Picture this: you’re on your way to meet your blind date — buzzing with nervous excitement, you arrive at the venue and it’s…a houseboat? And instead of enjoying some drinks in a cosy bar, you’ll be learning to make tasty churros and chocolate alongside your would-be beau? Best date ever!
When you pop along to a creative workshop, learning new skills and having fun times might not be the only things in store for you — from blossoming romances to family reunions, or even a whole new career, you never know where a workshop may take you! Our community of teachers have seen it all, and we've asked a few of them to share some of their favourite memories with you.
Cernamic on building community, one pottery class at a time
This heartwarming story comes from Nam Tran, founder of the much-loved London pottery studio Cernamic. Hosted in an impressive airy studio space, Nam’s classes are some of the most popular pottery classes in London. The company’s origins, however, were a little more humble...
"[We] had a small tiny studio in the middle of a park in south London. We had no address, only two wheels and no footfall at all... but we had about three students who would be regulars." - Nam, Cernamic
Even though things started small, the close friends Nam made during those early days stuck, and they’re still regulars to this day. It’s a lovely reminder of the power of craft to bring people together.
"[We] learnt that teaching is great but also making friends along the way was more important to us." - Nam, Cernamic
With M.Y.O (Make Your Own) you never know where a workshop might take you
If you’ve ever spent time pouring candles or hand-making jewellery, maybe you’ve thought about turning it into a side hustle — what better way of paying for more supplies after all?
Hannah, the partnerships whiz at crafter’s paradise M.Y.O (Make Your Own), has seen first-hand how passions for crafts like printing and pottery can take students on a career journey they never expected.
"[Many] of our staff started out by coming to a public workshop and ended up working with us! Kendall came to a public lino printing workshop at our studio and became a workshop host and Kirsty came to a hen party and became our studio manager!" - Hannah, M.Y.O
So if you ever go along to a workshop ready and eager to learn something new, take an open mind and some conversation starters — you never know where you might end up!
On Tere and Colin’s houseboat, you never know who you’ll meet
Tere and Colin run a variety of quirky craft and cooking workshops from the most unusual of venues — a Dutch houseboat near Canary Wharf. There's something about this cosy setting that seems to really bring people together!
"We got a booking from an individual who had booked for a blind date! Essentially the couple had no idea who they were going to meet, what they were going to do or where! It was quite strange to be giving the class to this couple who had never met and were just finding out about each other. They seemed to get on very well, but sadly I never found out if they became a couple or not!" - Tere, Tere and Colin Experiences
Speaking of which...
Ditch the dating apps — try a cooking class from The Avenue instead!
There’s something about the combination of learning to cook delicious food and mingling with new people that can fire up more than just imagination! Niv from The Avenue Cookery School has seen more than one love story unfold at their London cooking classes.
"[We’ve] had customers propose after a private class with Richard. We sometimes get emails from customers asking for contact details for others who joined the class, or just telling us that they had such a good time with that person they decided to continue the party after the session elsewhere." - Niv, The Avenue Cookery School
Ferris Heart Sloane on the power of plants to bring families together
For Natasha, florist and founder of interior design company Ferris Heart Sloane, it's the special family moments that stand out the most.
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"We recently ran an online terrarium class which was booked by a mum for her son. She explained she travels a lot as we had been playing around with the date a bit. It was sweet to see their interaction throughout the class and especially endearing at the end of the class when he put his arms around his mum and said, “Thank you, I love you, mum.” - Natasha, Ferris Heart Sloane
From first encounters to long-term relationships, there are all kinds of life-changing experiences to be discovered at our teachers’ amazing workshops. Why not see where your journey will take you and try something new today. Find workshops near you
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