Obviously, I am pretty into food. And by that I mean both making it and eating it. When you read my blog it’s also fairly obvious that I have zero formal culinary training; so when I was invited to attend a bloggers event at the Underground Cookery School I RSVP’d without even really reading more than the first sentence! I’ve always harbored the not-so-secret desire to go to culinary school (or at least pastry school) and have my own bakery but due to the fact that I’ll be paying off my BA and my MA for the rest of time, this is pretty much out of the question. Unless I become a famous actor that turns to the foodie industry, a la Gwyneth Paltrow and her cookbook.
The Underground Cookery School is located close to the Old Street Tube Station, and since 2003 they have been holding parties teaching people how to cook in a super relaxed, cheesy-jokes-galore atmosphere. One of the chefs even had a pretty sweet playlist going on through the night. The school is aimed at parties; company events, birthday parties, hen and stag do’s (bachelor and bachelorette parties), etc.
All 18 bloggers were cheerfully plied with prosecco (the easiest way to my heart) and a delicious arancini canape that I ate more than my fair share of. (Also, that’s a recipe I’d love to get… mmm…) And then we got stuck into the cooking. The menu had a starter of sea bass with lemon dressing, asparagus and peas; a main of chicken breast with broad beans, jersey royals and salsa; and a dessert of strawberry meringue roulade. Trust me, these guys definitely know their food.
I’m pretty proud of some of the skills that I learned there, and Sam is now pressuring me to cook him fish. I also got to meet some fantastic London bloggers and had some really genuine conversations. I can honestly say that I had a blast! This is exactly the kind of experience that I’d want for my bachelorette party. And I’m not even saying that because I was given free food and unlimited drinks. It was a great night out and I can totally understand why it’s so popular.
