A brand-new cookery school experience is set to launch in Dartington in September, with courses and private dining delivered by esteemed chef, Chris Sherville.

The school is to be launched from his own home, having transformed a floor into a state-of-the-art professional kitchen and an atmospheric private dining room.  The new facilities provide the perfect setting to learn new skills and top cookery tips from the expert, while gaining confidence in a relaxed, sociable environment.

Courses will take place around a large, purpose-built chef's table in the kitchen, enabling intimate groups of six students to observe the theatre of the kitchen, while getting hands on themselves.  At the heart of the kitchen is an impressive Smeg oven and the adjoining dining room has been stylishly fitted out with an array of smoking hats lined up on the wall.  Aimed at groups of friends, families, corporate groups and hen parties, this is a good way to get together and learn a new skill.  The courses will start at £125.00 for a day's cooking experience and include dinner with wine for the student and a partner or friend.

Commenting on the new venture, Chris says: “Nurturing those you love and impressing friends with delicious home-cooked food is a real pleasure, so it's been a lifelong dream of mine to share my passion and cooking experiences through my own cookery school.  With food being at the heart of the home, I couldn't think of a more apt venue than launching this venture from within my own home.”

Chris is renowned for his unique style of flavoursome, creative cuisine influenced by his upbringing in Hong Kong and Malaysia, and further travels in India, Thailand, Greece, Spain and America.  He trained at the prestigious Leith's Cookery School and has spent decades honing his craft.  In keeping with the strong food ethics upheld in his career, Chris will showcase the very best produce from the South West including fish, meat and vegetables from farms local to Dartington wherever possible, working with produce from small family run businesses, day boat fishermen and a range of smallholders. 

Informative, fun and engaging, the courses vary from easy exotic recipes perfect for rushed weekdays, to leisurely showstoppers for weekends and special occasions. Throughout the day, Chris will answer every day cooking quandaries – what to feed the family for dinner, how to cook on a budget, how to rustle up a last-minute meal to wow guests when they swing by at a moment's notice, and cooking with alternatives for those with allergies.

Together with the tuition, budding cooks will be kept well fed and watered throughout the day with refreshments, lunch and drinks.  Partners are then encouraged to join them for dinner and a taxi or designated driver is advised!  Guests will be able to take away the recipes needed to re-create the dishes at home.

The space and options on offer are perfect for groups of friends and will work particularly well for hen parties searching for a venue where they can combine a fun and luxurious cooking element with a massage and/or beauty treatment as there are three adjoining treatment rooms.  Hens can learn to cook lobster, scallops, fillet of beef, make cocktails and take advantage of two on-site masseuse and a visiting beautician, followed a sumptuous dinner and transport home. The venue can accommodate additional numbers for hen parties, transport can be arranged and with enough notice, accommodation can be booked.

The entire space can be hired for a special occasion dinner or lunch with bespoke menus and wine list; a Chef's Table in the heart of Dartington, where guests can relax in privacy, chat with the chefs as they enjoy a drink and canapés, before sitting down to eat in the private dining room.

For more information about chef Chris Sherville's Cookery School and Private Dining, please call Chris on 07792 617 028, visit www.chrissherville.com or like his Facebook page for latest events and demonstrations. 

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Note to editors

Before embarking on a career as a chef, Chris Sherville worked in the arts and fashion for Sotheby's, Versace and Harvey Nichols before deciding to follow his passion for food and re-trained as a chef at Leith's Cookery School.  He ran a restaurant in Bath and held pop-up restaurants at Port Eliot Festival in Cornwall, serving 2,500 meals a day.  Last summer he ran The Vineyard Kitchen at Sharpham.  Chris has also partnered with Michelin star chef John Burton Race as Two Grumpy Chefs, providing bespoke private catering.

Please credit Steven Haywood if using photos

For further information, photography or an interview with Chris Sherville, please contact:

Hayley Reynolds, RAW Food and Drink PR; hayley@rawfoodanddrinkpr.co.uk 

Mobile: 07887 474 104; Twitter: @HayleyJReynolds; @RawSW