Group Cooking Class A French Culinary Celebration

Chef Dirk was lovely and very communicative, however many of the items were pre-prepared and it felt somewhat disorganized.

I gifted a Classpop voucher to my girlfriend, and she chose Chef Dirk Italian cooking class because we were looking forward to a fun and memorable experience together. Unfortunately, we left very disappointed. As someone who loves to cook, I was excited to learn a few new techniques while enjoying a nice evening. However, the experience fell well short of our expectations. The class was held in what appeared to be someone else's apartment rather than Chef Dirk’s own space. It was obvious the apartment had been quickly tidied before the class, but it was not clean. There was visible dust on the computer desk and TV stand as soon as we walked in, and the walls were noticeably dirty. The kitchen appeared to have been cleaned more thoroughly, which I appreciated, because otherwise I likely would have left immediately. I only stayed because my partner felt that, with just four participants, it would have been awkward for us to walk out. Unlike other cooking classes I've attended in commercial teaching kitchens with sanitized workstations and professional equipment, this class felt much less organized and hygienic. We used paper plates and cups for our prep work, and many of the ingredients and supplies were taken from plastic bags and storage bins that had been kept outside on the apartment's deck. Water was in an old milk glass bottle. The condition of the spices was also concerning. Many of the containers appeared very old, with caked-on residue and buildup, and they did not inspire confidence in their cleanliness. As for the cooking itself, the food we prepared under Chef Dirk’s guidance was underwhelming. The highlight of the evening was using the pasta maker, which was genuinely enjoyable, but unfortunately that was the only standout part of the experience. I genuinely wish I could leave a more positive review because we were both excited about this class. Sadly, it did not meet our expectations, and based on our experience, we would not book another class or recommend it to others.