Cooking Schools Afloat on Silversea
Aboard 10 voyages on Silversea Cruises this year, passengers can enroll in a cooking school at sea conducted by Relais & Châteaux L’École des Chefs. This interactive cooking school offers a special culinary curriculum and entertaining events hosted by Silversea culinary trainer David Bilsland. Educated in classic French cooking, Bilsland’s career includes several years as a chef instructor at Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in London. He presents a program developed in collaboration with Jacques Thorel, the owner of L’Auberge Bretonne and a consulting Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux.
The curriculum for each of these cruises is carefully designed to celebrate the cultural flavor of the ship’s itinerary. Highlights include specialized workshops covering a range of topics from basic knife skills and kitchen terminology to sauces and baking; cooking demonstrations with wine pairings and interactive Q&A sessions; cooking competitions between Chef Bilsland and the ship’s own culinary team; a “Lunch and Learn” event offering small groups of guests a chance to sample a meal of specially prepared dishes, and inspired “Take It Home” recipes to use when entertaining back home.
Also offered on certain voyages (when the itinerary permits) is a “Market to the Plate” experience that provides an escorted tour of a local market followed by a cooking class, and a “Culinary Outing,” an instructor-escorted excursion to a local restaurant, hotel or other venue for culinary exploration.
Following below is a list of the remaining L’École des Chefs voyages for 2011:
Voyage 1110 (departing March 24), Voyage 1111 (departing April 9), Voyage 5110 (departing May 3), Voyage 4115 (departing May 17), Voyage 3125 (departing September 8), Voyage 5132 (departing October 21), Voyage 2132 (departing November 11, 2011) and Voyage 2134 (departing December 4). Alas! The voyages to Australia and the South Pacific with cooking schools have already sailed.
Relais & Châteaux is a collection of 500 hotels and restaurants in 60 countries. Silversea Cruises offers guests large-ship amenities aboard its small, all-suite vessels.
(Photo courtesy of Silversea Cruises)
