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Food writer and cookery tutor Christine McFadden, aka The Dorset Foodie, runs hands-on cookery classes in her 17th-century home in the exceptionally beautiful hamlet of Littlebredy, near Dorset's famous Jurassic Coast.

As a qualified home economist and author of more than fifteen cookbooks, nothing satisfies Christine more than sharing her in-depth knowledge of food, either by teaching or writing about it, or growing it.

Her classes are small – seven participants maximum – and cater for all levels of skill. Regardless of whether you are a complete novice or an expert, her classes will interest and challenge you, and boost your confidence in the kitchen.

Classes typically run from 10.00–3.30, hover around £100 and include a recipe folder, tutored tastings of specialist ingredients, refreshments throughout the day and lunch.

Class topics

Classes feature a wide range of topics that reflect Christine's travels and first-hand knowledge of some of the world's great cuisines. They range from 'A Taste of New Mexico' and 'The Middle Eastern Larder' to 'Terrific Tapas' and 'The Spices of India'. Her book Pepper: the Spice that Changed the World was researched in India and was short-listed for the Guild of Food Writers Food Book of the Year Award.

Christine also runs skills-based classes, including fish preparation, pasta-making, cheese-making and wok cookery. As the author of Tools for Cooks, she is as experienced in the mechanics of kitchen tools and how to use them, as she is in actual food preparation and cooking.

Despite her global culinary leanings, Christine remains very much local when it comes to ingredients. She is a staunch supporter of local suppliers and writes regularly about them for magazines. She is the author of The Farm Shop Cookbook – recently featured in the Financial Times Weekend Magazine, and a celebration of the produce found in good farm shops.

Upcoming classes

We regularly update the class calendar and are happy to repeat or slot in new classes if the demand is there.

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