Welcome to my official landing page directed from The Seafood School at Billingsgate which is now closed.
For the last 20 years I have been creating classes and delivering a large programme of courses for chefs,
caterers, catering students and members of the public to showcase all that Billingsgate has to offer.
My previous training experience include teaching at Leiths School as Vice Principal and Cordon Bleu.
All courses are delivered at the Billingsgate Market.
Seafood Scotland Fishmonger Masterclass - Round Fish
I’m taking up the reigns again and will be delivering great new seafood cooking courses.
Seafood Classes for Everyone!
Saturday's Catch
8.30am - 1pm
(Hands on fish prep, no cooking)
Prepare a couple of fish and participate in a demo cooking other fish for a tasting lunch.
Price: £100
Mastering the Art
8.30am - 2.30pm
(Preparing fish & cooking)
Prepare some fish and shellfish and create a couple of dishes to take away. Participate in a demo to cook other fish for lunch.
Price: £150
Hook, Line & Sinker
8.30am - 2.00pm
(No cooking)
Hone your knife skills and prepare 4-5 species of fish to take away. We cook you some fish for a light lunch.
Price: £150
Shellfish Catch
8.30am - 1.30pm
(Shellfish prep & cooking)
Prepare a handful of different shellfish to take away and help create a seafood platter for everyone to enjoy for lunch. You will learn how to choose, store, prepare, cook and serve.
Price: £120
'Learn the Basics'
Join us for a 90 minute course from 9am until 10.30am to learn how to prepare a of the best fish of the week (seasonal and best quality)and take it home to cook for supper. Recipe ideas will be provided.
Price:£60
Game Larder Day
Working with a number of species prepare some of the seasonal game to take away and we will cook you a couple of dishes to taste for lunch. You will have lots of time with Gary to discuss the best way to cook your game.
Price:£175
Making The Most of Meat
Join Gary to learn the tricks of the trade, to cut half a lamb into shoulder, leg, b.e.n, various chips and cutlets, neck and trimmings (make plenty of room in your freezer as you will be taking all of this home with you).
Gary will also demonstrate boning a butterfly leg and shoulder into 'en ballon'.
Price:£250
(includes your lamb to take away)
Making The Most of Meat
Choose the best lamb, beef and pork and Gary will show you how to cut for daubes, stews and pot roasts.
Price:£195
(includes meat to take away)
Gut, Shuck & Fillet
(Knife Skills Courses)
6am - 1.30pm
Level 1 - Working with small, flat and round fish. Covering gutting, skinning, filleting and shuck oysters.
Level 2 - Work with larger fish, fillet and portion. Dress a crab.
(No cooking)
Enjoy a market visit, breakfast and spend the morning preparing some fish and shellfish to take home.
Price: £175
Catch of the Day
6am - 2pm
Includes an escorted market visit, breakfast and a morning spent cutting and preparing fish and a couple of dishes to take away. I'll also prepare a number of dishes to include as a tasting lunch.
Price: £185
Morning Catch or
Early Morning Market Visit
6am - 9am
(No cooking)
Enjoy a market visit and buy a fish of your choice to prepare in the class. You can buy lots of other fish to take home - there is no limit. Cutting session preparing your own fish after breakfast. Lots of tips and tricks from your trainer to enable you to prepare and cook your fish at home with confidence.
Price: £60
If you don't wish to buy fish but just have a walk around the market and join us for breakfast, the price will be £40
Seasonal Workshop
6am - 12pm
(Prep with a little cooking)
Join a market visit to view the best of the day. We choose 3 seasonal species to prepare for you to take away. You will smoke you own mackerel for a Kedgeree breakfast. I will prepare a couple of dishes for you to taste.
Price: £160
Shellfish Workshop
6am - 12pm
During the market visit we will choose a range of shellfish. Crustacea: langoustines, shrimp, prawn, and crab, Native and American lobsters. Molluscs: clams, mussels, whelks,
winkles, cuttlefish, squid and octopus. After breakfast we will prepare, cook and taste our bounty of the day and you will take away a selection including your own dressed crab.
Price: £185
Evening Classes
7pm - 9pm
Come along for an informal evening to gain confidence in cooking more fish or shellfish at home. We talk to you about the fish and what to choose and you make the dish to tuck into for supper.
Price: £55pp or £100 for 2
Smoking and Curing
8.30am - 2.00pm
Using the freshest market fish, you will prepare the best of the week and learn the principles behind curing and preserving
(you will make your own gravadlax to take away. We will hot smoke fish for lunch and cold smoke bass to take home.
Price: £165