Gastronomic Getaway

For a destination that feels as if it’s off the map and back in time, escape to the aptly named BELLE ISLE SCHOOL OF COOKERY, on a small island in Upper Lough (Gaelic for “lake”) Erne, in Northern Ireland. The school, which offers a range of culinary and wine courses, opened last year on a sprawling, bucolic 17th century estate owned by the Duke of Abercorn, who purchased it in 1991 and began to refurbish it the same year. Fresh local ingredients headline the repertoire of the school’s young chef, Liz Moore, who has worked as a private chef and caterer to Ireland’s aristocratic families. Guided by her motto “Be surprising, but keep it simple,” she teaches up to ten students at a time in lively sessions held in the cosy but state-of-the-art kitchen. The property’s old stone stables have been converted into self-catering, simply furnished apartments for students. But to live like royalty between lessons about puddings and wild game, book a room in Belle Isle Castle, an elegant vine-covered manor with rooms designed by the late David Hicks.

Gisela Williams

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