Beckett launches wine school for cooks

Food and wine writer Fiona Beckett has launched a wine school at Honey & Co near Regent’s Park aimed at amateur cooks who lack confidence about wine.

Keen to launch a “fun and convivial” wine school for a while, Beckett has partnered with the restaurant’s founder Itamar Srulovich to host a series of pop-up wine classes.

Beckett told db that the “Wine for Foodies” classes are aimed at amateur cooks who are “passionate about food but nervous about wine”.

“I’ve lost count of the number of good cooks who have told me they know nothing about wine. Of course they do, it’s just they don’t feel relaxed about it,” she said.

The aim of the classes is to help to remove the fear surrounding wine, leaving attendees more confident about how to choose a wine at home and how to order it in a restaurant.

Taking place on Sunday afternoons, the first class on 11 October will focus on white and orange wine, which Beckett believes pairs will with middle-eastern food.

On November 1 the theme will be rosé to red showing how radically the same grape can vary depending on where it’s grown and how it’s made. The subject of ageing wines will be tackled too.

The 6 December class will explore sweet and sparkling wines, looking at different styles made around the world and dispelling the myth that sweet wines are naff.

Beckett will talk students through six wines at each class, which will be paired with middle-eastern small plates cooked by Srulovich and his wife Sarit followed by lunch at the restaurant.

Classes cost £75 with lunch or £200 for three sessions. Launched in 2012, Honey & Co on Warren Street specialises in middle-eastern cuisine.