Description

Swinton Cookery School – The Swinton Park Hotel. Masham. Yorkshire. Awarded ICSA ‘Centre of Excellence’. 

Location

Swinton Cookery School is nestled within the magnificent grounds of the Swinton Estate, near the charming market town of Masham in North Yorkshire.
Owned by the Cunliffe-Lister family since the 1880s, the Estate spans 20,000 acres of breathtaking countryside on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales — the ancestral seat of the Earl of Swinton and a haven of heritage, hospitality, and natural beauty.

The Cookery School

Set in a beautifully converted Georgian stable wing beside Swinton Park Hotel, the Cookery School offers a relaxed and inspiring setting where creativity meets culinary craft.
Its open-plan demonstration kitchen and four-acre walled garden provide the perfect environment to explore fine food and wine, with much of the produce — from herbs and vegetables to venison, rabbit, and game — sourced directly from the Estate.
Courses are hands-on, ingredient-led, and delivered by the resident master chef, encouraging participants of all skill levels to cook with confidence, seasonally and sustainably.

Top 5 Signature Courses

  • Estate to Plate – Cook with ingredients grown, reared and foraged across the Swinton Estate.
  • Fish & Seafood Masterclass – Explore the best of Britain’s coastal flavours, from filleting to plating.
  • Artisan Breadmaking – Perfect your loaves and learn the science behind the bake.
  • French Brasserie – Classic French cookery with Yorkshire flair.
  • Proper Pub Grub – A modern take on hearty British favourites using seasonal produce.

Chef’s Table by Josh Barnes

An unforgettable dining experience at the heart of the Swinton Estate.
With over a decade in some of the UK’s finest Michelin-accredited kitchens, Chef Josh Barnes brings an exclusive culinary journey to life at the Chef’s Table — combining refined technique, local provenance, and creative flair.
Guests are seated in the Cookery School for an intimate, behind-the-scenes tasting experience, featuring an eight-course evening menu or a five-course Saturday lunch, both crafted before your eyes and paired with exceptional seasonal aperitifs.
Proudly featured in the Michelin Guide, this immersive fine-dining encounter captures the very essence of Swinton’s food philosophy — fresh, local, and unforgettable.

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Mention “ICSA” on booking

Cookery Experience Gift

Purchase Greatest British Cookery School Gift Voucher, redeemable at all ICSA member schools  below.

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Team

Ian Matfin, Head Chef Tutor, hails from Newcastle and honed his culinary skills working in some of the UK’s most prestigious restaurants, including Claridge’s, Abode Manchester by Michael Caines, and The Devonshire Arms at Bolton Abbey.

A former protégé of Terry Laybourne at the Michelin-starred 21 Queen Street, Ian brings a wealth of professional experience and a warm, engaging teaching style to every course.

 

The Courses

Whether it’s a half-day course or a full residential programme, there’s something for every budding chef. Below are some examples of Swinton Cookery Schools seasonal cookery courses:

  • Baking pastry and dessert
  • Show stopping Canapé
  • French brasserie
  • Middle eastern
  • Modern world street food
  • Proper pub grub
  • Fish and seafood
  • Italian cuisine
  • Artisan breadmaking
  • Indian masterclass
  • Spanish tapas temptations
  • Mexican
  • Mini Chef
  • Junior Chef
  • Teenage course
  • Learn to cook Yorkshire game
  • Greek classics
  • Learn to cook afternoon tea
  • Ultimate Sunday lunch
  • Brunch
  • Estate to plate
  • Curry in a hurry
  • Great stocks and sauces
  • Parent and Child
  • Chocolate lovers
  • Meat and poultry
  • Beginners

Chef’s Table by Josh Barnes

An unforgettable dining experience at the heart of the Swinton Estate.
With over a decade in some of the UK’s finest Michelin-accredited kitchens, Chef Josh Barnes brings an exclusive culinary journey to life at the Chef’s Table — combining refined technique, local provenance, and creative flair.
Guests are seated in the Cookery School for an intimate, behind-the-scenes tasting experience, featuring an eight-course evening menu or a five-course Saturday lunch, both crafted before your eyes and paired with exceptional seasonal aperitifs.
Proudly featured in the Michelin Guide, this immersive fine-dining encounter captures the very essence of Swinton’s food philosophy — fresh, local, and unforgettable.

Read more on Chefs Table Experiences and purchase Cookery Experience Certificates here

Sign up to our ICSA Cooks Club to hear the latest news on Swinton Cookery School, offers and ICSA Membership. Sign up here

Swinton Park Estate Cookery School.
Masham,
Ripon,
North Yorks
HG4 4JH

Telephone 01765 680900

FIND US

Swinton Cookery School. Yorkshire.

Celebrating 25 years if inspirational cookery courses, Ashburton in the heart of Devon is one of the UK’s top, private cookery schools.

Offering more than 40 different cookery courses, lessons are taught by professional chef tutors who have worked in some of the UK’s most prestigious kitchens. Courses are aimed at home cooks of all standards, with a Chef’s Academy for the career cooks.

Whether your aim is to take your cookery skills to the next level, to cook for family and friends, or you want to learn to cook as a professional, Ashburton has a cookery course for you. The school also offers offers quality bed and breakfast accommodation to students in historic houses in central Ashburton. For more serious cooks, the school is currently enrolling for its 20-week Professional Culinary Diploma and new 20-week Patisserie Diploma, both commencing in January.

Stella West-Harling MBE founded the cookery school in 1992 choosing Ashburton for its beautiful location and local organic food producers. She was an early pioneer of organic restaurants in the country.

Ashburton Cookery School, Devon

Purchase Greatest British Cookery School Gift Vouchers redeemable at Ashburton Schools and all ICSA members below:

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