FAQ

How do I make a booking?

Booking for scheduled demos and classes is via the third-party ticketing and registration platform Eventbrite (www.eventbrite.co.uk).  You can access the relevant pages on their website by clicking on the dates in the class description pages or the Calendar page of this website.  Full payment must be made at the time of booking.  If you'd like to be notified as soon as I release new dates for classes, please sign up to my newsletter, or follow me on Instagram.

If you'd like to make a booking for a private lesson or private demo, please drop me a line at info@thebooklesscook.co.uk, letting me know which lesson (two hour/ half-day/ full-day) or demo (seasonal or 'A Week of Meals') you are interested in, and which days of the week suit you best.  I'm not usually available on weekends or evenings, but can occasionally make exceptions.  Once we've agreed a mutually convenient date and time, I will email you a questionnaire to capture the details I need to help me plan your lesson.  Upon receipt of your completed questionnaire, I will send you a link to enable payment via the Eventbrite website.  You will have one week to complete the questionnaire and make payment before your chosen date is released.

Do you cater for special dietary requirements?

I ask at the time of booking that participants make me aware of any special dietary requirements, especially food allergies or intolerances.  I will always make an effort to provide at least one dish that everyone attending my classes can sample on the day, but cannot guarantee that there won’t be any cross-contamination, as I handle all ingredients in my kitchen, and I'm unable to keep separate utensils and equipment.  However, as I try to always explain the purpose of ingredients, and to explain the key principles necessary to achieve the dishes, I hope you will acquire the confidence to adapt the dishes in accordance with your family’s needs.  

My children are very fussy eaters!  Will they like the food that you demonstrate?

I have won over cabbage-haters many times!  However, as I try to explain the purpose of ingredients and the key principles necessary to achieve the dishes, I hope you will acquire the confidence to substitute ingredients according to your own family's tastes and preferences.

Do you use ingredients from special shops?

I try to use British produce in season, not just because it tends to be the least greenhouse-gas intensive option, but it’s often cheaper, more delicious and a lovely way of getting variety into our diets.  I have a veg box delivered and love shopping at farmer’s markets, but I recognise that this isn't possible for everybody, so I try to make sure that all  my ingredients are available in supermarkets.  Very occasionally I may use produce specialist suppliers who provide an online delivery service.

Will you tell us in advance what we will be cooking on the seasonal demos?

Not as a rule.  As in-season produce is always the starting point for a meal, and I try to buy my ingredients from supermarkets (because that is where most people shop), I am restricted by availability, and may need to change my plans at short notice.

What happens if I make a booking and then need to cancel?

I do understand that life sometimes gets in the way of the best laid plans, however, due to the small scale of my operation, I am unable to offer refunds or let you transfer to another event on a different date.  However, if you are unable to make your booked event for any reason you can choose to have another person attend in your place.  You must let me know in advance of the event if you are sending another person in your place and you can do this by sending an email to info@thebooklesscook.co.uk or by phoning me on the mobile number provided in an email which I send out to participants seven days prior to the event taking place.  The person attending in your place must read the Bookless Cook terms and conditions and must notify me in advance of the event taking place of any food allergies or special dietary requirements by sending an email to info@thebooklesscook.co.uk. 

Where do your demos and private lessons take place?

Demos and private lessons take place in my Wimbledon home, which is a seven-minute walk from Wimbledon station (the main station, which is a National Rail, London Underground (District line) and Tramlink station, not Wimbledon South or Wimbledon Park stations).  Confirmed participants will receive an email containing my address a week before the class.

Is it possible to park near your home?

I can offer two free parking spaces (offered on a first-come-first-served basis, so please let me know before the day), otherwise parking is available on metered parking bays a five-minute walk away, in an adjacent road.