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Christmas Baking & Pastry

Christmas Baking & Pastry

£195.00 Inclusive

Book this course
dates left
Full
01 Jan
£195.00
1 day
Adult
Close
10:00 - 17:00

Master Festive Pastry at River Cottage Cookery School

Get ahead with your Christmas baking and spend the day perfecting your pastry skills in this hands-on festive cookery course, guided by our expert chefs.

Your day begins with mastering a variety of pastries, including rough puff and shortcrust, before moving on to create festive favourites that will delight your family and friends. You’ll make Boxing Day buffet essentials such as sausage rolls, cheese straws, savoury tarts, stollen, and our twist on traditional mince pies.

This hands-on Christmas pastry course will equip you with the skills, tips, and confidence to bake showstopping festive treats at home. Enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by our chefs, savour some of your creations for afternoon tea, and take the rest home to get ready for the festive season.

Is this course suitable for me?
Due to the varied content, this course isn’t suitable for those with allergies or specific dietary requirements. However, we do offer other courses that cater to gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan diets. We recommend this course for participants aged 12 and up. Under-16s must be accompanied by a paying adult. These guidelines are in place to ensure the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of all our guests. Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or need more information.

ARRIVE

If you choose to walk, enjoy a 10–15 minute stroll from the car park along scenic pathways to the farm, taking in the stunning valley views. A Land Rover lift is available in poor weather or if you prefer not to walk. Once at the cookery school, meet your host and start the day with tea, coffee, and freshly baked treats.

SESSION ONE

You'll start your day by mastering rough puff pastry. You'll use this buttery flaky pastry to make festive sausage rolls & cheese straws.

SESSION TWO

Next, you'll tackle making shortcrust pastry, learning how to blind bake and seal the pastry ready to finish it as an indulgent savoury tart

LUNCH

Food is always the focus at River Cottage, and a seasonal lunch of local ingredients will be one of the highlights of your day.

SESSION THREE

After lunch you'll turn your attention to all things sweet and create a festive favourite- Stollen.

SESSION FOUR

You'll create a sweet pastry and use this to make the River Cottage Christmas classic - frangipane mince pies.

TO FINISH

Relax with a tea of coffee as now is a perfect time to ask your tutor any burning questions and reflect on your day.

DEPARTURE

There will be plenty of time to chat with fellow bakers and the River Cottage team, sharing tips and stories, before heading back up the hill at 5pm with your freshly pastry goods in hand.

Course Highlights

  • Hands-on festive pastry baking with expert River Cottage chefs learning essential skills and techniques
  • Make rough puff pastry for chestnut and sage sausage rolls and cheese straws
  • Use shortcrust pastry to craft a savoury seasonal tart
  • Bake sweet pastry mince pies full of festive flavour
  • Create a festive stollen to take home and share with loved ones
  • Enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by the River Cottage kitchen team
Baking CoursesChristmasRiver Cottage Courses
Can’t find the right date? Click here to receive an alert
when new dates are released for this event.
10:00 - 17:00
|
from £195.00
A woman is skilfully preparing dough in a well-equipped kitchen.
A pan filled with cooked meat and colourful vegetables sits on a wooden table.
A white farmhouse named River Cottage with a lush garden in front.
A smiling woman in front of a group during a pasta cooking class.
A woman is skilfully preparing dough in a well-equipped kitchen.
A pan filled with cooked meat and colourful vegetables sits on a wooden table.
A white farmhouse named River Cottage with a lush garden in front.
A smiling woman in front of a group during a pasta cooking class.

Proudly Accredited & Award-Winning

Proud to hold the ICSA Centre of Excellence award, we uphold the highest standards in culinary education.

Master Festive Pastry at River Cottage Cookery School

Get ahead with your Christmas baking and spend the day perfecting your pastry skills in this hands-on festive cookery course, guided by our expert chefs.

Your day begins with mastering a variety of pastries, including rough puff and shortcrust, before moving on to create festive favourites that will delight your family and friends. You’ll make Boxing Day buffet essentials such as sausage rolls, cheese straws, savoury tarts, stollen, and our twist on traditional mince pies.

This hands-on Christmas pastry course will equip you with the skills, tips, and confidence to bake showstopping festive treats at home. Enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by our chefs, savour some of your creations for afternoon tea, and take the rest home to get ready for the festive season.

Is this course suitable for me?
Due to the varied content, this course isn’t suitable for those with allergies or specific dietary requirements. However, we do offer other courses that cater to gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan diets. We recommend this course for participants aged 12 and up. Under-16s must be accompanied by a paying adult. These guidelines are in place to ensure the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of all our guests. Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or need more information.

ARRIVE

If you choose to walk, enjoy a 10–15 minute stroll from the car park along scenic pathways to the farm, taking in the stunning valley views. A Land Rover lift is available in poor weather or if you prefer not to walk. Once at the cookery school, meet your host and start the day with tea, coffee, and freshly baked treats.

SESSION ONE

You'll start your day by mastering rough puff pastry. You'll use this buttery flaky pastry to make festive sausage rolls & cheese straws.

SESSION TWO

Next, you'll tackle making shortcrust pastry, learning how to blind bake and seal the pastry ready to finish it as an indulgent savoury tart

LUNCH

Food is always the focus at River Cottage, and a seasonal lunch of local ingredients will be one of the highlights of your day.

SESSION THREE

After lunch you'll turn your attention to all things sweet and create a festive favourite- Stollen.

SESSION FOUR

You'll create a sweet pastry and use this to make the River Cottage Christmas classic - frangipane mince pies.

TO FINISH

Relax with a tea of coffee as now is a perfect time to ask your tutor any burning questions and reflect on your day.

DEPARTURE

There will be plenty of time to chat with fellow bakers and the River Cottage team, sharing tips and stories, before heading back up the hill at 5pm with your freshly pastry goods in hand.

Course Highlights

  • Hands-on festive pastry baking with expert River Cottage chefs learning essential skills and techniques
  • Make rough puff pastry for chestnut and sage sausage rolls and cheese straws
  • Use shortcrust pastry to craft a savoury seasonal tart
  • Bake sweet pastry mince pies full of festive flavour
  • Create a festive stollen to take home and share with loved ones
  • Enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by the River Cottage kitchen team
Baking CoursesChristmasRiver Cottage Courses
Can’t find the right date? Click here to receive an alert
when new dates are released for this event.

Reviews (4)

5 / 5 (4 ratings)
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  1. George
    –

    Brilliant chef for the day, it was amazing thankyou, and really appreciate the hard work and effort that must go on behind the scenes everyday to organise all you do, as well as to do the day itself thankyou.

  2. Zoe
    –

    Well organised, relaxed, great environment to learn – I enjoyed the course and it was inspiring too!

  3. Jeanette
    –

    Great food and all fresh and local, fabulous staff, we picked up plenty of tips

  4. Diana
    –

    “Our chef teacher was enthusiastic, friendly and very helpful and informed. I love cooking and I really enjoyed myself. However long you’ve been cooking you can always learn new things and the dishes we made were all delicious.”