The Lemon Tree Cookery School

Hannah Palmer visits The Lemon Tree Cookery School, opened by Camilla Schneideman, daughter of the founders of Divertimenti

Above: Cooking up a storm in The Lemon Tree Cookery School kitchen

Camilla Schneideman has an illustrious culinary heritage, so I felt that I was in safe hands when I knocked at her door. Her parents are the founders of cult cookery shop Divertimenti and, despite doing drama at university, Camilla decided to follow in their foodie footsteps, training at Leith’s before working at the Sugar Club and finally setting up a course of cooking classes at Divertimenti.

After a move to Spain, she is back; this time with her own independent set-up, The Lemon Tree Cookery School in North Kensington. Not all links have been severed, however, and classes take place in her parent’s glorious kitchen where the large island work surface make it ideal for small classes.

Classes on offer range from A Seafood Odyssey to Perfect Pastry, but I was going to be shown how to create Sensational Starters. The menu for the day was an eclectic mix of sushi, double-baked soufflé and a Parma ham and nectarine salad. All very different but apparently all equally easy to prepare.

There were four of us in the class, which meant that there was no hiding behind the chopping board – everyone had to get involved. While taking us through the steps, Camilla let us in on her dinner party secrets; where short cuts could be made, what could be prepared beforehand and the essentials that must not be forgotten. As we chopped, stirred and baked, we chatted about dinner party disasters, favourite cookbooks and whether Gordon Ramsay is a dish or a dog’s dinner: it was an open verdict.

Our first sensational starter was salmon sushi rolls, something that I would never have previously tackled without serious professional help! Everyone was given their own rolling matt and sheet of seaweed and let loose on the sticky rice.

For something a little more traditional, the double-baked soufflé is perfect for those who don’t want to be whisking eggs while the guests arrive. Deflated cheese soufflés are turned out of their moulds and baked upside down in lashings of double cream and even more cheese.

The nectarine and Parma ham salad was the easiest and quickest dish to prepare and I was introduced to an amazing ingredient: Pomegranate molasses, that looks like runny Marmite and tastes like liquid sherbet. It gave the salad dressing an amazing sweet and sour flavour.

As the culmination of a morning’s hard work we sat down to eat our creations and continue our appraisal of top chefs. No one with little food knowledge would have felt out of place but for those with more experience there is still lots to learn from Camilla.

The Lemon Tree Cookery School

15 Finstock Road, W10