Join Ruth’s kitchen workshop and become a baking star this Christmas

If you are looking for some kitchen inspiration to impress your guests this Christmas, then spending time with award-winning baker Ruth MacIntyre at one of her December workshops could be the answer.

Ruth’s Little Kitchen is a chocolate-box quaint, traditional tile hung cottage in sight of the North Downs in the picturesque village of Brockham, just over an hour our of London.

And during the workshops at her shabby chic home on the 14th and 17th, Ruth will as usual be placing quality and organic ingredients at the heart of real bread making. Her ethos is simple and authentic: cook, teach, share, and eat.

Learn to make yeasted rye bread suitable for slicing and serving with your favourite toppings at home, bake your own Christmas cinnamon wreath and a batch of mince pies made with home-made pastries.

Ruth MacIntyre, top of page and above with youngsters in one of her regular bakery workshops

Workshops include refreshments, home-made treats and a light lunch in front of a roaring fire.

For out-of-towners, Ruth will organise a 45-minute walk around the beautiful scenery of the North Down hills, Hamilton estate and St Michaels church (the first church in the film Four Weddings and a Funeral). Welly boots will be made available.

Getting to the Little Kitchen HQ is quite easy as Dorking station is only a 10-minute drive away and the workshops will include a lift to and from the station if needed.

Trains to Dorking run regularly from London Waterloo and London Victoria and take just under an hour.

Ruth also works out and about in schools, on community projects in all aspects of cookery, including cooking sessions for youngsters aged 14 years and over as part of their Duke of Edinburgh award.

And if you fancy extending your visit, there might still be room at the inn.

Burford Bridge Hotel (all.accor.com/hotel/6635/index.en.shtml) at the foot of Box Hill is a lovely place to stay, while close to Brockham is Hartsfield Manor (hartsfieldmanor.com), a rather splendid building a stone’s thrown from Betchworth which has two pubs,

You can book your festive cooking workshop at ruthslittlekitchen.co.uk