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Belfast Cookery School

Belfast Cookery School

Belfast Cookery School
5
About
we are the first purpose built cookery school in Belfast.We are situated in the centre of belfast close to hotels and public transport links.we offer a wide range of cookery classes featuring our chefs from the Mourne seafood Bar but we also offer a number of ethnic cooking classes featuring guest chefs.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles250 reviews
Excellent
220
Very good
17
Average
7
Poor
3
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3

Sean O
London, UK28 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • Couples
Great fun making Irish breads in a professional kitchen with friendly and helpful chef Ian Hunter and his team. The atmosphere was laid back and encouraging. We had a real laugh and look forward to joining some of the other classes. Highly recommended activity in Belfast.
Written 24 October 2021
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.

Johnnyutah66
Carrickfergus, UK147 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2019 • Solo
I've had an interest in cooking for a long time.We both work full time 9 to 5 and in addition my wife works away from home at weekends running a seal rescue centre a three hour drive away. So I tend to make the majority of the food at home. I like to experiment and try new things. I find cooking a great stress reliever and love to cook for other people.

I'd gone to a Mexican restaurant in called La Taqueria with a couple of friends after finding it by accident as a result of the Primark fire in Belfast. A diversion led me down a street I really wouldn't have went to otherwise. On the way in I noticed it shared a building with Belfast Cookery School. I hadn't heard of anything similar locally before I was immediately intrigued as to what they might have to offer.
I started to check the Belfast Cookery School website regularly to see the types of classes they had on offer. What I noticed almost straight off is that classes fill up really quickly. A few months went by and I still wasn't able to find a class with a theme I wanted to try on a night I could make it.

Then this week I noticed that there was space on the "Midnight Munchies" class. ( affectionately referred to as the "stoner class.")

I was hot and cold on going to the class because I knew at short notice I'd have to go on my own. It's intimidating enough to try something new, without the added pressure having to do it solo. The desire to get the class when I had the chance won out.

The class started at 7pm so I made my way to Castle Street and nervously took the stairs up to the 2nd floor to the school.

Immediately on entry staff offered me the warmest of welcomes. My nerves settled almost immediately. They led me to a seated area at the back of the class room, offered me seat and a glass of water and asked if I wanted a complimentary drink of something stronger. I decided to go with a caffeine kick. With a great cup of Coffee in hand I read through the disclaimer form and waited for the rest of the class to arrive.

The classes usually run with sixteen students, but I was lucky enough to be in a class that had just 7 participants.

This meant that from the off the staff couldn't have been more attentive, but I have zero doubt that even with a full class the ratio of staff to student would have offered the same great service.

Head chef and proprietor Ian Hunter Introduced himself and explained the format the class would take. He would demonstrate each dish and then it was our turn move off to our individual work stations to make our two starters, main course and desert.

Prior to this while noseying at at the work stations I noticed a problem for me. I have an unusual allergy. I'm allergic to mushrooms. If I touch them, my skin reacts badly it reddens and swells dramatically. If I eat them or eat food that has been cooked using the same equipment, that swelling happens to my throat and tongue. Sometimes even if someone else has been eating or cooking with them I can have a mild reaction where my eyes stream and my breathing becomes laboured. People tend, especially in restaurants to outright disbelieve me or more generously believe that I don't like them and I'm exaggerating by saying I'm allergic. I didn't raise the issue when I booked because the menu online never mentioned mushrooms but while checking out the work stations I saw that the vegetable portions for the Philly Cheesesteak where all sitting on top the dreaded funghi.

I was really loathe to bring it up as it's a weird thing to have to explain, but when I did, quietly dying a little inside Ian couldn't have been more helpful. Even if he thought I was full of it he tried very hard not to show it which I appreciated and the offending fungus was spirited away and fresh ingredients replaced them. The way this issue, that is exceptionally specific to me was handled couldn't have been better.

So with my world record breaking time attempt at the most awkward student ever over with Ian got down to business demonstrating the first two courses.

Nacho Popcorn with Crispy Maple Bacon

Parmesan and Black Pepper Chicken Wings.

Ian demonstrated each step of the recipes in easily digestible chunks. As good a Chef as he is, he's as equally as good a teacher. Doling out tips like never chopping garlic but instead grating it ( the difference in flavour this causes you would not believe ) showing us how to make Chicken Wing "lollipops" you really feel like you are gaining some insider knowledge. In what seemed like no time he had created two visually stunning and beautifully tasting dishes. Now it was our turn to make our way to our workstations and it kinda felt like like a street busker being asked to go on stage after Jimi Hendrix has just played All Along The Watch Tower on a flaming guitar. Ian makes cooking seem like Rock N' Roll.

