Contact details
Please note: This venue is not directly affiliated with ClassBento. Please contact the venue directly to get up-to-date pricing, and for any questions or bookings.
Ground Up Cookery School
taste@groundupcookeryschool.co.uk
Ground Up Cookery School
16 guests max
5.0 (2)
Our Story – Ground Up Cookery School
We’re Colin and Tasha Wheeler-James, the team behind the award winning Ground Up Cookery School. What began as a wine-fuelled idea around the dinner table became a life-changing decision: we sold our home and threw ourselves into a dream. In 2019, we opened our first cookery school in Crockernwell, Devon. With Colin’s 30+ years of chef experience and Tasha’s background in business and hospitality, we wanted to create something different—something grounded (quite literally!) in sustainability, seasonality, and real, practical cookery skills.
Now based in Chudleigh, our custom-built space is surrounded by nature, filled with purpose, and designed to help others reconnect with the food they eat—from fermentation and foraging to generic cookery skills and zero-waste principles.
We have just one 2 Food Drink Devon's Gold Awards, Sustainability Pioneer and Training School. Even more excitingly, we were awarded Best Training School, up againstOur Story – Ground Up Cookery School
We’re Colin and Tasha Wheeler-James, the team behind the award winning Ground Up Cookery School. What began as a wine-fuelled idea around the dinner table became a life-changing decision: we sold our home and threw ourselves into a dream. In 2019, we opened our first cookery school in Crockernwell, Devon. With Colin’s 30+ years of chef experience and Tasha’s background in business and hospitality, we wanted to create something different—something grounded (quite literally!) in sustainability, seasonality, and real, practical cookery skills.
Now based in Chudleigh, our custom-built space is surrounded by nature, filled with purpose, and designed to help others reconnect with the food they eat—from fermentation and foraging to generic cookery skills and zero-waste principles.
We have just one 2 Food Drink Devon's Gold Awards, Sustainability Pioneer and Training School. Even more excitingly, we were awarded Best Training School, up against some very famous cookery schools, chuffed doesn't begin to describe the pride we are feeling!
Why We Do This
We’ve both always believed food has the power to bring people together, to inspire change, and to build confidence in the everyday. Teaching is our way of sharing that.
It’s not just about passing on knowledge—it’s about empowering people. Seeing a nervous participant find their stride or a group of colleagues rediscover joy through food is what drives us. There’s nothing better than that lightbulb moment when someone realises that what they thought was “just a weed” can become the star of the plate.
What Makes Ground Up Special
Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced chef, we offer a welcoming space where learning feels relaxed, hands-on, and rewarding.
What we teach reflects how we live:
Seasonal, local, and wild ingredients
Zero-waste and sustainable techniques
Traditional skills like fermentation, curing, preserving and fire cookery
A strong connection to the land and the joy of slowing down
You can join us for anything from a foraging walk with wild-infused cocktails, to a pasta masterclass, to a chef-focused fermentation workshop. We also run corporate events and offer consultancy to help hospitality businesses build greener, more resilient kitchens. Providing consultancy and chef training for food businesses moving toward Net Zero and sustainable menus
Proud Moments
We were thrilled to be featured on BBC’s Marcus Wareing: Tales from a Kitchen Garden, where Colin joined Marcus to explore wild fermentation and preservation, showcasing techniques like fermented cabbage, brined apples and smoked pear powder.
Our work has also been featured in Food Drink Devon, especially celebrating our Spotlight On... series, where we take a deep dive into one wild or seasonal ingredient—like nettles, wild garlic, or edible flowers—and explore it through demos, tastings, and conversation.
A Few Fun Extras
We make our own Heath & Hedge wild-infused spirits—think Mugolio (Pine-syrup) Rum, Crab-Apple and Rose Petal Gin, Honey & Quince vodka—all available to taste and take home.
Our classes are open to all, making us a hit with families, home educators and young food explorers.
Come and Cook With Us
At Ground Up, we believe the best cooking happens when we understand where our food comes from, why it matters, and how to make the most of every ingredient. Whether you want to grow your confidence, reconnect with nature, or just spend a great day in good company—we’d love to welcome you here. + more
Autumn Baking Workshop
Only 2 dates left
Chudleigh
1 to 16 guests
£90
Hands-On Moroccan Cooking Class: Tagines and More
Only 1 date left
Chudleigh
1 to 16 guests
£90
Pasta Making Workshop
Only 2 dates left
Chudleigh
1 to 16 guests
£80
Cooking Experience: Spotlight on Needles and Cones
Only 1 date left
Chudleigh
1 to 30 guests
£55
Cooking Class: Spotlight on Wild Berries
Only 1 date left
Chudleigh
1 to 20 guests
£55
Cooking Class: Spotlight on Wild Seeds
Only 1 date left
Chudleigh
1 to 20 guests
£55
Perfect Pies Cooking Workshop
Only 1 date left
Chudleigh
1 to 16 guests
£70
Sri Lankan Feast Cookery Class
5.0 (1)
Only 2 dates left
Chudleigh
1 to 16 guests
£90
Introduction to Fermentation Workshop
5.0 (1)
Only 1 date left
Chudleigh
1 to 16 guests
£90
Artisan Chocolate Masterclass
Only 2 dates left
Chudleigh
1 to 20 guests
£95
Gluten Free Workshop - Savoury
Only 1 date left
Chudleigh
1 to 16 guests
£90
Wild Food Foraging and Cookery Workshop
Only 1 date left
Chudleigh
1 to 16 guests
£185
See more
Are you a teacher or host?
Join our community, and attract a wider audience.
If you're a teacher, we'll take care of all your admin work, so you can spend more time doing what you love.
If you have a venue, list it for free and attract a wider audience.
Teach with us List your venue
