For more info about Lindy Wildsmith please visit my website
Our programme of cookery courses goes from strength to stregth. They are based on the premise prepare it, cook it, eat it and run in the state of the art Chef’s Room at Vin Sullivan’s premises in Blaenavon in South Wales. Food writer and cook Lindy Wildsmith runs the courses with chef and consultant Franco Taruschio OBE, patron of the Abergavenny Food Festival and founder of the legendary Walnut Tree restaurant.
Lindy has written many successful cookery books, and has run the G2 club in Ross-on-Wye staging cookery demonstrations, lessons and events for more than ten years. No stranger to this part of Wales she has also taught cooking along with Taruschio at the Hill in Abergavenny for much of that time. She is an able and informative teacher not only locally but at cookery schools in London and across the country.
Students will also benefit from the skills and knowledge of Vin Sullivan’s forty years plus experience as fishmongers. They will learn, to clean, fillet, skin, cut and dress fish and seafood; spot what is fresh and what is not; what is in season and what is not. Themes covered at the school will not be limited to fish; the courses will benefit from Sullivan’s ample larder which supplies a wide range of high quality fresh produce, poultry, meat, game and wild mushrooms according to season. There is a retail shop on site where students may purchase all the ingredients they have used during the course to recreate the dishes at home.
The Chef’s Room is a unique facility with access to some of the best fresh fish and produce in the country and eventually it is hoped that it will become renowned as a centre of excellence for commercial training for fishmongers and chefs. Special courses, corporate events and chef training days can be arranged.
HOW TO FIND US - post code - NP4 9RL
Directions: We are 6.6 miles from Abergavenny. Take the A4143 signposted Llanfoist from the A40 and follow the signs to the Big Pit museum of coal mining. When you arrive in Blaenavon turn right off the main road still following signs to Big Pit and then immediately left into the Thomas Gilchrist Industrial Estate. Vin Sullivan is on left hand side of the road…..Look out for the lobster on the building!
COURSE DATES
Saturday September 11th Franco Taruschio: Five of the best! A menu of delicious seasonal recipes from Franco’s native Le Marche
Lunch with a glass of wine. £75.00
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Saturday September 18th and Sunday 19th
Abergavenny food festival
Saturday September 18th Lindy Wildsmith Picnic! Cook now share later...at the Chef’s Room Sessions 10 am, 12.30 pm and 3pm: £20.00
Sunday September 19th Trinity Hall 11am – 12pm Lindy Wildsmith and -Paolo Arrigo on preserves and curing
see festival programme or website link for details and bookings (goes live July 15)
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Saturday October 2nd Franco Taruschio: Classic Italian autumn cooking
Lunch with a glass of wine. £75
Saturday October 9th Clippy preserving the nation: Colour me autumn - preserves
Michelle ‘Clippy’ McKenna To include a snack lunch with a glass of wine £50.00
Saturday October 16th Lindy Wildsmith: Simple supper with friends: cook now share later – cook a three course meal for two and take it home to share later. Enjoy a glass of Prosecco and some nibbles mid-morning £75.00
Saturday November 6th Franco Taruschio: game for entertaining – great game recipes to show off to your family and friends. Lunch and a glass of wine. £75.00
Saturday November 13th LINDY WILDSMITH - CURED, SALTED, SPICED, DRIED, SMOKED, POTTED, PICKLED AND RAW-Lindy will share with you some of the secrets from her new book. . To include lunch and a glass of wine £75.00
Saturday November 20th Franco Taruschio: getting ready for Christmas – Christmas is all in the planning, Franco will take you through a menu of three dishes that can be made in advance of the celebrations plus nibbles and biscuits to take home. Lunch and a glass of wine.
Thursday December 9th Lindy Wildsmith advance party Learn some simple dishes to make ahead to impress your friends and family. To include lunch with a glass of wine £50.00
Saturday December 11th Franco Taruschio: the feast of Christmas A menu of inspirational dishes to see you through the Christmas festivities plus a delicious canapé and biscuit recipe. Lunch with a glass of wine.£75.00
HAPPY NEW YEAR - 2011
Thursday January 13th Lindy Wildsmith: Moroccan magic - To include lunch with a glass of wine. £50.00
Saturday January 15th Franco Taruschio: Italian winter warmers - a menu of satisfying traditional dishes to keep out the cold and turn our minds to warmer climes. Lunch with a glass of wine. £75.00
Saturday February 19th Franco Taruschio: Welsh Italian Fusion Back again by request! Franco will cook up some classic Italian dishes using premium quality traditional Welsh ingredients, cockles, laverbread, oysters, leeks, lamb and more. To include lunch with a glass of wine. £75.00
Saturday February 26th Lindy Wildsmith: simple Italian supper party with friends - Cook now share later - cook a three course meal for two and take it home to share later. Enjoy a glass of Prosecco and some nibbles mid-morning £75.00
Thursday March 3rd a Master class with Shaun Hill chef-patron of the Walnut Tree
Saturday March 19th Franco Taruschio: The Basics: preparing and cooking fish. To include lunch and a glass of wine.
