Inside London's Cosiest Cookery School: Tacos, Margaritas and a Farmhouse Table
A taco cookery class in Clerkenwell promises margaritas, tortilla presses, and a dinner-party atmosphere, demonstrating that Mexican food is far simpler to prepare at home than many might assume. Hannah Twiggs explores this unique culinary experience.
A Warm Welcome at Food at 52
Most cookery schools resemble sterile environments, with stainless steel counters, spotless induction hobs, laminated recipe cards, and an air of strict instruction. In contrast, Food at 52 offers a radically different approach. Upstairs, guests are greeted by chesterfield sofas to sink into, worn rugs underfoot, and guitars hanging casually on the walls, creating a living room ambiance reminiscent of a house party rather than a formal waiting area.
Downstairs, the kitchen centres around a long farmhouse table where participants gather to prep, cook, and eventually dine. Shelves are stocked with jars of spices and ingredients, copper pots and pans dangle from hooks, and white-tiled walls frame a space that feels comfortably lived-in rather than clinically designed. This is the kind of kitchen one might hope a friend with impeccable taste would own, and in many ways, that is precisely what it represents.
The Origins and Evolution of Food at 52
Food at 52 began in 2007 when John and Emily Benbow started hosting informal cooking sessions for friends at their home. The name references their original address, though the school is now located at number 96 Central Street in Clerkenwell, a detail that has caused enough confusion for the team to consider renaming it entirely. Today, their daughter Ruby leads many of the classes, embodying a friendly yet firm teaching style that keeps amateur cooks at ease while swiftly correcting any hazardous knife techniques.
Mastering Tacos in a Relaxed Setting
On a recent Saturday visit, the class focused on tacos, a cuisine that has gained popularity in London with new taquerias opening regularly, yet often feels challenging to replicate at home. In Mexico, tacos are quintessential street food, featuring warm tortillas filled with grilled meats, seafood, cheeses, or vegetables, topped with salsas passed down through generations. Recreating this simplicity in a British kitchen can be daunting, especially with hard-to-find ingredients.
However, the evening's first surprise was the sheer simplicity of the process. Around a dozen participants gathered around the long table, working in pairs while loosely collaborating with those opposite. Conversations flowed easily, with some attendees receiving the class as a birthday gift. The session kicked off with a margarita, which everyone made themselves, a compelling case for all cookery schools to adopt a similar policy.
Hands-On Cooking and Key Techniques
Over the next 90 minutes, the class tackled an impressive array of components: Baja shrimp tacos with mango and chilli salsa and avocado crema, plus tinga de pollo, a smoky shredded chicken dish served with salsa tatemada and sour cream, with jackfruit offered as a vegetarian alternative. The experience balanced learning new recipes with picking up small techniques, such as proper knife handling and onion dicing, with Ruby rescuing a chaotic chopping attempt.
Participants also discovered that homemade sour cream takes mere seconds to prepare and tastes noticeably fresher than store-bought versions. The highlight, however, was making tortillas using masa harina and a proper tortilla press, flattening small dough balls before cooking them briefly in a hot pan. The press, popular on social media for pressing fish or meat thinly, required greaseproof paper to prevent sticking, a crucial detail that ensured success.
A Dinner-Party Atmosphere and Future Plans
Once cooked, the tortillas were wrapped in a tea towel and placed in a tortillero to keep warm. The table soon filled with bowls of salsas, fillings, and sauces, with warm tortillas stacked at the centre. Everyone built their tacos to preference, accompanied by wine and beers, as conversations drifted between cooking triumphs, minor mishaps, and everyday lives. The atmosphere felt less like a class and more like a dinner party where everyone contributed to the cooking, which is exactly the intended effect.
Attending with a friend sparked ideas for future visits, such as birthdays or hen dos. With a wedding on the horizon, the prospect of gathering friends around this table with margaritas in hand seemed particularly appealing. Food at 52 offers a variety of cookery classes throughout the week, covering topics from tacos and pasta to seafood and bread, providing a unique and inviting culinary education.
