EVENT: 4 Hour Live-Fire Hands On Course

4 Hour Live-Fire Hands On Course 10am - 2pm

About the event:

Our 4-hour, hands-on live-fire course is for people who seek dominion over flame; for people looking to build confidence working in harmony with fire rather than feel that they’re fighting against it.

Building a fire using wood or charcoal is the most primal form of barbecue, but that doesn’t mean it has to yield primal results. This course is designed to give you the tools to harness the unmatched flavour potential in fire, working calmly and confidently on your charcoal barbecue, charcoal oven, fire pit or fire cage. We hope that you will leave us feeling like a live-fire legend!

Courses are limited to 15 guests, spread across three stations of up to five people, and you will have access to a whole host of different types of live-fire equipment from a range of brands.

Our school is located in the idyllic Hertfordshire countryside on the banks of a quiet stretch of the River Lea. The school is fully protected from the elements so, come rain or shine, we have you covered (literally!).

What’s included:

• A snack and hot drink on arrival
• 2 x drink tokens to exchange forrefreshments 
• 1 x embroidered apron to keep
• Food throughout the day, cooked and prepared by your own fair hands
• A fully licensed bar to purchase additional drinks
• Exclusive in-store discount on the day of the event
• Recipes and notes emailed to you after the event

Sample menu:

• Juicy rotisserie chicken kebabs
• Coffee butter picanha cooked dirty style
• Triple-smoked spicy and smoky Peruvian chicken with a cool yoghurt dressing
• French trimmed rack of pork with cruncy crackling

About your chef:

Jack Rowbottom: Previously a Constable with London’s Metropolitan Police, Jack recently retired his beat helmet and epaulettes and is now the soul behind the grill, passionate about outdoor cooking. Self-taught, Jack has spent thousands of hours experimenting with different techniques, flavours, and cuts of meat. From slow-smoked brisket to dainty barbecued vol-au-vents, Jack has done it all having worked for some of the world’s biggest retailers in outdoor grilling. As a celebrated barbecue chef, author, and educator, Jack continues to inspire others to embrace the joy of outdoor cooking and to savour the simple pleasures of good food, good company, and the crackling warmth of the grill. Driven by his love for the craft, Jack’s signature blend of humour, bold flavours, creative twists, and unwavering dedication await you on your barbecue adventure.

Please note: this course specialises in using charcoal and wood as fuel and we will not be using gas, electric or wood pellet barbecues. We expect that attendees will be comfortable with the basics, such as lighting a barbecue and direct vs. indirect heat zones. If you are looking for a course that covers these foundational principles, as well as a host of hints, tips and tricks wrapped up in a delicious and fun learning experience, you may be interested in our general 4-hour hands-on course.

Important Course Information – Please Read

Arrival

Please arrive 30 minutes before the course is due to start and go to our barbecue shop to check in. There is plenty of free on-site car parking.

Tickets

Please note: no physical tickets will be sent out. Please bring a mobile phone with the confirmation email (e-ticket) on it or a print-out so we can scan the code on arrival or the name it was booked in. For any unforeseen reasons beyond our control we reserve the right to cancel the event at any time. 

What to wear on the course

Our Barbecue School is fully covered and heated - rain will never stop play at Riverside! You should, however, dress for the weather on the day. Check the local weather forecast on the day of your course. Please wear long sleeves, long trousers and sturdy footwear. If the forecast is for cold weather wear several layers and a coat. If it’s going to be hot you should still wear sturdy footwear and lightweight long trousers and tops. We have run courses in January with snow outside where everyone was perfectly warm and happy in the Barbecue School, but of course they all wore the appropriate clothing for the weather conditions!

Allergies / Food Intolerances

Wherever possible we will try to accommodate our guests' food requirements. However, if you have any allergies that can cause you serious harm, we advise you not to attend one of our courses. This is because even if we remove those allergens from our menu (which we are happy to do) we simply cannot guarantee that some of the other ingredients on the course have not come into contact with that allergen from harvesting, through production, packaging or transportation to us.

For any intolerances or allergens that do not cause you serious harm please call us a minimum of 14 days before your course so we can discuss the options. We must make it clear though that despite our best efforts we cannot guarantee that every ingredient on the course will free from those allergens for the reasons above.

Vegetarian and Vegan Definitions

Vegetarians and vegans are more than welcome on our courses. We use the definitions below.

The Vegetarian Society Definition of Vegetarianism

Vegetarians don’t eat fish, meat or chicken. A vegetarian diet does not include meat or poultry, fish or seafood, insects, gelatine or animal rennet, stock or fat from animals. Vegetarians don’t eat products or by-products of slaughter. A vegetarian diet can include vegetables and fruits, grains and pulses, nuts and seeds, eggs, dairy products and honey.

The Vegan Society Definition of Veganism

A plant-based diet avoiding all animal foods such as meat (including fish, shellfish and insects), dairy, eggs and honey, as well as avoiding animal-derived materials, products tested on animals and places that use animals for entertainment.

Booking Tickets

Our courses sell out very quickly, so be sure to get your tickets as far in advance as you can. Remember, the weather is not an issue for us here at Riverside so, barring any extreme weather, the course will always go ahead! If you buy a gift certificate for someone, do advise them to book a date as quickly as possible – even if it is for later in the year!

Ticket Refunds and Different Course Dates

As our courses usually sell out, we buy ingredients for a full course and put into place full staffing resources for every course. For these reasons we are not able to offer refunds or swap tickets to different course dates within 30 days of the event. You are however, more than welcome to transfer your ticket to a friend or family member. All you need to do is call us or send an email with your order number and the name of the person who will be taking your place.

On purchasing tickets you agree to these terms.