The Workstations are laid out with military precision. The kitchen staff have all ingredients and all equipment laid out "mise en place" or  "everything in its place" meaning it was all to hand when needed. The recipe sheets where concise and easy to follow. My fellow students were working in pairs and Norman-No-Mates over here had the disadvantage of having to do all the work himself. This actually focused me all the more on the tasks at hand knowing full well if I made a pigs ear of it I had no one to blame but myself. I'd like to tell you I fought the good fight and single-handedly produced two restaurant standard dishes all by myself but Ian moved between all the work stations with almost superhuman foresight and managed to be just in the right place at the right time to stop me making too bad a botch of anything. Make no mistake though, I was super proud of what I produced.

Three hours had flown by and I'd produced four visually stunning and great tasting dishes made with ingredients that are easily available and with equipment most people will have at home.

I honestly can't heap enough praise on Belfast Cookery School and their staff. This experience was 10/10 and one of the best things I think I've ever done.

If you have any interest in cooking there is no better place to spend an evening in Belfast. Learning skills and taking home recipes I have no doubt you'll use for the rest of your life.
Written 29 June 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.

Brenda D
Belfast, UK18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019 • Couples
My first time at the Belfast Cookery School. I bought the experience as a birthday gift for my other half and we both loved it. Great cookery skills shown during the demonstrations then we got a chance to make the seafood chowder, and then the Duck a la orange. Great fun and a lift lesson. I would highly recommend this different type of cookery experience
Written 2 May 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.

blubelle31
Bangor, UK5 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2016 • Friends
I have always wanted to book a class. Seen great reviews so I got very excited when i seen a couple of classes going for free. I went through the whole transaction process on their website and order was complete. Was so excited.

Then, to my surprise, I get contacted by some guy asking for payment of £110. He was very rude and claimed that they had simply failed to charge me for the tickets. I had pointed out that the transaction was completed via their own website and confirmed. However, this does not matter. My choices were to pay up or be removed from the list. No apologies or even special offers for the inconvenience.

I wouldn't even have minded too much if he approached the issue in a nicer manner. My experience dealing with the company has left me angry and disgusted. My friends and I had planned to buy tickets as a treat for xmas anyway, but after being treated like that, no thank you!!!

Oh and please note, they don't have any terms and conditions listed. So they can make the rules up as they go along. Customers has no leg to stand on if they have any issues. They have no policy in place to protect their customers!!!
Written 13 October 2016
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.

Andrew M
County Antrim, UK7 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2017 • Couples
I was taken here as part of my birthday present. "Why go to a restaurant and pay a chef to cook when we can go here and pay more to cook for ourselves" my girlfriend must have thought. I went with an open mind and a level of anticipation not really knowing what to expect. On arrival we were made to sit at a table approximately 4 to 5 feet in height with a number of strangers. The tables were very cramped and it felt very awkward. After sitting for a while we were given an introduction by our "host" for want of a better word. He explained that we could purchase wine/beer/soft drinks etc, or have tea/coffee for free. I was a bit surprised that we didnt even receive one complimentary drink given the price paid. The menu we were meant to be cooking was garlic bread, piri piri chicken with red rice, spaghetti bolognese and a chocolate fondant. The chef talked us through how to make the bread but didnt show us. He then showed us how to make the chocolate fondant, then demonstrated how to make the bolognese and piri piri chicken. We were then sent to work stations in pairs, one to make the bolognese and one to make the piri piri chicken. The chef then jumped between the 16 students trying to give tips as we made the dish using a recipe provided. It felt very much like watching a cookery programme then going into your kitchen and making it. There were no cooking skills taught nor chefs tricks/tips. I expected we would be making the dish step by step as demonstrated but this was not the case. Each person cooked one dish each and received a very cheaply produced recipe book (a4 pages printed out and stapled together). At £45 per head I felt this was very overpriced. I cannot fault the staff who were very friendly and professional.
Written 5 December 2017
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.

pparks29
2 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2016 • Couples
As instructed we arrive 15 minutes early to the venue, only to be greeted by a locked door in dodgy surroundings. Once we entered the premisses, the dining area and cooking space were a good set up and allowed for a casual atmosphere and for conversation to flow (when permitted to talk...) We waited for the arrival of a few other couples and enjoyed what we thought would be the first of many glasses of wine. So far, so good.

