SHORT BREAKS COOKING : IRELAND	COOKING VACATIONS

Learn to Cook in Ireland
. . . with Cooks Academy Dublin's Premier Cookery School

Founded in May 2005 by Vanessa and Tim Greenwood, the unique mix of elegant and purposely fitted out premises together with a relaxed, fun and educational environment has ensured the school's success and excellent reputation to date.

Situated in Dublin city centre at 19 South William Street, Dublin 2., Cooks Academy is a world class cookery school boasting an 80 seater demonstration theatre and hands on facilities for up to 72.

THE FACILITIES

80 Seat Demonstration Theatre
Sit back, relax and enjoy a professional cookery demonstration from one of Cooks Academy's expert tutors. The sleek KUBE designed Demonstration Theatre at Cooks Academy can hold up to 80 people and is wonderfully kitted out with a demonstration island, digital video cameras and flat screen TVs so that participants can see in great detail what the tutor is preparing on the island.

72 Persons Workshops
Cooks Academy's Hands on Workshops are perfect for getting stuck in to practical cookery lessons. The stylish and contemporary fit out is superb and is complemented by state of the art Siemens appliances. Cooks Academy has three workshops each capable of accommodating 24 people or they can be combined to give a total of 72.  The workshops cater for all types of practical (Hands On) lessons from Bread to Pastries to Pasta and even Sushi. They are a big hit with Corporate Groups who love the teamwork aspect of cooking together at Cooks Academy.

WHAT THE CUSTOMERS SAY . . .

What the Customers say . . .

"I have to admit that I did not believe that 20 days would be enough to gain knowledge in the kitchen. After being part of this course and the attentiveness of the tutors I can now continue my dream of becoming a chef."
One Month Certificate Course Student

"The Wine Tasting and Hands on Cookery course was a fantastic day out for our team. Everyone really enjoyed the whole experience and it worked brilliantly as a team building exercise - as much of the team was new and had not worked together before. It was a great way to have a fun day out getting to know each other, eating great food, drinking great wine and learning quite a bit as well!"�
Corporate Team Building Client

"It was a most enjoyable way to spend a Friday evening with a friend. We watched, we tried it ourselves, we laughed, we enjoyed the company of others and then we sat down at a candlelit table, tasted our efforts and those of others with some lovely wine All for 70 euro, the best value ever. Would make a great gift idea too! New kitchen is superb.... we'll be back."�
Friday Night Supper Club Participant

THE TUTORS

	Vanessa Greenwood Vanessa Greenwood is the founder of Cooks Academy. Her love of cooking inspired her to open the school and share her knowledge of food and its preparation with others. Her real passion is teaching, and her success has been founded on the ability to instil confidence, enthusiasm and a sense of fun in all her students, along with an in-depth knowledge of good food. Vanessa is a member of Eurotoques and over the years has professionally trained at the Culinary Institute of America and attended numerous cookery courses in Ireland, UK and further a field. A career change from the world of business to catering some years ago took her back to her lifelong passion for food. Vanessa has made many TV appearances, appearing as a guest chef on TVAM, RTE's Nationwide, The Health Squad, RTE's Winter Food radio programme. She has performed many public cookery demonstrations at A Taste of Dublin in Dublin Castle, Bloom Festival, TasteFest and at the RDS National Crafts and Design Fair. She has written for many publications including a regular column in the Health and Living supplement of the Irish Independent. She was also a contributor to Image Magazine, writing the monthly Food Notes column. Her first cookery book, The Cooks Academy Cookbook, is published by Gill & Macmillan.
	Eleanor Martin Eleanor Martin is a classically trained Cordon Blue Chef. She graduated from London's Tante Marie Cookery School, now owned by Gordon Ramsay in 1982. Eleanor has vast experience in the catering industry. She has worked in restaurants, catering companies and as a private chef. She also founded and ran her own catering company, The Irish Cookie Company, in the late eighties. She has worked in Chalets in the Swiss Alps and villas in the South of France as well as restaurants and catering companies both here, in London and in Sydney. Most recently she was head chef at the Canadian Embassy for eight years. Eleanor is also a highly skilled and experienced teacher. Her calm and approachable manner gives her a natural ability to get the best out of her students. "I want everyone who comes through the door of the Cooks Academy to be enriched by the experience so that they will walk away with new culinary skills but more importantly enthused with a passion for food."
	Sheona Foley Prior to joining Cooks Academy full time, Sheona ran her own private catering business for seven years, providing food & wine for all kinds of events in both the corporate and private sector and more recently services include recipe/product development, food styling and personal chef services. With a special interest in bakery and pastry arts, Sheona has studied with The National Bakery School, DIT, Kevin Street which included attending a number of master classes in chocolate, bread and cakes in The International Baking Academy in Weinheim, Germany. In 2007, she completed an MSc in Culinary Innovation and Food Product Development with DIT Cathal Brugha Street. Also with a passion for wine, Sheona obtained her Diploma in Wines & Spirits from the WSET in 2005 and has lectured part time for the Wine Development Board of Ireland. She is an accredited Sherry educator and has participated on a number of specialist wine study tours in Bordeaux, Northern Spain and Argentina. Prior to commencing her own private catering business, Sheona worked as a chef in a number of restaurants and clubs in addition to a short stint in wine sales.
	Evelyn O'Grady Evelyn's passion for cookery was first put into practice in DIT Cathal Brugha Street where she completed a B.A Degree in Culinary Arts in 2005. She later achieved a Masters in Food Product Development and Culinary Innovation. She has worked in a wide variety of catering establishments around Dublin including the well known Avoca Cafe and the banquet catering company With Taste. Evelyn has spent time working in the acclaimed Hotel de Crillon, in Place de la Concorde, Paris. Here she worked as a pastry chef and with entrees. Her other experiences include a year and a half in North Yorkshire working for Betty's and Taylors' of Harrogate where she worked as a chocolatier, confectioner and team leader for chocolate packing. Her interest in teaching began when she started supervising Culinary Arts students in DIT Cathal Brugha Street and later as a teaching assistant on the Cooking for Health course for Saint Michael's House. Evelyn loves to nurture this interest at Cooks Academy and anticipates, with pleasure, working with all students. She believes there should always be great pride derived from making things by hand from fresh ingredients. She has always found cooking and food to be a very social and internationally accessible topic which enriches our relationships with family and friends.

