Bettys Cookery School has recently re-opened post-pandemic, and I was lucky enough to be invited down to try out & review their “Icing on the Cake” day, so that I could tell you all about it.
I have never been to an event at Bettys Cookery School before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. My initial thoughts were that the price seems quite high, however I can honestly say, after my day there, I came away feeling like it was actually brilliant value for money. I am already thinking about when I can treat myself again, and maybe book another course or masterclass with a few friends.
So, why did I enjoy it so much? Allow me to tell you all about it…
Firstly, the booking info and arrival instructions were great. I had to fill in a few basic health & safety questions so that Bettys were informed that I was fit & well- (all important in this post-pandemic world). There is a dedicated carpark at the Cookery School and I spotted an EV charging point and a disabled parking spot in close proximity to the door.
I was warmly welcomed on arrival into Bettys Cookery School and shown the lockers (free- you don’t need a coin) and the loos (try not to leave your coat there like I did at the end of the day!)
Next, I was signed in & shown to my seat in the lovely welcome/ cafe area to enjoy a light breakfast of pain au chocolate (delicious obvs!) and tea or coffee. At this point we were also introduced to the 3 dedicated staff who would be looking after us during the day, including our wonderful chef/ teacher Jenny.
After breakfast we were taken into the state-of-the-art kitchen area, and we all sat ‘bake-off” style in front of the demonstration counter. There were 8 of us taking part in the course, however I understand that they can accommodate up to 12 students in the room. It was fantastic to bump into two familiar faces, Lucy & Victoria (AKA Harrogate Mama & The Harrogate Girl) The format of the day ensured that we had plenty of time to chat & catch up, as we progressed with our cakes.
The format of the day would be the same throughout. Jenny would spend 15-30 minutes demonstrating a specific skill, she would give us a series of “top tips” and then we would go away to our work stations and we would do it ourselves.
This format worked incredibly well, so that all of the teaching was done in bite-sized chunks and never felt too overwhelming. Throughout the day Jenny wandered around the room to see how we were getting on & would give further help & advice where required.
Each workstation was fully prepped for us, with ingredients & equipment all measured out & ready for us to use. It probably sounds incredibly cheesy but it fells like you’re on bake-off or master chef and one of the best bits is that there’s no washing up! The wonderful Bettys staff take care of all of that for you!
Prior to lunch we managed to dye our sugar paste icing, roll it out so that we could cut & mould our flower decorations. Next we moved on to prepping our Madira sponge cakes (baked by Bettys) by rubbing off the crust and then layering the two halves with jam & buttercream icing. The next stage was adding butter cream icing to the outside services and levelling it off, before popping it into the fridge to set. We also made a start on dusting our flowers & leaves with a powdery luster, to make them look more realistic.
We broke off for lunch at around 1pm and were treated to a delicious feast of warm salmon fillet salad with new potatoes & a gorgeous herby vinaigrette. This was followed by more Bettys deliciousness in the form of a cheese cake and then coffee or tea to finish. To my surprise (& delight!) lunch also included wine!
Back to our stations after lunch, we moved on the marzipan & fondant icing then finally assembling them and piping the icing.
Throughout the day we were chatting & encouraging each other and the whole session felt friendly & inclusive. It was a wonderfully relaxing way to spend the day & it felt like such a tonic to be really mindful about one task- a rarity in my fast paced life!
It is no exaggeration to say that I was blown away by the quality of my own creation as well as the cakes made by everyone else on the course. The cake was a wonderful souvenir for the day & tasted as good as it looked!
I can highly recommend the Bettys Cookery School– as well as “The Icing on the Cake” day, they run a wide variety of days courses & masterclasses including bread making, pastry & Elegant Entertaining (Making a 3-course dinner party menu)
Reviewed May 2022
Disclaimer- I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the “Icing on the Cake” day for free, however the opinions here are my own. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending the Cookery School- I was genuinely blown away & can’t wait to go back! Sal x