NEWS: Have yourself a merry little Christmas at Edinburgh New Town Cookery School

This December, the Edinburgh New Town Cookery School (ENTCS) has a range of festive foodie courses to help with Christmas entertaining. Whether it’s inspiration for Christmas recipes, guidance on how to plan the perfect holiday party, or thinking up the perfect gift idea, ENTCS has got it covered.

From ‘Christmas Canapes’ to ‘Easy Entertaining’ and ‘Children’s Baking’, courses are designed to inspire festive flavours, add some Christmas sparkle to a party, or to simply keep the kids busy while doing the Christmas shopping.

In the Christmas selection this year is the popular ‘Festive Fizz’ event – ideal as a gift, for a couple or small group of friends who can enjoy a fun and sociable evening comparing Proseccos, Champagnes, Cava’s and New World Sparklers to find their perfect fizz.

Lovers of beer can explore beer and food matching using top quality Scottish produce to bring together the best of both worlds, at the ‘Beer and Food Matching’ – a great course for couples, friends, fathers and sons, or the perfect bonding opportunity for a father-and-son-in-law.

Fiona Burrell, principal of the school, comments:

Spread the joy a little further by giving a gift voucher for any of ENTCS courses, redeemable in 2018. Whether it’s to allow a foody to learn a new skill, help a friend to fall back in love with cooking, or encourage teenagers to learn their way around the kitchen, a voucher just lets them choose. ENTCS offers courses for everyone. ENTCS also stocks a small selection of kitchen items, aprons, tea towels and books which are perfect stocking fillers.

Get into the spirit of Christmas and get your Christmas baking done on this 1 day course. Recipes include: Christmas Cake with a ‘chocolate’ difference, stollen, mince pies, cinnamon shortbread stars and pear, pecan and cranberry muffins. You will end the day full of festive spirt and laden with wonderful baking for you, your family and friends to enjoy.
Cost: £155

This three day course is intended for complete beginners and teaches the basic cookery skills which are essential and particularly relevant in the run up to Christmas. Each day attendees cook a variety of dishes some of which they will eat for lunch and the rest they can take home. As the days progress everyone’s confidence increases and by the third day they will leave with new recipes and new skills.Techniques covered will include: knife skills; browning meat; pastry making; cooking with eggs; cake making; bread making; roasting; fish cookery; and cooking vegetables.
Cost: £435

Come and join us for an evening full of festive fizz and learn of the many ingenious ways man has sought to put bubbles in wine. By comparing proseccos, champagnes, cavas and New World sparklers, you will discover the fizz for you. This will be a fun and sociable evening and would be the ideal opportunity to get together with friends an alternative to a Christmas meal or an evening at the theatre.
Cost:£40

It is always useful to have a few easy and tasty recipes up your sleeve, especially at Christmas time. Learn a few simple but delicious recipes for starters, mains and puddings at our Christmas Entertaining demonstration. You will be able to taste all the recipes made on the day and the demonstration will be followed by lunch and a glass of wine.
Cost: £55

Learn how to make several festive savoury and sweet canapes on this demonstration morning while enjoying a coffee and some of our delicious shortbread. At the end of the demonstration you will be able to taste the canapes with a glass of prosecco. This will be a fun and sociable morning and would be a perfect early Christmas present.
Cost: £45

Drinks writer, Tom Bruce Gardyne explores beer and food matching using top quality Scottish produce to bring together the best of both worlds. By mixing and matching a diverse selection of ales from Innis & Gunn, William’s Bros and Stewarts among others, with foods from top Scottish producers and suppliers
Cost: £40

Get ready for the party season and make a great impression on your guests by learning to cook easy but impressive dishes. The day starts with coffee or tea and a short demonstration and introduction to the day’s recipes, which are smoked trout and cucumber pickle bruschetta, pan fried lamb gigot steak with roasted roots and mint salsa verde, and cranberry brandy puddings with toffee sauce. The day ends between 2 – 2.30pm – leaving plenty of time for Christmas shopping.
Cost: £100

For children who love baking, and for parents who are looking for a different way to entertain their children during the holidays these December half day courses are the perfect antidote to winter holiday boredom. Children learn how to make delicious cakes and biscuits which they can pack up and take home. They may turn out to be the perfect Christmas present for Granny!
Cost: £45

If you’re looking to entertain your child for a full day of cooking this might just be the course. On this one day course children will be taught cooking skills using the best seasonal ingredients. They’ll be cooking dishes that they can easily recreate at home. This course is perfect for children aged between 9 and 13.
Cost: £65

Designed for those aged between 13 and 17, these practical courses teach basic cookery skills including how to weigh ingredients accurately, how to read recipes and how to clear up as you cook. They’ll be learning how to produce simple dishes using seasonal ingredients, which they’ll remember well into their adult years.
Cost: £85

Full details of the Christmas courses, and a flavour of the 2018 programme, are available on the Edinburgh New Town Cookery School website – http://www.entcs.co.uk/calendar