L’École des Chefs Cooking School by Relais & Châteaux

[lilant]

does anyone have any interesting points, views or comments about your cruise when the cooking school was "in session"? did they really offer a day trip into town with a chef to a local market to buy ingredients? we have several sea days on our next cruise and i cant wait to see what they have to offer as part of this cooking school.

 

thank for any info or pictures.

 

anthony

[WesW]

DW has participated in a number of these cooking programs. She loves them and adores David Bilsland, Chef who leads these programs. Below is a post written here last year in reply to a ? about this program..hope this helps:

 

Ida loved the Ecole de chef program during our fall 2011 Spirit crossing. David Bilsland is an outstanding chef who entertains as well as educates. She enjoyed the cooking demonstrations led by David, the fabulous Lunch and Learn program (done in Seishin (Japanese restaurant on board the Spirit) the team cooking competition (Hotel Director, Exec Chef, David and a couple of guests make up the two teams). Cooking Demo's were done both in the main Theater and one (with a Grappa tasting) was done on the outdoor veranda of La Terraza. Stumblefoot, Ida strongly recommends signing up for the Ecole Des Chefs program and suggests going very early to the Reception desk early in your voyage to sign up for the Lunch and Learn--this fills up quickly. As Ida recalls, the Ecole Des Chef program took place just prior to lunch (10:30 a.m.-noon)on sea days (well on a crossing--we had plenty). The cooking demo's since they are held in the theater have plenty of room--no limited particpation. However, the knife skills class since it was conducted in Seishin (with limited seating--therefore, there was limited particpation)--you signed up for these classes at the Reception desk.

 

Enjoy this video of the L'Ecole des Chefs Cooking program:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiBq6c2ZyHg

[duct tape]

David is brilliant! When you board, go to Reception and just tell them you want to sign up for whatever he is doing. Enjoy!

[Silver Spectre]

David Bilsland's market visits tend to be about an hour or an hour and a half for a trip to a local market, usually within walking distance of the ship, or possibly a short taxi ride away. He tries to keep the numbers down to 20 or so per visit to keep the group manageable.

 

His lunch and learn program was extended on the Spirit Pacific voyage recently to include a workshop for sushi & sashimi in Seishin, however he felt it was unlikely that the facilities existed to undertake this on the other ships.

 

Not only is David an excellent chef and teacher, but he is also a very nice guy with a great sense of humour.

 

If you are lucky enough to travel with him you will have a great time.

 

Agree with the other posters, sign up early!

[CruisinPashmina]

We have just returned from the last segment of the World Cruise and were lucky to have Chef Bilsand on board. Lunch and Learn, held in Le Champagne, was such a wonderful, and delicious, experience. We also participated in an Appetiser Class (me) and a Knife Skills class.(my husband)

Among many terrific experiences on this 26 day cruise, these epicurean classes were stand outs!

[Wellseasoned]

The Lunch and Learns and appetizer classes we attended on the Spirit Pacific cruise in February were held in Stars and were terrific. Not only learned, but had some of the best meals of the cruise! David actually took two groups to the market in Papeete, Tahiti because there was so much demand. We are eagerly anticipating David's events on the upcoming Cloud Copenhagen to Copenhagen cruise. Definitely go to reception and sign up for everything he offers, as Duct Tape suggested!

[bohaiboy]

We just came off of the Silver Explorer and both David and his wife were on-board, as well as Rudi Scholdis, Director of Culinary development for SS. The cooking classes included a chocolate course, cheese making, souffle class, knife skills class, and a French style macaroons class. His wife helped him also. I believe she is an instructor at a cooking school, but not sure which one. She is a Cordon Bleu graduate as well as David, I believe.

 

We did go with Rudi and David to the markets. It was a formal tour one morning and on others it was more of a come if you want. We were able to choose anything we wanted to have prepared.

 

One word of caution about these type of cruises, it tends to really throw a monkey wrench in to the kitchen. The kitchens are usually very set in their ways, and some of the changes made during dinner resulted in the meals arriving very late. Sometimes past 1100 at night for the main course.

[duct tape]

David's wife, Julie, is the Head Pastry Chef at Le Cordon Bleu School, London. When it comes to pastry and/or dessert, David assists her!

[timetravelers]

We have been on several cruises with David B. when he had the Lunch and Learn classes. They were great. We've taken trips off the ship to markets and shopping for ingredients - usually a couple hours in length. In Chile we had a guest chef from Punta Arenas who traveled on the ship for about a week and co- taught with David. On the Spirit to Tahiti and Hawaii the Executive Chef and two other chefs did a several Lunch and Learns (David had to leave the ship early.) Great lessons continued!

 

If you like to cook OR EAT I would highly recommend taking a cruise with a Cooking School.