The Belle Isle School of Cookery

Guest Comments

"We arrived ready for anything, the whole experience has been wonderful. We had good clear instruction, exciting things to make and it was lovely not having to wash up!"

Linda from Donegal

"The main thing I will remember is Liz’s enthusiasm and love of food"

David from London

"The range of food covered in 3 days was amazing and I shall be trying out all of the recipes at home!"

Deirdre from Monaghan

"Absolutely wonderful! Very informative and informal. Liz is a terrific tutor making everything look positively simple!"

Lucy from Belfast

"Our efforts in the kitchen were rewarded each day, first with a very welcome glass of wine before an excellent light lunch which we all enjoyed with some pride- tinged with amazement that we could have produced it…"

Kate from Enniskillen

"The bit I enjoyed the most was…eating…the food was far better than any restaurant we’ve eaten in!”

John from Dublin

"Irish food has come alive and in such beautiful surroundings too!"

Carl from New York

"Always having had an interest in food but not having done a lot of cooking, I decided to look for a suitable cookery course before I set off on a gap year. I had heard about Belle Isle from a few people and thought a four week course would be perfect to get me started. I had no idea how much I was going to enjoy myself. We were a very varied group of students, different ages and from all walks of life. Our teacher Liz Moore was an absolute inspiration and completely changed the way I look at food. We did lots of practical work, visited various businesses associated with the food industry and had weekly wine tasting classes. It was fascinating. When I finished I went straight into a job working in a delicatessen which also did outside catering. I found that I was able to pick up everything fairly quickly thanks to the ground work we had done with Liz. I now have the confidence to give everything a go as I set off around the world."

William from Ireland commenting on the 4 week diploma course

4 Week Diploma Students' Comments

Is there any part of the course that you particularly enjoyed?

Lucinda: “ I particularly liked the bread making and variety of other recipes included on the course.”

Daniel: “ I didn’t know what to expect of the course, but I enjoyed it more than I had hoped.”

Will: “ Cooking yummy food! Also, I thought things like the Thursday night dinners and the trip on the lake are very nice for helping people to bond!”

Emma: “ I loved making bread, preserves and the dessert preparation.”

Rachel: “ I loved the interaction with the other students and particularly enjoyed the wine & mushroom days!”

How did you find the lay out of the kitchen?

Emma: “Paired up into teams, the kitchen worked a wonder!”

Was the course what you had expected?

Emma: “Yes, it was totally what I had expected, a good balance of demonstrations and hands on work. It was very good to have a butcher and wine lectures to break up the course.”

Orna: “ Better than expected. We got through many more recipes than I thought we would.”

Was the course too difficult?

Emma: “No, Liz covered the basics very well and didn’t hesitate to advance from this level.”

Did you feel that you received good value for money?

Emma: “Yes, the accommodation was immaculate. I have a good knowledge of wine appreciation now, whereas before the course it was very poor. I now feel very confident with cooking and experimenting.”

Orna: “My overall impression was of a great course run by a very enthusiastic chef, in a fantastic location.”