Last weekend saw the spectacular arrival of Britannia into her homeport of Southampton. As we boarded the ship for a weekend of inaugural celebrations, it was The Cookery Club that caught our attention. Britain’s very first cookery school at sea, The Cookery Club is a seriously sleek spot in which to create culinary masterpieces under the tutelage of the UK’s best loved chefs. When Food Hero James Martin took to the stage in Britannia’s epic Headliner’s Theatre, he gave us a rundown of which big names we can expect to see cooking up a storm in The Cookery Club in 2015.
You’ve met Britannia, now meet her celebrity chefs.
The doyenne of baking and star of BBC One’s The Great British Bake Off, Mary Berry has been baking for over 60 years. Mary has published over 70 books throughout her career and her contribution to the culinary arts was recognised by the Queen in 2012, when she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2012 Birthday Honours.
Mary enjoyed a night out at Ibizan dance club Pacha at the ripe old age of 71 and would like Meryl Streep to play her in a film of her life.
Join Mary on Britannia itinerary B513, a 12 night British Isles cruise departing July 6 with Theo Randall and James Martin. Prices from £1,149 per person.
Considered one of the most influential chefs of our time, French-born Pierre Koffmann was among just a handful of chefs to be awarded three Michelin stars for his restaurant La Tante Claire. The legendary chef now runs Koffmann’s at The Berkeley, London.
Pierre put a very literal spin on the term ‘gone fishing’, hanging up his knives in 2003 and spending a year doing nothing but travelling, playing golf and indeed, fishing, before tiring of retirement and returning to work more eager than ever.
Pierre is travelling on B510, a 14 night Spain, Monaco & Italy cruise departing June 13 with James Martin and Charlie Turnbull. Prices from £1,449 per person.
Holder of four Michelin stars in total: two at Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, Port Isaac, Cornwall, and one each at Outlaw’s Fidh Kitchen, Port Isaac and Outlaw’s at The Capital, Knightsbridge. The chef has appeared on the Good Food Channel’s Market Kitchen, BBC’s Saturday Kitchen and Great British Menu. He has also published two cookbooks.
Nathan’s loves of seafood stems from his time working with culinary whizz Rick Stein at The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, and the chef was just 25 when awarded his first Michelin star in January 2004.
Fancy cooking the finest and freshest of seafood dishes while sailing across the oceans? Nathan is travelling on B503, a 14 night Portugal, Spain & Morocco cruise departing March 28. Prices from £1,549 per person.
Before opening his first restaurant Theo Randall at the InterContinental Hotel London Park Lane, Theo spent seventeen years at The River Café; an iconic eatery that will ring bells with any foodie. Theo joined The River Café when it opened in 1987, becoming head chef and partner in the business. Theo Randall at the InterContinental Hotel London Park Lane has won many awards and was the highest ranked Italian on the Sunday Times Food List 2013.
Theo inherited his love of food from his parents, who would instigate family holidays spent driving through rural Italy in their Citroën DS, collecting as much food and wine as possible before driving home.
Theo is travelling on B513, a 12 night British Isles cruise departing July 6 with Mary Berry and James Martin. Prices from £1,149 per person.
Head chef at the renowned Wolseley restaurant in London’s Green Park and a regular guest on BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen, BBC Two’s Food Poker and UKTV’s Market Kitchen. Lawrence produced two cookbooks and has cooked for numerous dignitaries and royals throughout his career, including Her Royal Highness The Queen Mother and Margaret Thatcher.
Lawrence’s career began when he was just 14 years old, and was ‘dragged along’ to help his brother-in-law as a commis chef. He had originally aspired to be a cameraman. The chef underwent a kidney transplant at the age of just 35 and has tirelessly fundraised for kidney research ever since, even donating the profits from all sales of his cookery books.
Lawrence is travelling on B514, a seven night Norwegian Fjords cruise departing July 18. Prices from £799 per person.
English chef, TV personality and co-owner of Barbican Kitchen in Plymouth and The Kentish Hare in Bidborough, Kent. James began his culinary career as a pot washer at the age of 12, before getting hooked on food and turning his passion into a stratospheric career. He appears on ITV Breakfast’s Lorraine and Ready Steady Cook.
James is travelling on B516, a seven night France, Spain & Guernsey cruise departing August 8. Prices from £949 per person.
One of the UK’s most successful Indian chefs, with three London restaurants: The Cinnamon Club, Cinnamon Kitchen and Cinnamon Soho. Vivek is responsible for changing the perceptions of Indian food in this country, has published five cookbooks and is a regular guest on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen.
The chef began his career in Jaipur and would love to get the Queen, Kate and William around his table, along with singer Adele.
Join Vivek on a spicy journey of Indian cuisine on B517, a 14 night Spain, Monaco & Italy cruise departing August 15. Prices from £1,999 per person.
Michelin-starred Executive Chef at The Vineyard in Berkshire and regular guest on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen. Galmiche has been described as ‘the King of contemporary French cooking’ and is inspired by the imitable Raymond Blanc. He published his first cookbook in 2011 and is currently working on a second, all whilst garnering rave reviews for his culinary creations at The Vineyard.
Daniel’s love of food began at a young age; he grew up in the Comte region of Eastern France and would hunt for game with his father on his grandparents’ self-sufficient organic farm.
Daniel is travelling on B519, a seven night France, Spain & Guernsey cruise departing September 5. Prices from £799 per person.
Antonio is a much-loved chef and food writer, awarded an OBE in 2007 and regarded as the Godfather of Italian gastronomy. His love of genuine Italian food and wine has spanned a lifetime and his breadth of knowledge of Italian cuisine is unparalleled.
The very first Carluccio’s Caffé opened in 1999 in Market Place, London and has since grown to over 80 branches across the UK; all serving Antonio Carluccio’s authentic Italian fare. In 1998, Carluccio was awarded the national honour of Commendatore dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana by the Italian government, the equivalent of a British knighthood.
Learn from the Godfather of Italian cuisine aboard Britannia, for itinerary B523; a 14 night Spain, Monaco & Italy cruise departing October 9 with James Martin and Charlie Turnbull. Prices from £1,149 per person.
A celebrity chef from County Down, who became the first chef from Northern Ireland ever to be awarded a Michelin Star. He has appeared on BBC’s Great British Menu and on Ready Steady Cook since its inception in 1994. Paul Rankin is recognised for changing the culinary outlook of Belfast and is responsible for engineering a foodie scene in the city that has grown exponentially over the years.
Paul is travelling on B524, a 14 night Portugal & Caribbean cruise departing October 23 with Eric Lanlard. Prices from £1,139 per person.
Each celebrity chef will run cookery classes at The Cookery Club, host exclusive chef’s table dinners, participate in Q&A sessions and book signing. Two-hour classes will cost £100 per person (or £200 per person when hosted by two chefs) and take place in Britannia’s dedicated cookery school with 12 stations for up to 24 people to create culinary masterpieces. Bookings open four months before departure via Cruise Personaliser.
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