Shaldon Cookery Classes

Set in a beautiful listed riverside house, Helen Scull runs a series of innovative and varied courses, designed for both the serious and more novice individual, to make techniques, ingredients and flavours come together in easy food demonstrations.

Although Helen is working on a 4 oven Aga, all directions are given for conventional oven cookery, and techniques adapted to suit individual cookers.

The courses are from half days – through to full or two day courses, and are individually designed where possible for small groups of up to 6 people. All ingredients are sourced locally, and courses are very much based on what is currently in season, many ingredients are home grown, and the garden is run organically.

Full day courses

Start with homemade breakfast at 9:15 – then starters, soups, main course and desserts all made in the morning- a break for hot canapés and a drink, then completion of the cookery course, followed by late lunch with wine, all the food is then enjoyed in the elegant dining room of Ringmore House. This course always includes a full dinner party within the course that can be prepared ahead.

Half day courses

Start at 12:45 with a light hot lunch item and glass of wine- baking, quiches, strudels, scones and pastry making, –completion of the course with full tea to sample all the food prepared earlier, again served in the dining room, or sometimes in the conservatory overlooking the gardens.

Course may be designed to suit individual requirements, vegetarian, gluten free etc

All recipes are printed to be taken home, and space is provided to write personal notes as the day progresses.

All available dates are emailed to contacts, if there is any space on pre-booked days.

To receive updates please email Helen on [email protected] - however we can arrange a date to suit if at least two people book together.

Helen is happy to run courses with special diets catered for - for example GLUTEN FREE cookery and VEGETARIAN . Please write for further details.

Course Prices: £85 full day course - £45 half day course

Gift Vouchers available

Courses start at 1100. Come and enjoy your Sunday lunch - minimum number 4 people - a demonstration course of starters, canapes, Sunday lunch and puds, then enjoy the full Sunday lunch "at home".

Afternoon tea course - £ 30.00 per person

A course for those who enjoy baking - and afternoon tea - includes various scones, pastries, and cakes- and a full tea to complete the afternoon.

Courses start at 2 pm

The Autumn Kitchen at Ringmore House.

This month has seen us using up a wonderful crop of pears-mixing them with green tomatoes for chutney, making pear and Lavender ice-cream with the late blossoms from the garden, and poaching in syrup with Amaretto, to store in jars for desserts in Winter.

The rest of the huge crop of Pears given to me by a friend have been mixed with blackberries found in abundance locally, and made into Pear and Blackberry jam, which I rub through a sieve to remove those pesky pips ! The rest of the Blackberries are now in a black and rich Bramble jelly, an extravagant use of blackberries, but on a home made scone with clotted cream!  What can you say?

Bakewell tart with fresh blackberries in the sponge, and Bramble jelly or jam underneath is a great variation on the more usual Raspberry version (local visitors to the shaldon coffee rush will often find that there, amongst the other cakes that I supply).

Apples have been fantastic in most gardens this year, we are lucky enough to have plenty, and have used the dessert apples in almond and apple tarts, strudels, and to grace the breakfast table; the cookers are in the freezer as apple sauce, and poached with blackberries to make crumbles in the next few months.

Excess apples are made into a jelly infused with Rosemary; ready to accompany Roast lamb or chicken, to flavour sauces and gravy, and even to add to a strong cheddar cheese on a biscuit.

The rain this month has brought on the everlasting spinach again, enabling spinach soup, souffles and stirred with cream and nutmeg to eat with Roast lamb, and a final growth spurt on Parsley is going to be protected with a cloche in the hopes we will be able to keep picking it for a couple of months. Next garden crop will be the Jerusalem Artichokes!

Gluten Free Cookery Classes

A full range of courses designed to enable individuals to enjoy both entertaining in style and daily classics, with Gluten free recipes and ideas to suit every diet . Regular recipes run alongside to ensure that friends can enjoy the same course. As with all the courses, they are demonstration, with recipe and note sheets provided, and guests all enjoy eating and tasting every dish.

Helen Scull Tel: 01626 873323

Ringmore House Website