnt a lot. The school is also making a big effort to protect its staff and students from the virus. We left with bags of things we had baked which I could smell all the way home. We will definitely sign up for another one next year.
Written 29 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adam B
Cambridge, UK19 contributions
Oct 2020
Phenomenally flavorful, creative dishes prepared and served by a warm, welcoming staff. A diversity of pastries, cakes, salads, and savory bites trickle out of the kitchen starting at 9am -- from berry rolls and orange carrot cake to omelette triangles and ham and cheese scones. The longer you stay, the more there is to try! Rotating Scandinavian- and Middle East-inspired bistro meals are listed on the blackboard daily, with options such as a Swedish breakfast fry-up, Turkish eggs, and sourdough breakfast sandwiches.
Standouts include the subtle, pillowy cinnamon roll, melt-in-your-mouth brownie, and buttery croissant dough tart filled with zesty lemon curd.
The space itself is beautiful, managing to be both warm and airy at the same time; it's clear how much attention to detail is paid, here, as candles and fresh cut flowers pepper the cafe, and artfully-plated dishes with pops of white powdered sugar or deep red balsamic sit behind the counter for you to feast your eyes upon.
Most importantly: the lovely staff make you feel welcome from the moment you arrive. Teresa, in particular, is exceptionally warm and caring, remembering customers' regular orders, asking after friends, and going out of her way to make your stay as memorable as possible.
Truly a must-visit!
----
Anyone interested in specific foods:
Absolutely stupendous cinnamon roll. Not drenched in any sort of syrup or icing, but rather the pillowy dough is moistened with a buttery cinnamon swirl throughout. Pearl sugar topping provides a lovely crunch and burst of sweetness to an otherwise mellow cinnamon flavor.
The pancakes come in a small, silver dollar sized stack of three. While the dough was quite dense, this allowed it to stand up well against the bold, sour acidity of a generous berry compote. Lightly vanilla'd ricotta mousse provided a luscious creaminess to balance the dish. Overall, I felt the pancakes lacked a more robust sweetness to counter the delicious, boldly sour compote -- perhaps some molasses-y brown sugar worked into the dough itself. Though I prefer my pancakes a bit lighter than the lovely dense rounds offered at the cafe, I still enjoyed them.
And the fudge brownie! My heart be still. It was ultra moist and fudge-y -- melting in my mouth with the texture of a properly rich fudge, but with a crumbly, cracking top crust that perfectly offsets the melt in your mouth base.
The croissant-base tart with lemon curd showcased the imagination and perfect pastry execution of the Cafe's chef. The crust maintained its buttery, chewy nature, cut perfectly by the sweet-sour of the creamy curd. A sprinkling of fresh blueberries on top provided a textural pop while adding a layer of sweetness.
The coffee was of high quality and my flat white was quite well executed. I'd certainly stop by for a nice coffee, alone!
Standouts include the subtle, pillowy cinnamon roll, melt-in-your-mouth brownie, and buttery croissant dough tart filled with zesty lemon curd.
The space itself is beautiful, managing to be both warm and airy at the same time; it's clear how much attention to detail is paid, here, as candles and fresh cut flowers pepper the cafe, and artfully-plated dishes with pops of white powdered sugar or deep red balsamic sit behind the counter for you to feast your eyes upon.
Most importantly: the lovely staff make you feel welcome from the moment you arrive. Teresa, in particular, is exceptionally warm and caring, remembering customers' regular orders, asking after friends, and going out of her way to make your stay as memorable as possible.
Truly a must-visit!
----
Anyone interested in specific foods:
Absolutely stupendous cinnamon roll. Not drenched in any sort of syrup or icing, but rather the pillowy dough is moistened with a buttery cinnamon swirl throughout. Pearl sugar topping provides a lovely crunch and burst of sweetness to an otherwise mellow cinnamon flavor.
The pancakes come in a small, silver dollar sized stack of three. While the dough was quite dense, this allowed it to stand up well against the bold, sour acidity of a generous berry compote. Lightly vanilla'd ricotta mousse provided a luscious creaminess to balance the dish. Overall, I felt the pancakes lacked a more robust sweetness to counter the delicious, boldly sour compote -- perhaps some molasses-y brown sugar worked into the dough itself. Though I prefer my pancakes a bit lighter than the lovely dense rounds offered at the cafe, I still enjoyed them.
And the fudge brownie! My heart be still. It was ultra moist and fudge-y -- melting in my mouth with the texture of a properly rich fudge, but with a crumbly, cracking top crust that perfectly offsets the melt in your mouth base.
The croissant-base tart with lemon curd showcased the imagination and perfect pastry execution of the Cafe's chef. The crust maintained its buttery, chewy nature, cut perfectly by the sweet-sour of the creamy curd. A sprinkling of fresh blueberries on top provided a textural pop while adding a layer of sweetness.
The coffee was of high quality and my flat white was quite well executed. I'd certainly stop by for a nice coffee, alone!
Written 4 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for this wonderful review.
