When was Food at 52 founded?
How does the cooking class work and what sort of cooking will I do?
What do I need to bring?
What types of people come to Food at 52 and how many to a class?
How do I know which course to take?
Can I book a private class?
Do you cater for Corporate Groups?
Do you sell vouchers?
How do I pay?
What happens if I can’t make the course I’m booked on?
Where is Food at 52 located?
Food at 52 opened it doors to friends and family in Autumn 2007 and launched to the public in January 2008. John Benbow had been running informal classes for friends for a while and due to increasing demand he decided to open a cooking school from home – Food at 52 was born
How does the cooking class work and what sort of cooking will I do?
All of our cookery classes are very hands-on so everyone participates in making each of the dishes during the day. We believe in this way you leave Food at 52 with the confidence to try the dishes as home and impress friends and family!
Most of our courses are day classes of 5 hours and run from 10am to 3pm during the week and 11 – 4pm at weekends (after all a lie in is important for everyone!). We also run bespoke three hour classes over either lunch or evenings. After an introduction over coffee and biscuits students go onto to prepare usually 4 or 5 dishes covering starters, mains, side dishes and a desert.
Unlike many cookery schools where you simply chop a few vegetables and the rest is all demonstration, here you will be guided step by step through each recipe. So if pasta is on the menu you’ll make your own dough, roll it out and then prepare the pasta from beginning to end. If you sign up to the fish course you’ll learn how to fillet and prepare seafood, by watching John demonstrate and then having a go yourself. Students, working often in pairs, will cook at their own gas ring.
During the course John plans the menu so that everyone has something to eat early on but the main meal is at the end of the class when the last hour is given way to sitting around the dinner table and eating the feast that has been created. The wine flows freely as does the conversation. Many people have commented on how they feel like they are at a dinner party rather than a formal cookery class!
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We provide all the ingredients, drinks, equipment, apron and recipes so all you need to bring is yourself (in flat comfortable shoes please as high heels mark our wooden floors!).
What types of people come to Food at 52 and how many to a class?
We aim to have a maximum of 8 - 10 students to each class, depending on the actual course being taught. With this smaller group it is easier for John to ensure everyone is getting the kind of attention they need to really enjoy and learn from the class.
Some bespoke classes can accommodate larger groups such as our Tapas and Paella course which goes up to 14 people.
We have some foodies attend who are expert cooks and simply want to try out a new style of cooking such as Moroccan or Thai. At the other end of the spectrum we have novice cooks who want to learn how to cook some dishes from their favourite type of food. The love of food and enthusiasm to learn are the common factors!
Students come from all backgrounds and Nationalities. There are no upper age limits – we’ve had both an 80 year old and a 16 year old participating in the same class! We are planning later this year to offer a teenagers class focusing on kitchen basics and fun yet healthy cooking but in the meantime our minimum age limit for courses is 16 years old.
How do I know which course to take?
On the course page of our website we have explained in general what is involved in each class although we do not specify the actual dishes as they do change regularly.
At Food at 52 it doesn’t matter if you don’t have any cooking experience, our small class sizes will allow you to pick up new skills and have fun along the way.
We often have groups of friends coming together who want to have an exclusive event. We love running these classes and everyone finds it a really nice way to catch up with each other. The only restriction is that the minimum booking is 6 people for an exclusive event on a weekday and 8 people on a weekend.
Do you cater for Corporate Groups?
We have run many successful corporate team building events including Linklaters, UBS, HBV, Microsoft and Cisco. We find that our three hour cooking classes are a great alternative to going out for a work team meal and really help build a team. We can tailor make the menu and wines to suit your budget and can offer events for between 8 and 12 people. Please see our feedback from corporate clients.
We do sell vouchers and people find they make great gifts for friends, relatives and work colleagues. If you want to buy a cooking class for a gift but you are not sure of the availability of your friend then a voucher is ideal. They will receive a printed numbered voucher in the post and can then simply telephone us to book a course of their choice. All of our vouchers are valid for 1 year from date of purchase
You need to pay for the full cost of the cookery course at the time of booking. We currently use Paypal to accept payment via our website. You do not need a Paypal account, simply type in your credit/debit card details and the transfer is made to our account. It is completely secure and fast way of paying.
What happens if I can’t make the course I’m booked on?
Once you have booked onto a course we are unable to transfer you onto another course so please make sure you are available at the time of booking. If something unexpected comes up we will always welcome a substitute of your choice to attend in your place.
We are unable to offer refunds.
We are at 52 Great Percy Street, London WC1X 9QR. Our nearest tube is either Kings cross ( 7-10 minutes walk) or Angel ( 5 minute walk). There is very limited visitor parking in the area and wardens are fierce – we suggest you use alternative transport!
