Our Cookery Courses

At Thackerys we believe that cooking and great food should be an assessable skill made available to all. 

We provide a range of different full day experiences - starting with our fully bespoke one-to-one cookery masterclass - allowing you to consult with us on a whole menu that is focussed not only on what you love to eat, but also what you would like to learn from a technical perspective.

If you’re wanting to spend a day or two, we also offer group masterclasses with a maximum of four people. This is ideal if you would like to join like minded foodies and is a great way to have fun and to learn at the same time.

Both of these courses are fully hands on and put you in the driving seat with Chef and owner, Graham Funnell.

For those who want to brush up on a few skills or learn better from watching, we provide two types of half-day and evening workshops.

Our Ethos

We stand by the mantra of making ‘classic cookery simple’ - sharing our repertoire of lovingly developed recipes, as well as the techniques to be able to cook them and to feel confident in your abilities, to be able to create them year round for you to enjoy with your family and friends.

With almost 20 years experience at the school, we pull in the best local and seasonal ingredients from our trusted farmers and fisheries - giving you a true taste of Sussex.

The Chef

Chef Graham Funnell was born and raised in Surrey to a family of foodies. As a small child he remembers visiting his grandmother’s house to be greeted by the smell of baking, and the taste of caraway seed cakes. It was from these initial experiences, Graham’s passion for food began.

Graham’s career commenced with a four year apprenticeship in classic French cusine, working his way through the ranks of many first class kitchens, gaining a high grade City & Guilds qualification. By his mid twenties he was Executive Head Chef at one of London's prestigious merchant banking headquarters, cooking for international business leaders, royalty and well known household names.

The dream of having his own place grew stronger until the day he and his wife, Jaycee found a beautiful 350 year old property in the medieval county town of Lewes, East Sussex. This was to house their restaurant, Thackerys. 

The award winning restaurant drew people far and wide from all over southern England and was renowned for its excellence, serving exciting fresh seasonal food in a modern classic style.

The Destination

Nested within the South Downs National Park - Thackerys is based in the county town of Lewes, East Sussex.

The town is steeped hundreds of years of rich history and tradition - with lovely public gardens; the Priory ruins that date back to circa 1000 AD and a Medieval castle. The town boasts a centrally located wet-lands and river walks as well as an amazing selection local food suppliers within a stone’s throw of the cookery school.

With this setting of plush greenery and the rolling hills, great producers and creative towns people, we feel inspired to create our unique cookery courses all-year-round.