Become A Better Cook: 5 Day Course

Become A Better Cook: 5 Day Course
Multi-Day Course
09.30 - 15:00

Think of this ‘week-away’ as your carefully crafted, all-inclusive culinary getaway, no packing required!

Book this course

There are currently no dates available for this course.

Please contact us directly or check back here for future course dates.

Full course details

This course will be driven by a five special menus, every single one designed with the following thoughtful framework:

Sweet or Savoury Quick Bread
Chameleon Soup
Vegetable-Loving Feature
Meat or Seafood Family Meal or 1 Pot Inspired Feature
Simple & Beautiful Dessert

By the end of the week, we'll have 25 lovely new dishes to add to your repertoire, many of which will embody that gorgeous chameleon quality of being easily adaptable or tweaked to suit your individual tastes or creative impulses. Our goal is to not only give you new recipes but also show you how to improvise in the kitchen, turn these dishes into your own, and follow your inspiration.

What’s included? You’ll enjoy 5 fully immersive days where you can work on your kitchen chops with an inspired team of chefs at your elbow. For one full week, our home will be your home, our gorgeous, state-of-the kitchen your personal studio. With delicious daily lunches to look forward to and like-minded folks cooking by your side, you’ll not only (inevitably) become a better cook, but also come away with new food memories, friends, and stories to share.

Whether you fancy a week off from the demands of your regular job or perhaps just need a little shift from your normal routine, we understand the importance of carving out creative ‘me’ time and the happy surprises that come with it. Go on now and leave your luggage at home because everything you need is here. All levels (very) welcome!

Sample Menu

CHECK OUT WHAT WE'RE PLANNING . . .

SAMPLE DAILY MENU 1*

Crackling Scallion Skillet Bread

White Bean & Chorizo Soup

Roasted Pear, Squash & Barley with Hazelnut Dressing

Miso Maple Salmon & Sweetcorn

Lemon Shortbread Squares

SAMPLE DAILY MENU 2*

Savoury Scones

Kerela-Inspired Prawn + Coconut Curry Soup

Charred Sweetheart Cabbage, Chilli Peas & Pearl Couscous

Gerry's Famous Family-Style Shin of Beef Stew with Dumplings

Poached Pear & Pistachio Turnovers

*sample menus subject to change

  • "Teaching style was so instructive"

    I attended the 5-day 'Become a Better Cook' course in Dublin Cookery School (DCS) last month. I admit to having been somewhat apprehensive on Day 1 as I'm a very occasional cook but Gráinne & Gerry's teaching style was so instructive and easy-to-follow that I had grown in confidence by Day 5. I learned so much in the week about food preparation, chopping skills and organising oneself in the kitchen as well as preparing so many new and delicious dishes. I couldn't recommend this course and DCS highly enough. I'll definitely be back for more in the new year.

    Michael, Become A Better Cook Participant
    November 2023

Frequently asked questions

  • What do I need to bring?
  • Please bring the following to class with you:
    Apron
    Tea towel
    Water bottle
    Pen
    **Tupperware
    Sensible shoes!

    Aprons are available in our shop if you would like to purchase one from us.

    **While we are happy for customers to take some of what they make home after class eg. cookies, cakes and breads, we suggest caution around taking cooked meat and fish dishes off the premises due to the potential health and safety risks associated with unchilled foodstuffs. Transported and inadequately stored food items can lead to contamination and foodborne illness and you do so at your own risk, Dublin Cookery School takes no responsibility for food once it leaves the premises.

  • Should I eat something before I come?
  • Note that in all of our courses you will be eating the dishes you prepare in the hands-on session and everyone generally leaves us well-fed. Keep in mind that it takes time to whip up what we've planned and we recommend you eat something before you arrive at the school.

    All food cooked in the school is intended to be eaten on the premises. For health and safety reasons, no savoury or unapproved items may be taken home.

  • What level of cooking experience do I need?
  • The beauty of how we design all of our courses is that anyone of any level can join us and learn heaps. While someone new to the kitchen will find support as they maneuver through new techniques, the more seasoned cooks in our group will thrive on all the pointers we offer for further improvement. Our personalized approach allows for really healthy breathing space in terms of suitability because we always teach our course material in a layered way and we know how to quickly adapt to a moving room. Constant, open-ended learning is one of the things we love the most about being in the kitchen and our tutors' enthusiastic teaching style and patience is a testament to that.

