Swinton Park Cookery School

The celebrated cookery school at Swinton Park makes its base in the castle's converted Georgian stables, with both demonstration kitchen and dining room overlooking the parkland. It's an integral part of the estate, with the four-acre walled garden (the largest hotel kitchen garden in the UK) providing much of the fruit, veg, herbs and flowers, while from the estate land itself comes game, fish, rabbit, venison and the like – that's food inches, not food miles, in some cases. There's a huge range of courses on offer throughout the year – from curry clubs and butchery skills to gourmet weekends and wine tastings including accommodation at the castle. TV chef and "castle cook" Rosemary Shrager is on the roster (she runs a one-day masterclass as well as a two-day classical cuisine course), while the cookery school also organises things like Chef's Table nights (private dining and demonstration), wild food foraging walks, and children's and family cookery courses.