Saturday March 26th Hot Wok - creative Asian cooking with Thai chef tutor Shaun Nean
Saturday April 9th Franco Taruschio: Spring fever – cook up some enthusiasm for the new season’s ingredients.
for more general information about our courses clic on More course details at top of page!
Visit website link for info on Lindy and her gourmet trips to Italy
Visit website link for cooking holidays in Italy with Franco in May and October 2010
Learn to cook and have fun
Useful Information
News & Special Offers
SHAUN HILL IS BACK ON MARCH 3 2011! Shaun has won Michelin stars, written award winning books, helped Ludlow become gastronomic capital of Britain and is now guardian of the Walnut Tree.
Lindy Wildsmith's new book, Cured - an indispensable domestic guide to the use of traditional curing methods will be available from September 13th in all good book shops. See Books on the home page for details.
Lindy is billed with Paolo Arrigo director of the world famous Franchi's seeds at the Abergavenny Food Fesival, where she will be showing how to develop and intensify flavours through curing. Paolo will be preserving the abundance of the seasons Italian style. Trinity Hall on Sunday September 19th at 11 am Tickets £7.00
On Saturday 18th of September Lindy will be opening the Chef's Room for short cookery sessions. The classes are called Cook now - share later. Prepare a picnic of potted crab or Jerusalem hummus with unleavened bread or bara crai as it is called in Wales, a seasonal salad and Welsh cakes or triple chocolate muffins and take away to share later. This is an ideal opportunity to have a taster lesson in our convivial teaching kitchen. Tickets £20.00 website link
MICHELLE CLIPPY McKENNA will be making the Chef's Room her port of call in Wales on her voyage around the country on a mission to teach the secrets behind the perfect preserve. She is booked to come on October 9th with "colour me autumn." A workshop not to be missed!
We are also introduing for the first time Thai chef/tutot Shaun Nean who will be teaching creative Asian cooking with a Wok on March 26th.
Franco and Lindy continue their regular courses with a return of their very popular "Basic fish skills" and "Welsh Italian fusion" in the New Year- perfect for Christmas gifts. Franco will be continuing his wonderful seasonal classes, which are both informative and fun and cover a wealth of subjects. To include "Five of the best" dishes from his native Le Marche, "Classic Autumn cooking", "Game for entertaining", "Getting ready for Christmas" and "The feast of Christmas", "Winter warmers" and "Spring Fever"
Lindy will be introducing her Cook now share later classes - cook a three course meal for two and take it home to share later with loved ones. Come with a couple of friends and you can prepare a whole supper party together, have some fun and enjoy a glass of Prosecco and a few nibbles in the process before returning home to put your feet up before your guests arrive to devour the fruits of your morning’s cooking.
In November Lindy will be sharing some of the secrets from her new book Cured - salted, spiced, dried, smoked, potted, pickled and raw. This indispensable guide to curing is also a great recipe book with lots of ideas for serving best artisan produced cured meats and fish for those of us who don’t cure our own. Lindy says "one of the best things about cured food is it is all made ahead of time and when it comes to serving it the work is done."
Other classes with Lindy include "Advance Party" in December - a menu of dishes that can be prepared in ahead of time and served when your guests arrive. "Moroccan Magic" - recipes and anecdotes gleaned on her travels through this colourful and exotic country.
Later in the season we hope to welcome some good friends to the school. Saturday Telegraph's charming food columnist XANTHE CLAY will guest for the first time at the Chef's Room. She has a bubbly informative way of teaching which is relaxing and enjoyable and will inspire and help you to cook deliciously simple meals at home.
Giuseppe Silvestri will be back in 2011 following the success of his course earlier this year.
GIUSEPPE SILVESTRI is from Naples, the birthplace of pizza, and as innovative consultant chef of Harrods pizzeria is the man to teach pizza and focaccia making skills.
We also hope to intoroduce a cheese appreciation class. Please phone or email for more information
Guest Master Classes are £85.00
We also hope to welcome back wine educator Peter Ayling our accredited expert wine guide and introduce a cheese appreciation course with food writer Fiona Becket and a master cheese maker from Wales.
For dates see left and for more course details clic on Courses in detail at the top of the page.
Please contact Lindy personally by email for more details of these and our specialist courses.
The Chef's Room fish and cookery school serves
Opening Times
- 9.45 for 10am to 15.00
Owner/Manager: Lindy Wildsmith
The Chef's Room fish and cookery school Statistics: 145 click throughs, 2830 views since start of 2010
