Last Updated on February 11, 2026
Beefing up my skills for 2026 – Gordon Ramsay Academy
Recently, a friend sent me a photo of his dinner. He was dining at The Savoy Grill, and the picture of the Beef Wellington was a thing of beauty. If there is one iconic dish that I can never resist on a menu, it is Beef Wellington. I quizzed my friend intensely after his night out, and the description of this dish created in the Gordon Ramsay-owned Savoy Grill made me even more jealous. The foodie gods must have heard my cries because the following week, I was invited to kick off 2026 with a Beef Wellington masterclass at none other than the Gordon Ramsay Academy at 22 Bishopsgate, London.
If you are looking for a cooking class with bells on, search no further. The masterclass is located in London alongside Gordon Ramsay’s Lucky Cat restaurant at Bishopsgate. I reviewed Lucky Cat when it first opened in February 2025, and I can report that the view from the 58th floor is jaw-dropping. The décor is fabulous; you cannot help but feel transported to another dimension as you look down on London from the highest restaurant in town. The cooking school is the second in the Gordon Ramsay Academy stable. We have previously reviewed a Taste of Spain tapas cooking class at the Woking venue.
I have been to many cooking masterclasses over the years and always love the buzz of excitement in the kitchen where, along with a small group of students, one dons an apron and is guided by experienced chefs. I enjoy the whole process from getting hands-on with the ingredients, chatting with the other participants, and getting to eat the results at the end. At Gordon Ramsay Academy, I not only was treated to a meal overlooking London, I also took home my Beef Wellington where I was met with appreciative moans of pleasure at the dinner table.
The Beef Wellington course ran three hours and began with offers of a drink at the Lucky Cat bar. Our group had eight participants, including four men who were repeat attenders, indicating the quality of Chef Leandros’s teaching. He is an engaging teacher, patient and brimming with enthusiasm and excellent tips. Unlike many cooking schools, where participants stand at their own stations, here we gathered around to watch Chef Leandros prep and demonstrate. Then we cooked in pairs, sharing chopping boards, pans, and utensils, which was more convivial than cooking alone. The classes take place in one of the Lucky Cat prep kitchens, so we really got a sense of working in a high-end professional space. I certainly came away with a hefty dose of equipment envy.
Under Chef Leandros’ supervision, we learned to sear our beef, to make the pancakes that line the pastry, and to layer the Beef Wellington. He showed us how to roast mushrooms for the duxelle he prepared, which we used when layering the dish. There were some inside tips, such as slathering the seared beef in English mustard. That added an extra kick to the flavours.
Chef Leandros showed us how to prepare the sides to accompany our Beef Wellingtons. He made an outstanding mashed potato – the clue is in the method for cooking the potatoes and an equivalent weight in butter and cream – as well as glazed carrots and a red wine jus. We received detailed recipes at the end of the course for all these items, so we can recreate the utterly fabulous meal we ate. Once we had completed our tasks, we sat at a table, glass of wine in hand, overlooking the Tower of London and eating Chef Leandros’ Beef Wellington served on a bed of the best mashed potato, glazed carrots and red wine jus. What a way to spend a Monday afternoon in the city.
We took home the Beef Wellingtons we had made ourselves. We had completed the pastry rolling and all that was needed was an egg wash before it went into the oven.
I was a bit concerned about whether my domestic oven would cook the pastry as well as the professional oven had done. It came out perfectly, and I felt sure that Chef Leandros would approve. My family were mightily impressed, and I couldn’t resist eating a second slice of Beef Wellington a few hours after having done so in class. The view from my house might not live up to that from the Gordon Ramsay Academy, but the Beef Wellington tasted just as good.
The Gordon Ramsay Academy caters for all levels of experience. I am a confident home cook, yet there are many dishes I would like to learn to make like the professionals. Another course on offer is Pad Thai. I learned to cook it in Thailand, and it is certainly a good skill to add to your repertoire. It is a perennially popular dish and easy to knock up for dinner once you know how to balance the flavours. From pasta making to steak, baos to eclairs, a masterclass at the Gordon Ramsay Academy is a wonderful way to upskill in 2026. You can gift any of the classes to friends and family – better still, book for yourself and a friend and enjoy the pleasure together. Then show off your new skills to friends who will love being invited over for dinner for a perfect steak dinner, rounded off with eclairs so good they will assume you nipped out to your local French patisserie. I love Japanese food, and I am excited to find that there is a Taste of Japan course on offer. That’s what I will be trying next.
If you cannot attend a masterclass in person, you can also select from some online courses, which include pasta making, Italian cooking, and curry.
Gordon Ramsay Academy, 22 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4BQ and Woking, Surrey GU21 6HN
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