  • Who typically takes this course?
  • We have both a wonderful community of regulars and constant stream of new students joining our classes. On any given course, you can expect a group of great diversity in both background and experience, many locals, and a good few travelers. What everyone seems to have in common though is that they are eager to eat and learn and be in good company.

  • What if I have a food allergy or dietary restrictions?
  • If you suffer from a severe nut, egg, dairy, seafood, wheat allergy or coeliac disease, please contact us before booking onto a course and we'll be able to confirm whether or not your specific course menu is adaptable. If we are able to accommodate, note that the changes will be made for the specific student in question but that the curriculum for other students will remain the same as the original. Please note that certain course themes may not be adaptable in order to stay true to the course theme and brief.

    When making a booking, be sure to highlight if your food allergy is life threatening and if it is, you must bring an Epi-pen. If your food allergy is airborne and severe or life threatening, due to the wide range of course themes and events that we host throughout the days and evenings, our environment is not safe for you and we regret that we cannot accept your booking. Please note that we are a busy school environment and while every care will be taken to provide a safe and enjoyable cooking experience for all students, the allergin(s) you are affected by may have been handled at some point previous to your arrival, there is always the risk of cross-contamination.

  • What if I can't make it to a course or dining event that I've booked?
  • Note that if you cannot make an Evening Course, Day Course, or Pop-Up Restaurant Night that you have booked, you are more than welcome to send someone in your place (16 years or older). There's no extra cost for this so just give us a buzz and let us know who to expect and we'll take good care of them. If this can't be arranged and you need to cancel your place, please take a look at our Terms and Conditions to see what rules apply to you. Multi-Day Courses (3-5 days in length) are reserved for the individual booked onto the course or a single attendee (eg. if you aren't able to attend certain days, someone else cannot be sent in your place on those days). For our full Terms & Conditions, go to https://dublincookeryschool.ie/terms.

  • Is there a discount to booking onto more than 1 course?
  • We don't offer a discount on multiple bookings but we do sometimes run spotlight sales on various courses. If you would like to stay abreast of these surprise sales, just sign up to our newsletter. You can find a link on our homepage!

  • Is there an age requirement?
  • All of our regular courses are designed for adults and our minimum age requirement for someone coming on their own is 16 years old. If your child is younger than this and you think that he or she would enjoy one of our regular courses, we'd love to have them on but they must be accompanied and booked with an adult. Please alert us within the comments section of your online booking if any of the above applies to the attendee; note that our course fees apply to each participant or attendee, regardless of age.

    Our Growing Gourmet Courses are for students only - Juniors (11-14 years of age) and Seniors (14-17 years of age).

  • Do you have courses geared towards TY students?
  • For TY students, we have a terrific 5 Day Course - 1 Week Essential Skills for TY Students - that provides a great curriculum for life skills experience. See our calendar for course details.

  • What is parking like in the area?
  • Metered parking can be found right outside the school Monday-Saturday from 8.00-19.00 and is available for €5 a day on the stretch from Brookfield Avenue up to the door of the cookery school, and on Sweetmans Avenue. Other spaces are available in the area on an hourly charge. Please resist from parking outside the houses on Brookfield Terrace and Brookfield Place. Please also don't park on the grass verges opposite the school or on the double yellow lines in the area. For more info, go to https://dublincookeryschool.ie/find-us.

Your course itinerary

09:30 AM – 9:45AM

Everyone is encouraged to arrive 15 minutes prior to the course start-time. After we sign you in, we'll help you settle in with a coffee or tea before we get started. This is a great time to get to know your fellow students.

09:45 - 15:00

We’ll welcome you into our modern, mirror-lined Demo Kitchen. The tutors leading the session will introduce our special plans for the day and then jump right into the delicious tasks at hand. You'll head into the Hands-On sessions to help connect the dots. In our practical sessions, everyone works in pairs with specific elements organized for each person. Don’t worry if you’re flying solo today, we’ll find you a partner in crime. And yes, you will be sampling what we make all day long!

15:00

At this point, we're generally wrapping up the cooking! This is a great time to raise any lingering questions you may have with our team.