We were introduced to Chef Stephen and the staff who would be helping us with the cookery course. The Chef took us through how the evening would work and the menu- whilst dishing out orders to staff, due to his own lack of organisation e.g. Missing utensils that weren't actually missing etc. Maybe this is part and parcel of a working kitchen, however I'm sure his assistant would have liked elements of his employment history kept private rather than shared with the whole group. The first course and demo were great, food was super and easy to cook. We got help when we needed it and headed back to our dining station. Here, the wine rationing began- after one glass, of which there were many different shapes and sizes. This meant that my single glass of wine was even smaller than everyone else's.

Before we started our second course, Chef Stephen was giving us details of where the produce had came from. One of which was Hannon Meats, an excellent supplier with a handy farm shop. The man beside me asked if I had ever heard of this place and I replied yes- telling him it was near to my home. At this point I received a telling off from the Chef for talking when he was. Awkward and uncomfortable for myself and the gentleman, with whom I was engaging in VERY quiet conversation with. Remember that social environment I talked about before? Here, it died.

So, rather red faced off we trotted to make our second course. All was going well, but again, the lack of wine was to rear its parched head. The couple opposite to ourselves were talking about the little wine they had drank and how having paid £150 each would have maybe liked another glass. We agreed. At this point, I started to panic, having seen Chef Stephen eye us from across the room. So, over he came over and asked the couple if the service wasn't good enough. They said no it was fine but they would have liked another glass of wine. He stated very firmly everyone gets the same amount and if they didn't believe him he would "make an issue of it" and "check CCTV" to make sure we had all got the same amount. The same amount thing wasn't the issue- it was the general lack of wine, water or any beverage for that matter. At this point the chef was in such a state he proceeded to drop several dishes. Which his assistants had to clean up. We also got a telling off about the wine- strike two for me. We would have been happy to actually buy another glass of wine, which was initially offered at the start of the course but wasn't allowed once we got into the cooking.

We are very aware that a bunch of drunken amateurs in kitchen could be a health and safety concern, however, we are all adults and if this was an issue it would be better stated on the website when booking. This would avoid any awkward wine related run-ins!

All in all, food and interior set up were great. The lack of wine and Chef's people skills...not so much.

We did eventually get another glass of wine, when we saw the same bottle on offer in Tesco for £4.99 the next day.
Written 26 July 2016
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.

Livo_73
Miami, FL315 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2016 • Couples
We joined some friends for a Dinner Party night here recently and, while we enjoyed ourselves, we're kinda on the fence about it.

The setup is perfect, well laid out kitchen and nice atmosphere. The dining area is good too. Our meal was crab toast, lobster and cheesecake. The chef was very informative and clearly knew his stuff, but he was a bit rude especially to the staff - perhaps this goes with the territory? The meal turned out well and we really enjoyed the fresh lobster - the cooking of which was a little traumatic.

The main issue we had with the night was the cost. At £150 per couple it was not cheap and they were especially mean with the wine. They have obviously been burned before but 1 really small glass of cheap wine is taking the mick. The glasses were all different sizes and shapes too so it was a gamble on what you got. There is no reason to be so tight with it, we're adults and paying customers. They were also really rushing us out at the end of the evening so there was no time to relax after our meal.

Overall a good night out but a bit expensive.
Written 28 June 2016
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.

Russell
Belfast, UK2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2018 • Friends
My boyfriend and i attended the game of thrones night with friends. Given the fact that this is a cookery school, i was extremely disappointed to find that the main was cooked for us, and at that not very well cooked (dry chicken, overcooked lamb and dry potatoes with no kind of gravy or sauce to even help that). We were only able to make two desserts and at that we had to split so one person made one kind and the other made the other dessert.

I was making lemon poppy cakes and they hadnt even prepared enough lemon curd for me to pipe onto the cakes - i had to share one piping bag with another couple (nope, werent shown how to make the lemon curd either). I also got mine home to find that they had given me black pepper instead of poppy seeds so it was inedible any way.

They offer complimentary tea and coffee and no one had offered us this, so my boyfriend asked one of the staff, to which he got the response “I’m not here to make you tea mate”

All in all, we paid £60 each for a terrible dinner and learning how to make one dessert. Save yourself the money...
Written 31 March 2018
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.

Naomi F
Lisburn, UK18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2019
Fantastic night! The menu was of a high quality and delicious, the demonstrations where informative and engaging, the staff where knowledgeable, helpful and friendly and the overall atmosphere was fun and light hearted! Excellent value for money!

Would 100% recommend to families, couples or tourists in Belfast and would most definitely return!

Thank you to everyone at Belfast Cookery School!
Written 7 February 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.

M3312LVem
11 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2018
Nice idea but expensive and it would’ve been better if we could cook some more main course dishes instead of being served them and cooking desserts. Will maybe try again at another stage. Not sure if it is worth the price.
Written 28 February 2018
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.

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