Which cooking class format suits a chef: demo or hands-on?
Demonstration, hands-on, one-to-one or team classes: group size, kitchen setup, allergens, timing and pricing, and how chefs choose a cooking class format.
5 min read
The right cooking class format depends on your kitchen, your audience and what participants should take home. A demonstration lets you teach a larger group with one set of equipment; a hands-on class teaches skills but needs a station per person or pair; a one-to-one lesson goes deep on one person's goals; a team class turns cooking into a shared activity for a company. Choose the format first, then set the group size, the recipes, the timing and the price around it.
Four formats compared
| Format | Who it suits | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Demonstration | Larger groups, food lovers who want ideas | One cooking station, a visible worktop, tastings for everyone |
| Hands-on class | People who want to learn a skill | A station, knife and board per person or pair, more prep |
| One-to-one lesson | Specific goals, beginners, gifts | Time and flexibility, the client's kitchen or yours |
| Team class | Companies, groups of friends | Space for teams, a playful format, a shared meal at the end |
Setting group size
For hands-on classes, the number of stations, hobs and ovens sets the limit, and so does how many people you can watch with knives and heat. For demonstrations, sight lines and the tasting portions decide. Write your maximum for each format and keep to it; a class where people wait for the oven or can't see the chopping board disappoints.
Choosing recipes
- Pick dishes that teach a technique participants can repeat at home: a sauce, a dough, a way of cutting, a cooking method.
- Fit the timing: avoid recipes that need hours of resting unless you prepare a finished version in advance.
- Use ingredients people can find in their local shops.
- Plan a dish that everyone sits down to eat together at the end.
Allergens and diets
Ask about allergies and diets at booking. Decide which recipes can be adapted and say clearly which can't. In hands-on classes, cross-contact is harder to control: tell participants with serious allergies what you can and can't guarantee before they book.
Running the class
- Set up stations and weigh ingredients before participants arrive.
- Start with hygiene and safety: hand washing, knives, hot surfaces.
- Demonstrate each step, then let participants do it, moving between stations.
- Keep a finished version ready in case a dish goes wrong.
- End with the meal, recipes to take home and time for questions.
Children's and family classes
Children's classes need shorter steps, safer tools and an adult for each small group. Choose recipes with visible results — pizza, biscuits, fresh pasta — and plan for more mess and more fun.
Classes in the client's kitchen
A private lesson at the client's home means working with their equipment. Ask before the day about the oven, hobs, knives and space, and bring what's missing. Agree how long you need to set up and clean, and include travel in the price. Some clients book these lessons as a gift; a short call beforehand helps you match the menu to the person.
Pricing
Price per person for group classes and per session for one-to-one and private team classes. Include ingredients, the meal, recipes and any take-home portions, and say what's extra: drinks, aprons to keep, travel to the client's kitchen. Team classes for companies can be priced per group with a minimum number of participants.
Booking classes with Book
On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page. Create one service per format — "Hands-on cooking class", "Cooking demonstration", "Private lesson" — and for group classes open a slot on each date with a capacity equal to your number of places; each participant books one place and the class disappears from your page when it's full. In the description, give the menu, the level, the address and what to bring, and ask participants to write allergies in the optional note, which you read in your new-booking email. For a company team, book the group yourself from your calendar with the number of people.
| Service | Example slot | Example price |
|---|---|---|
| Hands-on cooking class (per person) | 3 h | €75 |
| Cooking demonstration (per person) | 2 h | €45 |
| Private one-to-one lesson | 3 h | €220 |
| Team cooking class (per person, min. 8) | 3 h | €85 |
Durations and prices are examples: set your own. If you must move a class, reschedule each booking from your bookings list and tell participants yourself, since Book doesn't email clients about changes. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract. It doesn't take payments.
How many people for a hands-on class?
Demo or hands-on for beginners?
How do I collect allergies?
- Online booking for chefs: supper clubs and classes | Book
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