Ground Up Cookery School

Ground Up Cookery School brings professional culinary expertise to rural Devon, operating from their kitchen in Grealy with guidance from classically trained French chef Mikael Perret, who brings over 30 years of professional chocolate work and fine dining experience to their programmes.

The school offers an engaging mix of seasonal celebrations and fundamental pastry techniques across Cake Baking, Chocolate Making, Pastry, and Seasonal Baking. Classes accommodate all abilities and ages (children from 7 years with parents), with corporate events, date nights, and children's sessions all catered for. The programme excels in festive baking, with dedicated Christmas and Easter workshops that combine multiple techniques in single sessions.

Their Artisan Chocolate Masterclass stands out for its professional approach, teaching chocolate tempering through both seeding and marble-tabling methods, ganache making with flavour balancing, and decorative techniques using cocoa butter. Students work individually and in pairs, mastering hand-dipping and mould work before boxing their finished chocolates. The Christmas Baking workshop combines ambitious techniques, teaching students to create yule logs with chocolate ganache and boozy cream, choux centrepieces with crème pâtissière, and traditional mince pies using their Devonshire mincemeat recipe. The Easter workshop covers hot cross bun preparation with proper kneading techniques alongside simnel cake decoration and chocolate tart construction. Their Perfect Pies workshop builds core pastry skills, teaching both shortcrust and suet pastry from scratch with proper knife techniques.

Classes include all ingredients and equipment, with tea and coffee throughout, and dietary requirements accommodated when booked in advance. Ground Up suits anyone seeking hands-on seasonal baking or professional chocolate techniques in a supportive rural setting, from £50.

Reviews

Location

Barn, Chudleigh, Grealy TQ13 0AA, Devon

A few things we think are worth having if you want to keep baking at home.

Equipment

Thermapen ONE Thermometer

Professional-grade instant-read. Essential for chocolate and patisserie.

~£70View on Amazon

Ingredient

Callebaut Chocolate Callets (1kg)

Professional-grade Belgian chocolate. What the schools use.

~£18View on Amazon

Book

Nostalgic Delights - William Curley

From one of the UK's finest chocolatiers.

~£22View on Amazon

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