The highest honour in the culinary world comes in the form of a Michelin-star. Tucked away in London’s Fitzrovia, Pied à Terre is the longest-standing London restaurant to garner such stature. Here, food is more than just a feast for the senses—it’s a philosophy. Under the masterful eye of founder David Moore, this renowned restaurant champions sustainability, conscious cooking, and high-end dining.

But what if you could don an apron and roll up your sleeves to learn some of these culinary secrets firsthand? That’s exactly what Pied à Terre’s exclusive cooking masterclasses offer, alongside some infectious laughter and light-hearted competition.

Offering an array of masterclasses (for 4-6 people) from the ‘Art of Pasta’, to the ‘Creation of Ceviche’, the ‘Delights of Plant-Based’ (or something completely bespoke to your desire), these hands-on classes are a gourmet adventure where quality ingredients, eco-consciousness, and creativity come together like the perfect sauce to pasta.

So I spent one Saturday morning cooking up a storm under the expert guidance and equally expert humour of restaurant owner, David Moore. Thankfully, no previous skills are required, just an appetite for fun and a stomach ready to be sensationally satisfied.

I tried a few dishes from each of the different cooking masterclasses, and it’s safe to say I left with a sprinkling of new skills, a pinch of creativity and a heavy helping of newfound confidence and flair in the kitchen (plus my very own Pied à Terre apron and a goody bag of top quality treats).

Ceviche: freshness with a conscience

First on the menu was a beautiful scallop ceviche. Like many people, I am often faced with scallops when they are cleanly cut and presented on a plate to me. But now I was put to work extracting one from its shell, before preparing the ceviche. After carefully slicing the hand-dived scallops, we ‘cooked’ them with finely sliced fennel, lemon juice, olive oil and sushi vinegar alongside a pinch of Maldon salt on each slice. Delicate hands are needed here before finishing off with a pop of colour with some sweet pomegranate seeds.

A simple dish which can easily go wrong, working with raw ingredients is all about precision, freshness and a dash or daring. It’s the delicate balance of flavours and textures that makes this dish stand out. But what I really loved is the emphasis on conscious sourcing.

Moore is a staunch advocate for sustainable seafood and ethical meat sourcing, and this can be seen throughout the restaurant menu and the suppliers they work with. The scallops are incredibly fresh because of this focus on sustainability in the supply chain – locally sourced, each supplier is visited to ensure the highest quality and non-destructive modes of collection are adhered to. And for me, this is not only incredibly important for the industry to prioritise, but also means the food is that much tastier!

If you take the full ceviche and tartare class you can look forward to creating Salmon Gravlax, Gurnard Ceviche, Scallop Ceviche, and Steak Tartare, complete with the pop, fizz and clink of the restaurant’s finest champagne.

Pasta: where tradition meets sustainability

Pasta is a beloved staple of most people’s households. But creating pasta from scratch, exploring the nuances of dough-making, shaping, rolling and cooking to perfection is another thing entirely.

Having never made or rolled my own pasta before, I soon became acquainted with the pasta machine, and with a helping hand from Moore, I was rolling my very own linguini. Slightly more technical, the ravioli had a filling of freshly marinated salmon. The tendency to try to overfill the ravioli is high, but learning how to perfectly fill, cut and seal the pasta to create those beautifully rounded ravioli shapes feels easy under the watchful eye of the expert himself.

The best thing about fresh pasta – it boils incredibly quickly so for impatient people like myself, it’s a mere matter of minutes to wait before we can then tuck into the creations together, with a glass of bubbles of course!

Taking the full art of pasta class, you can look forward to creating your own Gnocchi, Ricotta filling from scratch, Tagliatelli and Linguini, Ravioli and Ricotta Tortellini.

Plant-based dessert: A celebration of creativity

The Delights of Plant-Based Cooking masterclass offers you the chance to see that plant-based cuisine is more than just a trend; it’s the future of fine dining. Whether you’re a longtime vegan or just curious about reducing your carbon footprint, this class shows how plant-based ingredients can be used to create dishes that are both decadent and eco-friendly.

From this class, I made an incredibly indulgent chocolate mousse, alongside a delicate madeleine. The mousse, rich and silky, achieved a perfect texture from high-quality dark chocolate and aquafaba (chickpea water), which was whipped just the right amount for an airy texture. The key with the madeleine was to gently fold the batter to maintain lightness, which ensured a perfect rise, crisp edge and airy crumb.

Despite being incredibly full from the previous hours of incredible dishes, I polished off every last mouthful of mousse and madeleine – it was just too good to leave. This masterclass truly shows how cooking plant-based doesn’t mean missing out; it means discovering new ways to innovate with what nature offers.

Take the full plant-based class. You can look forward to creating Vegetable Nage, Cauliflower and Orange Soup, Cashew Ricotta, Papoutsakia, Chocolate and Coconut Mousse, and all the fizz you could possibly want to wash it all down with.

Overall thoughts?

It’s all in the detail and dedication – Pied à Terre remains ahead of the curve in its level of cooking, creativity and consciousness for the planet. This is baked into every aspect of their cooking masterclasses, in a way that brings fun, flair and copious amounts of flavour to the hours you spend in the masterclass kitchen.

Moore emphasises the importance of sourcing high-quality, organic ingredients and reducing waste in the kitchen, leaving you with the understanding and evidence that cooking sustainably doesn’t mean sacrificing flavour or quality.

Combine this with the relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, and you have a recipe for success. Whether you’re rolling pasta, crafting ceviche, or experimenting with plant-based dishes, Moore’s engaging teaching style ensures everyone feels at ease, no matter their skill level.

With top-quality ingredients and plenty of chances to taste your creations, the masterclasses blend high-end cooking techniques with an enjoyable experience that’s as much about fun as it is about food.

Book here
Tel: 020 7636 1178

Written by Emma Blunt for Luxuria Lifestyle International