COURSES ON OFFER

One Month Certificate Course

On our One Month Certificate Course you will learn all the fundamentals of cooking within a concise four week time frame. It combines daily practical work and guest lecturers together with theoretical sessions enabling you to become a confident and accomplished cook for the rest of your life.

At the end of the course you will be thoroughly familiar with classical and contemporary cooking techniques enabling you to start to cook professionally for a living or as a serious amateur. Not only will you become a cook with flair and creativity but you will learn about other aspects of working kitchen operations such as menu planning and stock rotation, together with good leadership and communication skills. There is an emphasis on developing classical cookery techniques that meet the requirements and tastes of today's demanding, food interested consumers.

Your course folder containing over 450 tried and tested Cooks Academy recipes together with comprehensive notes and handouts is an invaluable resource that you will have with you forever as a definitive reference bible.

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One Week Essential Cookery Course

Our week long Essential Cookery Course is the giant step you'll need in your culinary renaissance. It is fun, relaxing and will provide you with skills you'll have with you for the rest of your life.

Designed to build confidence in the kitchen, the course covers a wide variety of popular dishes taught in the cookery school, while also providing tuition in classical culinary techniques and all-important knife skills.

General cookery Principles, Baking, Sauces, Seafood Cookery, Bread & Soups, even Pastry and Ethnic cuisines are covered. Particular modules cover healthy eating, salads, and casseroles while there are plenty of great mains, starters and desserts ensuring you leave Cooks Academy with a war chest of impressive recipes.

The Essential Course is perfect for anyone looking for contemporary ideas, delicious tried and tested recipes and to build their skills and confidence in the kitchen. Above all, the week is designed to be an enjoyable (no stressful) cooking week with a focus on learning.

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Weekend Workshops

Roll up those sleeves, get stuck in and walk away with great new skills and culinary techniques. You don't need to bring anything just your zeal and enthusiasm

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Evening Courses

Looking for some midweek fun to lift your spirits? Look no further... whatever your budget we have the evening course for you. We have something to suit everyone's tastes whether demonstration or hands on; six or four week to a two and a half hour long course! With everything from Basic Cookery to Quick Entertaining, Seafood, Italian or go healthy with our acclaimed Vegetarian Course. Not forgetting our highly acclaimed Cute Cupcake and Icing course.

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Group Booking

Cookery Workshops & Demonstrations are a superb activity for groups of people from a corporate or social background to relax and learn: to unwind and to unlock creativity.

Whether you are planning an office / team activity, client entertainment, a birthday surprises, a school reunion or even a hen party; whatever the occasion, Group Cooking Events at Cooks Academy are a perfect alternative day or evening out.

What we do . . . a fun, interactive and social culinary experience

Prosecco and Canapes on arrival, a delicious three course meal cooked by your group (Hands On only), house wine, recipe booklets, ingredients, aprons and equipment.

Choose from 2 formats:

Hands On - you do the cooking

Demonstration - we do the cooking - you relax, watch & learn

Duration:

3 - 4 Hours, depending on group size.

Themes:

Mediterranean Italian Food for Friends Thai Japanese Mexican

Spanish Moroccan Irish Christmas BBQ

Optional extras:

Wine Tasting Sheridan's Irish Cheese Tasting Burren Smokehouse Irish Smoked Salmon; Trout & Mackerel Tasting Jameson Irish Whiskey Tasting

Key features:

City Centre Location, Dublin 2 4,500 sq. ft. world class facility Group size 10 - 100 Entertain staff, clients, friends Team Cook Offs Wine included

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CONTACT DETAILS