I would like to nominate Penny Lewis of the Culinary Cottage in Abergavenny South Wales for the best cookery school award. I have attended several courses with her in her delightful school and have been encouraged by Penny to try skills which I thought way beyond my capability.

Her teaching and guidance is excellent in that she is friendly but very constructive and encouraging! Penny has not only succeeded in making me a better and more enthusiastic cook but she has changed the way I feel about feeding my family and my approach to food.
I was a somewhat timid cook and now can look at a few lack lustre ingredients in my fridge and concoct a meal! Goodbye ready meals! I have Penny to thank for this,her Cookery School is simply the best!

Kind Regards

Cheryl Davies

The Culinary Cottage is a wonderful cookery school, located at the foot of the picturesque Sugar Loaf mountain in Wales.  Set up and run single handily by the very enthusiastic Penny Lewis.

I have been on three courses so far and always come away inspired and looking forward to the next.
Penny has built up the reputation of her school by regularly giving demonstrations at local food festivals.  Forging links with suppliers and manufacturers such as Waitrose and Aga ensuring that she is linked with companies that share her vision for excellence.  She has also had articles in publications.

Her organisational skills are as impressive as her cookery skills.  The administration of this small and intimate cookery school is impressive and effective,  it could be used by much larger concern.  She has developed a very professional website and produces personalised cloth bags (used for students to take samples home) and recipe binders full of the wonderful recipes followed on the course.  Her advertising flyers are also of a superb quality.  She maintains her very high standards throughout all aspects of the cookery school.

A testament to Penny's wonderful cookery school is that I am always excited when booking a course.  It feels like such a treat/indulgence.  I count down the days as if going on a holiday.  I have enjoyed the courses so much that I have booked them for friends as a present.
The day is packed full of cooking ideas and tips, Penny's wealth of experience in catering for some very important clients and functions are reflected in the dishes.  Your day starts with a binder so full of recipes that you hardly believe all can be achieved on one day, but indeed we do. Penny has the talent of making the most difficult recipe simple.  She always provides such superb clear and relaxed encouraging guidance that the cooking is completed seemingly effortlessly.

You leave with a binder full of recipes (many of which have become firm favourites, used over and over) and a goody bag bulging with tasters of the food prepared on the day.  Your day can then be shared with partners/loved ones who are always delighted to see one of Penny's cloth bags full of treats.

Lisa Dutton
 

I first was introduced to Penny's school through a Christmas present voucher from my husband ( I am still not sure if he was sufficiently sensitive to understand that cooking has always been my unrequited passion or if it was a commentary on my efforts to date ...). I so enjoyed this day that I subsequently returned 10 times, and have introduced many of my friends to this wonderful experience.

Penny does not merely teach us cooking skills, she empowers us to be able to tackle what we previously would have thought to be beyond our capabilities and ensures that we enjoy ourselves along the way.  Her cooking days are very busy, informal and relaxed, and we all end up eating way too many calories! Penny's recipes are simply the best, offering new twists on traditional classics, which are fun, easy to make (when you know how!) and most importantly absolutely delicious - try her chilli jam. I cannot recommend this cookery school highly enough.

Gwyneth Steddy

Having attended a few famous name Cookery schools, I was intrigued to sample The Culinary Cottage which was just a few miles away from my holiday home in Abergavenny.

Well, to my delight, I learnt more in that day than I did at all the others put together!!!

Penelope's cottage cookery school is as divine as she is delightful, I can see why she is in hot demand to the rich & famous - her repertoire could not fail to impress, one that she freely shares along with all the 'tricks of the trade'. She is not too 'chefy' either, I left the class with genuinely useful recipes and skills. 

The culinary cottage is beautiful all round - literally! Beautiful place,host,surroundings & of course food! Well done Penelope for pursuing your dream and sharing your secrets!

Tania Fossey

I was lucky enough to attend one of Penny Lewis’ five day courses in March 2012, it has changed the way I will cook for the rest of my life. What an inspiring course it was. It was not just the cooking but the very helpful handy hints and recipes.

Being there for five days I covered the whole spectrum of dishes and methods, from bread making, dinner parties, healthy nourishing meals, great cakes and wonderful desserts. Penny was able to fit in particular things I wished to try but did not have the confidence to try at home such as souffles and sauces for fish dishes.

My family where amazed and delighted when I arrived home with a wonderful selection of my dishes, they particularly appreciated the Hot Cross buns, which I went on to make many more batches before and after Easter.

I cannot praise Penny enough, she is a wonderful patient teacher, truly inspirational. This course had to be the nearest thing to a religious experience I have ever had. I left the course feeling I could cook anything!

Should you require any further information please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Kindest Regards,

Alyson Taylor