London has more baking schools than any other UK city, and the range is wider than you'd expect. You can spend a morning shaping sourdough in a working bakery, an afternoon piping macarons in a Bermondsey workshop, or an evening making pizza dough in Islington with a glass of wine in hand. There are intimate classes with four people around a kitchen table and competitive bake-offs for sixty.
We've researched nearly thirty London baking schools for BakeClass. Some are brilliant, some are average, and a few are genuinely special. This guide covers the ones worth your time, organised by what you're looking for.
If You Want to Learn Bread
London is one of the best places in the UK to learn bread making, with schools covering everything from quick flatbread sessions to multi-stage sourdough fermentation.
Greenwich Pantry in Woolwich covers bread alongside pies, biscuits, and sourdough in a neighbourhood setting that feels less like a school and more like baking at a friend's house. Small groups, all levels welcome, and they run corporate and birthday sessions too.
Sourdough Explained in Willesden runs focused workshops at every level, from complete beginners through to advanced shaping. If you want to understand fermentation properly rather than just follow a recipe, it's worth looking at.
Bread Ahead is the name most people know, and the range of classes is hard to beat - sourdough, croissants, doughnut, flatbread, and more. Classes run inside a working bakery, and you leave with more bread than you can reasonably eat.
If You Want Cake and Patisserie
Comptoir Bakery on Druid Street in Bermondsey is quietly one of London's best-kept secrets. They teach French patisserie - choux, croissants, macarons, chocolate work - at prices that are significantly lower than most London schools. Classes start at £10*, which sounds too good to be true until you realise they've built a loyal following on exactly that proposition. They also have a second location on Bermondsey Street.
The Sweet Bit in Hampstead runs patisserie and chocolate classes from £95 with a 5.0 rating*. It's a smaller operation, which means more individual attention and a pace that doesn't rush you through the tricky bits.
For cake decorating specifically, Sallys Baking Classes in Wandsworth covers cakes, cupcakes, macarons, and chocolate work, with a focus on beginners. The London Cake Academy goes deeper into wedding cakes and advanced decoration for people who want to develop a serious skill.
If You Want an Experience
Not every baking class is about technique. Some are about having a great time with other people, and London does this format particularly well.
The Big London Bake runs Bake Off-style competitive challenges where teams go head-to-head. It's less about perfecting your lamination and more about laughing at the mess you've made. The format is purpose-built for hen parties, birthdays, and corporate team days, and the energy in the room is completely different from a traditional class. If you're buying a baking experience as a gift, this is one of the most reliably fun options in London.
Jenius Social in Holloway specialises in private group events - corporate team building, birthday parties, mystery box challenges. They can handle groups of up to 140, which makes them one of the few London schools that works for larger teams. Underground Cookery School on City Road does similar corporate and group events with an equally strong reputation.
If You Want a Big Name
Jamie Oliver Cookery School in Islington runs classes from £60 covering bread, pastry, and more. The teaching is solid and the facilities are well-equipped. It's a good option if you're looking for a recognisable name - particularly for gifts - though you're partly paying for the brand. The bread and choux classes get specifically strong feedback.
Leiths Culinary School in Shepherd's Bush is a different proposition entirely. This is a professional culinary school that also runs shorter workshops, and the standard is high. If you're already a confident home baker and want to push into patisserie or bread making at a more advanced level, Leiths is where London's serious food people go.
Sauce by the Langham at The Langham hotel is the luxury end of the market. Hotel cookery school, polished setting, the kind of place where the experience extends well beyond the baking itself. Reviews are consistently five-star.
Smaller Schools Worth Knowing About
Some of the best classes in London happen in places you won't find on the first page of a Google search.
Food at 52 near Old Street has 894 reviews* and a 5.0 rating, which is remarkable for any school. It draws a loyal returning crowd and runs classes across cuisines including pastry.
Ann's Smart School of Cookery is as personal as London cooking classes get. Ann teaches with the kind of warmth and knowledge that turns first-timers into regulars. If you prefer learning from one person in a small group rather than following along in a larger class, this is the one.
The Avenue Cookery School has built a following for its range - from kids' cooking courses to Vietnamese, Mexican, and knife skills. Reviewers consistently mention learning things they actually reproduce at home, which is a more meaningful endorsement than most.
Hackney School of Food runs classes from £40 in a community-focused setting. Groups of 12-30, all levels, and a mission that extends beyond just teaching you to bake.
A Few Things Worth Knowing
London baking classes fill up faster than you'd think, especially weekend sessions at popular schools. Book at least two to three weeks ahead for Bread Ahead and Food at 52. Midweek classes are easier to get and often quieter.
Prices across London start from £10 at Comptoir Bakery, with most half-day sessions falling around £60-£120. The price doesn't always predict the quality. Some of the highest-rated schools on BakeClass are also among the most affordable.
Transport matters. Check where the school is relative to your nearest tube or train station before booking. Old Street, Islington, and Bermondsey are all easy to reach. Wandsworth and Greenwich less so, but worth the trip if the class appeals.
If this is your first time, our beginner's guide covers what to expect on the day. And if you're looking beyond London, our guide to baking classes outside London covers the rest of the UK.
Find Your London Class
Browse all baking classes in London on BakeClass, or explore by what you want to make: bread making, sourdough, cake decorating, or patisserie.
*Prices, ratings and review counts were correct at the time of writing and may have changed. Check the school's website for current prices.
Paul Hollywood's Bread
Accessible and budget-friendly. A good starting point.
Steven Foers is the founder of BakeClass, a directory of baking schools across the UK.
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