Our Story
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We teach relaxed, hands-on cookery classes with a focus on real food – classic skills, achievable recipes and great local produce, giving you fresh ideas and the confidence to get in the kitchen. To eat well, you need to be able to cook, at least a bit – and that is what we are all about.
We also cater small, intimate events (up to around 50 people), offering bespoke menus and a discrete, personal service. From kitchen suppers to stunning wedding cakes – our food is always handmade and beautifully presented.
Our Ethos
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Our classes and catering cover a range of diets and cuisines, from classic patisserie and baking to dinner party, vegetarian and Paleo menus.
What underlies our food is the belief that it is not necessarily the diet you follow but the quality and provenance of the ingredients you use that matters – we cook from scratch, we make our own stock and slow ferment our bread, we use organic dairy and free range meat and really good quality chocolate and sugar.
Our Kitchen
Our brand new teaching kitchen is based at Hillsdown Farm on Ashdown Forest. Our kitchen is a relaxed, welcoming space, furnished with a mix of industrial stainless steel and vintage painted furniture. It has tonnes of natural light, lovely views and even has a terrace full of all things edible where you can sit on a sunny day.
All of our equipment is new, clean and up to date. We have lots of fancy kit for you to have a go with but our recipes focus on domestic cooking, using things you are likely to have at home, from ovens to ingredients. We keep classes small so that you get time with the teacher and feel confident in asking lots of questions – we love to talk about food and the best classes are those where everyone joins in and throws in their ideas.
We are based on the beautiful Sussex High Weald, within 20 minutes drive of Haywards Heath, Forest Row and East Grinstead. We are also within easy reach of Brighton, Tunbridge Wells and Crawley. Haywards Heath and East Grinstead are served by lots of direct trains from London and we are happy to arrange transportation from the station for anyone who fancies a day trip. For a map and directions please see our Contact Us page.
Why Us?
Small, hands-on classes
Bespoke Menus
Beautiful Catering
Artisan Workshops
Private Events
Handmade from scratch
Quality, ethically sourced ingredients
Trained chefs
Personal Service
The Round Table Tutors
Chloe Coker
Head Chef
Chloe teaches classic skills, dinner parties, baking and family cookery
Elle Fox
Tutor
Elle runs Bubbling Life and teaches our fermentation and GAPs workshops
Alex Catchpole
Tutor
Alex runs Organergy and teaches gut health, special diets and family cookery
Clare Pope
Tutor
Clare runs Clares Cake Boutique and teaches all things sugarcraft
Some Happy Clients
The classes that Chloe and Jane teach place a strong emphasis on mastering techniques rather than individual recipes. Their experience and knowledge prove to be a fantastic foundation for this teaching and a good sense of humour and patience with the students has led the classes to be a great success amongst our regulars. It is to our good fortune that the recipes are delicious as well.
Divertimenti Cookery School, London
Chloe helped us out on a very last minute biscuit request. With literally days to go before a big Max Factor event, we asked Chloe to design and make 4 different biscuits, in the shape of Max Factor cosmetics. Her service was speedy and polished … The biscuits arrived on time and were adored by the journalists on the day. Not only did they taste great, but were absolutely delicious.
Maxfactor UK
Chloe spent hours helping me choose and design our beautiful wedding cake. Delicate hydrangea flower lace on the sides of the three-tier fruit cake was topped with a stunning bouquet of sugar hydrangeas and roses – our wedding flowers. Most people thought they were real! It was the best fruit cake we’d ever eaten – super moist and boozy – and it all disappeared in an instant
Hannah, Wedding Cake
A group of us booked an afternoon with Chloe learning how to ice cupcakes. The afternoon was great fun and everyone came away having spent a fun afternoon learning new skills … really recommend classes with Chloe
Chloe Coker is the most creative biscuiteer I have had the pleasure to work with.
Tom’s Deli, Notting Hill
I just wanted to drop you a line to say thanks for working at BE, I’ve heard nothing but praise!
Canon UK