Tasty cookery classes and baking courses   

Cooking is a life skill that helps you have a healthier lifestyle. Being able to cook well is the healthiest and cheapest way to eat.  Learn essential cooking tips and get inspired by food from around the world. Whatever your home cooking goals, we have a number of cookery and baking courses to suit you.  

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Healthy eating or indulgent baking

From learning healthy cooking on a budget, to mastering cake decorating, there is a course for you. Learn about tasty international foods or easy vegan cooking. Discover how to feed the whole family a healthy meal, all at a low cost.   

Improve your health by cooking nutritious meals at home. At a time when every penny counts, find out about cooking tasty food at home and save money on takeaways.   

Whether you want to eat well for less, or discover world cuisine, a WEA cookery class can help. Find out how to use knives safely, learn about food hygiene and how to budget for your food shop. Taking a class with us is a great way to learn all you need about cooking well.  

Get confident in the kitchen

If you’re living on your own for the first time and need to cook for yourself, or maybe you feel like you are eating the same thing every night. Get confidence and get inspired in the kitchen. Our courses are warm and inclusive, everyone is welcome.   

Creative cakes

Put your creativity to good use and learn cake decorating for beginners. Learn icing techniques to make you stand out.  From making beautiful birthday cakes to mastering sugarcraft flowers, our courses can help you reach your cake decorating goals.  

From learning how to bake cakes to cooking on a budget, learn to be a whizz in the kitchen. Whether you are cooking for one or cooking for the whole family, our courses will help you make good food at home.   

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Food Hygiene

If you help out in a community or voluntary role, you may need to work with food. Understanding the safe handling of food is key to preventing infections and ensuring proper hygiene. Food safety courses are useful if you do any kind of charity or voluntary work that involves handling food. Whether you help prepare lunches at a community centre or collaborate with a food bank, this knowledge can help you ensure hygiene measures are followed.
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Course Information

Dates:
Tue 17/12/2024 -
Tue 07/01/2025
Times:
9:30am - 11:30am
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
WEA (Leicester)
101 Hinckley Road
Leicester
LE3 0TD
Tutor:
Mariam Sidat
Course code:
Q00017255
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.60

Cooking Practical: Cooking for Pleasure

The purpose of the course is to promote your confidence and independence through cooking. The course is to teach that cooking can be fun and rewarding. The sessions will involve preparing and cooking various foods and dishes using a variety of techniques and methods. They will follow a range of recipes that use different methods to weigh and measure quantities using a combination of weighing scales, measuring spoons and measuring jugs. There will be an opportunity to try different ways to prepare and cook food such as, baking, boiling and grilling, together with using the hob, oven, grill, and a microwave.
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Course Information

Dates:
Tue 07/01/2025 -
Tue 01/04/2025
Times:
9:30am - 1:30pm
Duration:
12 sessions
Location:
Sacred Heart Church Hall
8 Townsend Road
Minehead
TA24 5RG
Tutor:
Rebecca Williams
Course code:
Q00017179
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £201.60

Cooking for Wellbeing

Explore how cooking can improve your mental and physical health with this course. Learn nutritious recipes, meal planning, prepping techniques, and smart shopping tips. Discover how to make healthy, budget-friendly choices that enhance your wellbeing. Understand the connection between food and mood, and enjoy making healthy choices in a supportive environment.
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Course Information

Dates:
Wed 08/01/2025 -
Wed 26/02/2025
Times:
9:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
Mount Pleasant School (Southampton)
Mount Pleasant Road
Newtown
Southampton
SO14 0WZ
Tutor:
Tracey Sweetman
Course code:
Q00016927
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £88.20

Mens club - cooking on a budget

We will be cooking together in real time, making a variety of dishes, with advice and ideas on how to change the quantities to suit the number of people you are cooking for. We will look at ways of cooking and baking for one or two, or enough for a party. We shall be measuring ingredients and there will be time to find out about all the different ways measurements are written in recipes, so you can cook with confidence. Recipes will be put on Canvas before the course begins, so you can go shopping if you are going to cook along with me. All questions are welcome during the session, novice cooks are welcome along with those who have more experience and we will share ideas. Outcome: Double and halve the quantities in a recipe using metric and imperial measures while cooking a variety of dishes.
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Course Information

Dates:
Mon 24/02/2025 -
Mon 17/03/2025
Location:
Hesters Way Community Resource Centre
Cassin Drive
Cheltenham
GL51 7SU
Course code:
Q00017032
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.60

WEA Membership

For just £15 a year, you can:

  • Join our popular, award-winning weekly lecture series,
  • Access an archive of over 100 past lectures,
  • Get priority online and phone booking for autumn courses (England only),
  • Receive our Highway magazine and access back issues,
  • Attend our members’ annual conference.

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Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
WEA Membership

Cooking Practical: Preparing for Level 2 Food Hygiene

Welcome to the Preparing for Level 2 Food Hygiene Course! This course will cover essential topics to prepare you for Level 2 certification. You will learn about food safety practices, hygiene regulations, and how to prevent contamination. Our tutor will guide you through proper food handling, storage, and cleaning techniques. By the end of the course, you will have a solid understanding of food safety principles and be ready to take your knowledge to the next level. Join us to ensure safe and hygienic food practices in any setting!
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Course Information

Dates:
Wed 05/03/2025 -
Wed 23/04/2025
Times:
9:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Mount Pleasant School (Southampton)
Mount Pleasant Road
Newtown
Southampton
SO14 0WZ
Tutor:
Tracey Sweetman
Course code:
Q00017064
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £50.40

Cooking Practical: Cooking for Summer

The purpose of this course is to promote your confidence and independence through cooking. This course is about learning what is meant by seasonal summer foods and dishes. The course will explore a range of savoury and sweet foods and dishes associated with the summer months. You will look at why these foods and dishes are seen as summer foods. For example, you will look at vegetables and fruit grown and harvested in the summer and why the fruit and vegetables work so well to be eaten at this time of year. There will be weekly opportunities to prepare summer dishes.
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Course Information

Dates:
Tue 22/04/2025 -
Tue 22/07/2025
Times:
9:30am - 1:30pm
Duration:
13 sessions
Location:
Sacred Heart Church Hall
8 Townsend Road
Minehead
TA24 5RG
Tutor:
Rebecca Williams
Course code:
Q00017180
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £218.40


The courses below have already started, but are still available to book.

Baking on a Budget

"Baking on a Budget” is an 11-hour course meticulously created to equip participants with essential baking skills while maximizing affordability. Participants will master the art of creating delightful baked goods using cost-effective ingredients and simple techniques. The curriculum covers fundamental baking principles, including ingredient substitutions, portion management, and efficient kitchen organisation, ensuring optimal resource utilisation. Through hands-on demonstrations and practical exercises, students will learn to prepare a variety of treats, such as cookies, cupcakes, and brownies, perfect for school fair stalls. By course end, participants will possess the expertise and confidence to bake for school events and friends without exceeding budget constraints.
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Course Information

Dates:
Thu 20/06/2024 -
Thu 11/07/2024
Times:
9:15am - 11:45am
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Mount Pleasant School (Southampton)
Mount Pleasant Road
Newtown
Southampton
SO14 0WZ
Tutor:
Debbie Woodward
Course code:
Q00014126
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
In progress
Fee:
Free