Abergavenny Baker

Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales

5.0(48)·From £160.00·6h

Abergavenny, perched at the edge of the Brecon Beacons in Monmouthshire, provides a fitting backdrop for this award-winning cookery school run by Rachael Watson, a former GP who brings methodical precision to her teaching of traditional bread making techniques. Based at No.1 The Courtyard on Lion Street, the school operates from a light, airy kitchen equipped with home ovens and simple equipment that mirrors what students use in their own kitchens.

The curriculum spans continents and seasons, from Great British Breads that teach fundamental yeast baking principles to specialist international classes covering French, Italian, German, Middle Eastern, and Scandinavian traditions. Seasonal offerings include Easter baking focused on enriched breads with milk, sugar, butter and eggs, Christmas classes featuring spiced breads with cardamom and cinnamon, and Summer BBQ Breads creating brioche burger buns and potato focaccia. The sourdough programme covers both traditional wild yeast methods using Tartine-style techniques and semi-sourdough approaches that combine wild yeasts with baker's yeast for more reliable results.

Individual classes reveal considerable depth and authenticity. The Nordic Baking session teaches traditional kanelbullar and vaniljbular alongside a Swedish coffee ring, whilst exploring the concept of fika through coffee and conversation. The Middle Eastern class demonstrates remarkable versatility by creating four different breads from a single olive oil dough, including paper-thin Armenian lavash and soft Iranian barbari. Italian Breads focuses on high-hydration doughs, teaching stretch-and-fold techniques to achieve perfect focaccia and ciabatta. Each six-hour session includes second breakfast, lunch with wine, and all ingredients, with students taking home their bakes in paper patisserie bags.

Classes accommodate up to eight students and suit both complete novices and regular bakers seeking to master specific techniques or expand their repertoire.

Check Availability