When Alice sits down to tea with the Mad Hatter and his friends, she finds herself in a debate about matters of high philosophy, presented as nonsense among the dirty tea cups. The Alice books are full of the exciting new ideas of their time turned topsy-turvy.
Distinguished literary critic Dame Gillian Beer takes a sideways look at the rich intellectual play of Lewis Carroll. We will then create our own tea party with a hands-on cooking class, learning how to make scones, a treacle cake and home-made butter.

This event is subject to a minimum number of bookings. We advise guests not to commit to travel costs until receipt of confirmation of the event going ahead 3 weeks prior to the event date.

For more information on this, please call us on 01223-247620

Literature Cambridge: http://www.literaturecambridge.co.uk

We will greet you with a cold bottle of Cobra or Singha – or a glass of wine – as you walk through the door and things only get better from then on!

Authentic curries using fresh spices and pastes are delicious and rewarding to cook for novice chefs and experienced home cooks alike.

This spice tour takes you away from some of the most obvious routes and dishes, and includes  Thai Green curry, an Indian vegetarian Aubergine and Tomato curry, a fragrant Vietnamese chicken and vegetable curry and a fiery Malaysian Beef Rendang.

We will also teach you how to make perfect fool proof rice, flat breads baked on the hob and a cooling Apple and Ginger Raita.

Wine provided with the meal at the end of the session and we are more than happy for you to BYO to sip on whilst cooking! We sit down to a wonderful communal feast at the end of this class – the colourful and fragrance dishes lending themselves more than any other type of food to being displayed on large sharing platters.

As usual, we provide full recipe packs with the class.

This class covers slightly more techniques based skills including pan frying, knife skills , classic sauces, poaching, caramel and custard. Recipes include Pork escalopes in Marsala, Breast of chicken with julienned vegetables and Tarragon sauce, perfect Steak, Poached Ballotine of salmon. Desserts include Crème Caramel and Molten Chocolate Fondants.

As always, the class starts with coffee and cake while we go through the plan and culminates in a full lunch with wine. Guests leave with full recipe packs.

John Clare (1793-1864) was one of England’s finest chroniclers of rural life and labour in the early nineteenth century. Leading Cambridge academic Paul Chirico will discuss Clare’s life, read some of his poetry and investigate the extraordinary insight he offers into the beauty and diversity of nature, the threat of industrialisation, and the struggles of the rural poor to put food on the table. Around the lecture, we will provide a hands-on lesson in to art of making delicious bread and making good use of our local seasonal apples. The class finishes with a bowl of hearty vegetable soup with our bread, and an opportunity for further informal discussion of John Clare. Guests will leave with their own bread and a renewed appreciation for handmade, local food.

This event is subject to a minimum number of bookings. We advise guests not to commit to travel costs until receipt of confirmation of the event going ahead 3 weeks prior to the event date.

For more information on this, please call us on 01223-247620

Literature Cambridge: http://www.literaturecambridge.co.uk

‘I do believe that Italy really purifies and ennobles all who visit her,’ announces a character in Forster’s first novel, Where Angels Fear to Tread. Leading scholar Hugh Stevens will explore what Italy meant to Forster, and how it inflects his writing in the early twentieth century. We then go on to make wonderful Focaccia and fresh, handmade pasta to enjoy with a glass of Italian wine.

This event is subject to a minimum number of bookings. We advise guests not to commit to travel costs until receipt of confirmation of the event going ahead 3 weeks prior to the event date.

For more information on this, please call us on 01223-247620.
Literature Cambridge: http://www.literaturecambridge.co.uk

We focus on easy-to-make food that can be prepared in advance yet delivers great flavour and looks elegant on the plate. We start with coffee and cake and finish off with lunch and wine. Recipe packs included.

Authentic curries using fresh spices and pastes are delicious and rewarding to cook for novice chefs and experienced home cooks alike.

This spice tour takes you away from some of the most obvious routes and dishes, and includes a Thai Green curry, an Indian vegetarian Aubergine and Tomato curry, a fragrant Vietnamese chicken and vegetable curry and a fiery Malaysian Beef Rendang.

We will also teach you how to make perfect fool proof rice, flat breads baked on the hob and a cooling Apple and Ginger Raita.

Full recipe packs included.

We cover cooking with eggs including perfect scramble and poached eggs and then focus on one pot wonders such as Bolognese, Cottage Pie, Fish Pie and Green Thai Curry.

We also introduce healthy and easy meals such as roast salmon and chicken. Desserts include fruit crumble and chocolate mousse.

The class culminates with a sit-down meal with wine.

We have created this class to share our passion for largely plant based food, seasonal and regional vegetables and with limited use of sustainable, welfare reared animal protein. We cover recipes involving most of the new super grains and cereals including quinoa, bulgur, black lentils, giant cous cous and Teff flour. We also show the huge versatility of humble vegetables such as celeriac, Jerusalem artichokes, beet root, courgette flowers – all depending on what is in season.

Our classes include welcome coffee and tea with cakes from our café, full recipes packs, expert tuition and full back up for clearing away and assisting and we finish off with a communal lunch with wine.

Please note that there is extremely limited parking on site. We recommend guests arriving via car to park on neighbouring roads or at the Leisure centre 10 min walk away.