Private Cookery School in
The Bakehouse
We had a fabulous day at The Bakehouse.
Emma & Kevin were amazing hosts, they made us feel at home & we got involved with all the preparation of a fabulous Persian Feast! You won't go home hungry!
The grounds are beautiful & we had a great day out.
We will definitely be returning!
Stay, cook, eat, or create..
Master Wood-Fired Cooking at Our Private Cookery School
Discover The Bakehouse – Your Private Wood-Fired Cookery School in South Devon
Welcome to The Bakehouse at Mill Cross Retreats, where culinary passion meets the rustic charm of wood-fired cooking. Nestled in the tranquil countryside of Rattery, South Devon, our private cookery school offers immersive, hands-on courses designed to delight food enthusiasts of all skill levels.
During your class, you’ll learn directly in a fun, no-pressure environment. It’s like spending time in a friend’s country kitchen & enjoying the results of your cooking with a glass or two of wine – except this kitchen has a magnificent woodfired oven!
We keep it intimate & tailored, so you get the most out of the experience. Your teachers & hosts, Emma & Kevin are founders of Mill Cross Retreats & Emma in particular, is a passionate cook with years of experience in outside catering with wood-fired cuisine. Having honed her skills through countless feasts, meals, pizzas & more in our wood-fired oven, she’s eager to share her knowledge.
Why Choose Our Private Cookery Courses?
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Tailored Experiences: We specialise in private group bookings, making our courses ideal for couples, families, friends, or colleagues seeking a unique and enjoyable activity.
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Hands-On Learning: Engage in practical, hands-on cooking sessions that allow you to learn new skills and create delicious dishes in a relaxed environment.
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Beautiful Setting: Enjoy the serene surroundings of our purpose-built cookery school, The Bakehouse, set amidst the picturesque landscapes of South Devon.
Cook with Fire & Passion
There’s something deeply satisfying about cooking with real fire. Our private classes focus on authentic wood-fired cooking, making them truly unique among cookery workshops in Devon. You’ll learn how to harness the intense heat and smoky flavours of a wood-fired oven to create incredible dishes, and you’ll leave with recipes to fire up your passion at home—whether using a wood-fired oven or a domestic oven.
Master the Art of Wood-Fired Cooking
Ever wondered how to achieve that perfectly blistered Neapolitan-style pizza crust or how to slow-roast a shoulder of lamb to tender perfection? The wood-fired oven holds the key, and in our hands-on classes, we’ll teach you its secrets.
Perfect Organic Wood-Fired Pizza, Focaccia & Italian Dessert
Our most popular course which takes four hours (to include eating time!)
From mixing and kneading our slow-fermented dough to mastering the stretch & choosing the perfect toppings, you’ll create your own authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas—cooked in just minutes in our blazing hot wood-fired oven. The result? Possibly the best pizza you’ve ever tasted—because you made it!
But the experience doesn’t stop at pizza. You’ll also:
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Bake focaccia to take home – rustic, golden, and full of flavour
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Make fresh tomato sauce & dough to take home
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Prepare an authentic Italian dessert – enjoy it here (if you have room!) or save it for later
Organic, Seasonal & Local Wood-Fired Italian Feast
Feeling more ambitious? Join us for a full-day immersive Italian "feast" experience—perfect for groups of 4 to 8 people. You'll learn to prepare a main course, side dishes & desserts using the wood-fired oven, but easily adaptable to a home oven.
You can expect to create seasonal, organic, and locally sourced Italian dishes, such as:
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Wood-roasted seasonal vegetables & legume side dishes
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Porchetta, herb-roasted chicken, lamb, or aubergine parmigiana
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Focaccia & grissini, freshly baked from scratch
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A selection of indulgent Italian desserts, such as:
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Hazelnut & berry meringues
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Chocolate & amaretto semifredo
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Chocolate tart
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Pannacotta
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Classic tiramisu
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Organic, Seasonal & Local Wood-Fired Persian Feast
Just like our Italian Feast, the Persian Feast class is a full-day, hands-on cooking experience, celebrating the rich, aromatic flavors of Persian cuisine.
You'll learn to create a vibrant mezze spread, wood-fired flatbreads, and slow-roasted meats, complemented by stunning vegetarian dishes such as:
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Slow-roasted shoulder of lamb
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Chickpea, butternut & apricot tagine
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Roasted beets, caramelized onions & pomegranate
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Crispy cavolo nero, dukkah & labneh for texture and flavor balance
To finish, we’ll indulge in a show-stopping Persian dessert, such as:
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Persian "Mess" – a fragrant twist on Eton Mess
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Persian Sticky Toffee Pudding
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Orange cake with pistachio ice cream
A Feast to Remember
Whichever feast class you choose, you'll enjoy a wonderful day of cooking and dining, with plenty of organic, seasonal, and locally sourced food—all accompanied by a carefully selected range of organic soft drinks, beers, and wines.
Ready to cook, feast, and celebrate with us? Book your private class today.
Why are we unique?
Each of our classes is an exclusive, hands-on cooking experience—just for you and your chosen group. Whether it's a couple’s class, a family gathering, or a group of friends or colleagues, you’ll have our full attention. If it's just the two of you, the experience remains intimate and personalised. For private groups of 4–8 people, we tailor the session to match your pace, ensuring everyone is involved and engaged.
Because our classes are private, you’ll have the freedom to ask all the questions you want, making it a truly interactive & immersive experience.
We provide all the organic, seasonal, and locally sourced ingredients—many from our own kitchen garden or nearby farms & farm shops—so your experience is as farm-to-table as it gets.
As you cook, we’ll share expert tips and tricks, from managing the fire to adapting wood-fired techniques for your home oven. Our goal isn’t just to teach you recipes—it’s to ignite your passion for cooking with fire, so you can bring these skills and enthusiasm back to your own kitchen.
This course is 4 hours long and can be booked on a morning, an afternoon or evening.
Using our woodfired oven, you'll make;
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Your own organic dough & sauce to take home
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An organic pizza to eat in the woodfired oven
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Organic focaccia to take home
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An Italian dessert to eat here or take home
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All enjoyed with our refreshments & a glass of wine or two
£60 per person for up to 4 people
£50 per person for 4 people or more
Ready to cook with fire & passion? Book your private class today.
With a minimum group size of 2 for our pizza course & 4 on other courses & a maximum of 8, we offer a free place to the organiser for groups of at least 6 people. Contact Emma to enquire or book a date for your own group- allow 4 hours for cooking & eating on the pizza course & all day for the other courses.
Perhaps you'd like to treat someone to a course as a really unique gift experience or celebrate a special? Gift vouchers are available.
Organic & local Italian feast course
This is a day long course- starting at 9.30 am & finishing at around 5pm.
Using our woodfired oven, you'll make and enjoy here:
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Focaccia
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A selection of vegetarian starters
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Vegetarian and meat main courses and side dishes
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Italian style dessert
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Pizza for lunch
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We'll look after you with delicious bakes, organic drinks & of course, a glass of wine or two with your meal
£100 per person (minimum of 4 people)
Organic & local Persian feast course
Using our woodfired & conventional ovens you'll make and enjoy a selection of organic, seasonal & locally sourced foods including:
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Flatbreads
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A mezze platter
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Vegetarian and meat main courses and side dishes
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Persian style dessert
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We'll look after you with delicious bakes, organic drinks & of course, a glass of wine or two with your meal
£100 per person (minimum of 4 people)
