F

ancy yourself as a bit of a Nigella or Jamie?

Then stop watching the telly and get over to leafy Edgbaston. Cutting-edge restaurant, Simpsons, does more than just serve you Michelin-starred food; on their one-day cookery course you can swap places with the chef and make the food yourself.

There’s no Gordon Ramsay-style swearing here, though; Head Chef, Adam Bennett, exudes calm, and with only 12 in a class, the atmosphere is reassuringly relaxed and intimate.

Preparing a three-course meal in a professional kitchen might sound daunting but Adam talks you through each stage – whether you’re making their trademark foie gras and banana starter or the cep mushroom and quail tart on a salad of green beans.

And it’s not all hard work, either: once you’ve finished glazing and flambéing, the whole class sits down in the Orangerie for a lip-smacking three-course lunch (not necessarily the one you prepared).

After lunch you get a tour of the wine cellars from the Head Sommelier, and toast your culinary talents in the restaurant bar.

Who knows? The next Michelin-starred restaurant you eat at could be your own.