We are a very small team, led by the inimitable Teresa at the front of house and a couple of dedicated Leiths and Cordon Bleu trained chefs taking turns in the kitchen. On any given day, it will just one of us, either me, the Scandinavian owner, or one of the others. We have worked together for a dozen years, and we are also the small group of chefs who teach in the cookery school.
We love home made, locally sourced, fresh and healthy food and that is the focus whether we teach or create dishes for the café. Thank you so much for appreciating what we do.
Written 5 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ADB10ab
Cambridge, UK2 contributions
Sep 2020
I attended a How to Cook 15 minute Meals class last evening - really enjoyable - friendly team, a very knowledgeable and practical class chef / tutor, safe practices and overall a very good way to spend, in this instance, 4 hours. Thank you! Highly recommend it.
Written 17 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David M
Cambridge, UK2,057 contributions
Feb 2020
Interesting food but rather quirky. My wife loves the place (and the food is very good) but I think they aren't really well organised
Written 13 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BettyVan14
Peterborough, UK76 contributions
Mar 2020 • Business
Fantastic venue for corporate team event
The team were on hand with lots of tips and practice
We did so much in the 4 hours with lots of fun!
Thank you so much to Tine and Team
The team were on hand with lots of tips and practice
We did so much in the 4 hours with lots of fun!
Thank you so much to Tine and Team
Written 12 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review - we appreciate it so very much.
We are on our 11th year of providing fun, informative and interactive events around cooking and baking and we look forward to the next 11 years! We all take such pleasure from seeing the pleasure we bring to groups of colleagues.
Written 13 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sarahlouise79
Sturmer, UK4 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
Was bought this as a Christmas gift to go along with my teenage daughter. It was a really enjoyable experience and we came away with some lovely baked goods. I feel like we have both learnt some useful tips and techniques-my daughter is a much more capable baker than I am-that we will both use in the future.
Thanks
Thanks
Written 21 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
James F
1 contribution
Nov 2019
Overall, the concept of Cambridge cookery is nice, and thanks to the chefs working there the food is amazing and very different from anywhere in Cambridge. But what would be this place without the employees that do the hard work?
The concept of Zero food Waste is great, but doesn't really make sense advertising to be a supporter of the environment when you have a daily delivery from Waitrose full of non-local products that are all wrapped in non-recyclable food packagings.
It is a very confusing place due to the owner's volatile behaviour; She brings in daily hostility, hypocrisy and contradictions which is damaging badly her own business.
The owner is driven by money, she has a smile on face for the customers and adresses her staff like they are worthless. If you are a returning customer you probably will notice like I have, that the staff is lacking in numbers or never the same; I was there last Sunday and witnessed how the owner speaks to her own managers and employees that seemed to work really hard. I will from now on stay away from this place.
The concept of Zero food Waste is great, but doesn't really make sense advertising to be a supporter of the environment when you have a daily delivery from Waitrose full of non-local products that are all wrapped in non-recyclable food packagings.
It is a very confusing place due to the owner's volatile behaviour; She brings in daily hostility, hypocrisy and contradictions which is damaging badly her own business.
The owner is driven by money, she has a smile on face for the customers and adresses her staff like they are worthless. If you are a returning customer you probably will notice like I have, that the staff is lacking in numbers or never the same; I was there last Sunday and witnessed how the owner speaks to her own managers and employees that seemed to work really hard. I will from now on stay away from this place.
Written 1 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gosh.
Such vitriol!
And so personal to me, the owner.
One could be tempted to draw the conclusion that this post might be linked to the dismissal of a member of staff a few days before this review.
A refusal to accept the level of customer care we give and a lack of respect for our customers frequently gave rise to views almost verbatim to this review.
A coincidence? Let’s assume that. So here is a professional response from me about my business.
We are proud to have been awarded our zero food waste status.
We buy dry goods incl all our fair trade sugars, organic flours, spice, baking powder, salt etc from Ocado because the choice and quality is superb and far superior to most big catering suppliers. Certainly not a cost saving for us but a matter of quality, nor something we try to hide from our visitors! Why would we?
That it comes plastic wrapped is indeed regrettable but not something we can affect and I am not aware of any suppliers trading in loose sugar or flour. Nor does it in any way detract from our zero food waste approach.
We buy Hampshire chalk stream trout - it is the only smoked “salmon” which offers the fish a natural habitat rather than intensive farming; it’s family run and quite simply one of a kind. More expensive for us but a sustainable choice.
We buy free range eggs from Bury St Edmunds. We buy Dingley Dell bacon. We bake all our bread and “chase it” from freshly sliced or filled via toasted croutons to crumb on yoghurt.
We make our Boozy Brioche and Butter pudding from leftover pastry rather than throwing away - or sell - less than perfect pastry.
For many years we delivered free weekly meals to Jimmys homeless shelter.
In winter we can only get limited fresh produce locally. As soon as the season allows we buy as much as we possibly can from small local producers.
The current average time that my staff have chosen to remain employed here is 7 years which I think says something about their working conditions.
Written 17 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Louise C
29 contributions
Aug 2019 • Friends
We were all a little disappointed the cookery lesson was super basic, waiting around at the beginning whilst they got prepped. The recipes were pretty simple and I left feeling like I’d learnt nothing for £75 a head but paid for a very expensive lunch I’d cooked myself ?
Part of the party deal was Prosecco top ups, which were slow and non existent unless we asked.
Overall I wanted to love this place but it was a boring lesson that lacked pace.
Part of the party deal was Prosecco top ups, which were slow and non existent unless we asked.
Overall I wanted to love this place but it was a boring lesson that lacked pace.
Written 16 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Louise.
I am sorry to hear that you attended an exclusive event here, ie either a corporate event or a hen party, If you came with your employer, who booked, paid for and requested the format for the only event priced at £75 which we have run in the past 2 weeks, then you should know that we had been asked to heavily reduce what was being made due meet budget and time restraints and so we had been instructed to prepare a large part of the meal. The feedback from our client who booked and paid, was extremely positive.
If you were a guest at the hen party we ran a couple of weekends ago, then again, we had been specifically asked to create a light lunch concept because you were all going out for a big meal that evening and so the person who booked had asked for it to be neither too complex nor too filling.
We do not offer free flowing fizz to our hen parties. We offer a welcome fizz and top ups, and make it clear that guests are welcome to bring their own wine if they wish. Running a group event where you cook your own lunch was exactly what we were asked to do. Our hen parties are run by the same highly competent Leiths and Cordon Bleu trained chefs who run our cookery classes during which the focus is entirely different, teaching classic skills ranging from knife skills and fish filleting to pastry making and classic sauces. The Hen Parties are designed to allow for a large group of guests, who often don’t know each other but are all friends of the bride, to focus being able to chat, socialise and relax around the preparation of a 5 course meal with freshly made bread, which is what we delivered.
I am sorry you did not enjoy it. In 10 years of running Hen parties this is the first time we have received anything other than glowing feedback.
Kind regards,
Tine Roche
Written 17 September 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MD22
Cambridge, UK7 contributions
Jul 2019 • Couples
We are very disappointed to write this review, as we have eaten here several times, and its normally a good experience. However, this evening was poor in every aspect. This was a 5 course fixed menu dinner from a visiting chef who recently had a Michelin star, for 4 adults. The menu was not available beforehand online, so it was fortunate that we have no specific dietary requirements. Frankly, apart from the dessert, the food was bland, lacking in taste, the presentation was not attractive, and (as recent reviews attest) the portions barely adequate to avoid leaving hungry. A main course of a medallion of pork belly with half a carrot and a spoonful of cabbage is not appropriate. The white wine was served in a warm steel bucket with no way to keep it cool. One dessert was served in a chipped bowl that had to be returned, and the service resembled a fast service cafe such that had we not asked for a break between every course, we would have been out in under an hour. Finally the wine list resembled the worst type of flowery and meaningless collection of adjectives without actually telling you how the wine tasted.
This may sound picky, but we are not gourmands with unattainable standards, we eat out regularly in Cambridge and surroundings, and are willing to pay for good food. We also want to support this enterprise as we share many of their values. However, at £55 per head excluding coffee, this evening was poor in almost every aspect. I understand that the regular bistro nights with a different chef are a better experience, but as a themed 'special', this was not special.
This may sound picky, but we are not gourmands with unattainable standards, we eat out regularly in Cambridge and surroundings, and are willing to pay for good food. We also want to support this enterprise as we share many of their values. However, at £55 per head excluding coffee, this evening was poor in almost every aspect. I understand that the regular bistro nights with a different chef are a better experience, but as a themed 'special', this was not special.
Written 14 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elizabeth P
Cambridge, UK4 contributions
Jul 2019 • Couples
Delicious food, very friendly and efficient staff - just great. But I won't tell you any more about it - it's a gem and I don't want you to go there. I want to keep it all to myself...
Written 14 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much Elizabeth for your very kind review.
I am so glad you enjoy visiting us and we hope to see you again.
Kind regards.
Written 15 July 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hi there, I'm interested in booking the parent and child chocolate course in December. I have two children and my husband will be coming along too. I'm uncertain as to whether I need to purchase 2 tickets @ £90 or 4 tickets @ £90 on the website, pls can you clarify
Thsnks
Catie G
Cambridge, UK5 contributions
Do you serve lunch tomorrow, Saturday? Is there anything for vegans?
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Frequently Asked Questions about Cambridge Cookery
- Cambridge Cookery is open:
- Tue - Sun 09:00 - 15:00
- Fri - Sat 18:30 - 22:30
- Hotels near Cambridge Cookery:
- (0.18 mi) Crystal Hotel & Savour
- (0.19 mi) Bridge Guest House
- (0.28 mi) Travelodge Cambridge Central Hotel
- (0.22 mi) Kingfisher Cambridge Central ground floor with gym
- (0.21 mi) Panos Hotel
- Restaurants near Cambridge Cookery:
- (0.01 mi) Cambridge Cookery Bistro & Cafe
- (0.20 mi) Al Pomodoro
- (0.30 mi) Taj Tandoori
- (0.29 mi) Bella Italia
- (0.33 mi) Rocker's Steak House