The best vegan culinary schools in London are rewriting everything we thought we knew about plant-based food. Once upon a time, vegan cooking was dismissed as bland “rabbit food,” but walk into London today and you’ll find chefs crafting plant-based dishes so flavorful they could make even the most devoted meat lovers pause mid-bite.
The secret behind this transformation? A new wave of culinary schools is teaching aspiring chefs how to turn humble vegetables into extraordinary experiences.
Whether you dream of becoming a professional vegan chef, launching your own plant-based restaurant, or mastering vegan cooking courses that redefine creativity, these schools are where flavor, innovation, and sustainability share the same plate.
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What Does the Term “Vegan Diet” Mean?
A vegan diet refers to an eating pattern that completely avoids all animal products. This means no meat, fish, poultry, dairy, eggs, or honey. Instead, it focuses entirely on foods derived from plants, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and soy products.
People choose veganism for various reasons, including health, environmental sustainability, and ethical concerns about animal welfare.
Research has shown that a well-balanced vegan diet can lower the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. It may also promote better digestion, clearer skin, improved energy levels, and support healthy weight management.
Additionally, a vegan diet can boost mood and mental clarity while reducing inflammation in the body. However, since it excludes all animal-derived nutrients, vegans are encouraged to ensure adequate intake of vitamin B12, iron, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids, either through fortified foods or supplements, to maintain optimal health.
Advantages of Consuming a Vegetarian Diet
Most nutrition research has proven diets such as the Mediterranean and vegetarian diets to have benefits like reducing the risk of developing coronary heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, increased longevity, and certain cancers (colon, prostate, and breast cancer).
This pattern of eating also decreases depression and, in advanced adults, the risk of fragility; it also increases mental and physical performance. plant-based diets offer all the necessary carbohydrates, vitamins, protein, fats, and minerals for optimal health; some vegetarians may need to add supplements.
List of Vegan Culinary Schools in London
London is home to some of the most inspiring vegan chef academies in the world, places where creativity meets compassion and every dish tells a story.
Whether you’re looking for hands-on chef training, short plant-based workshops, or professional certification programs, these are the best vegan culinary schools in London that are shaping the next generation of plant-based innovators.
- The Vegan Chef School, London
- The Vegan Nature School
- Plant-Based Community Cookery School
- Le Cordon Bleu
- Jamie Oliver Cookery School
- London Vegetarian Vegan School
- Ballymaloe Cookery Schools Organic Farm and Gardens
- The Vegan School
The Vegan Chef School, London
The Vegan Chef School, London, is one of the best vegan culinary schools in London. Their goal is to promote veganism, sustainability, and the preparation of healthy meals through learning, research, better communication skills, and development.
The school has created a safe space where students can team up with industry experts to work on projects and create their own recipes. Resident students were allowed to partner with Riverford Organics’ home delivery company and create recipes for their Vegan Recipe box kits.
Attending this school will expose you to vegan culinary skills, like how to create baked asparagus wrapped in tamari courgette and spiced sweet potato with watercress and orange salad. This school has been accredited by the National ICSA, and it is the perfect vegan environment to explore plant-based meals.
The Vegan Nature School
The Vegan Nature School offers a variety of nature chef training that meets the growing demand of society’s interest in plant-based and healthy meals that promote healthy living and long life. These trainings offer certification after completion.
Whether you are a beginner, a professional, or a person who just wants to learn how to make meals that will help your skin glow, there is a course for you here. You can become a Natural Chef in a restaurant, health café, or spa, working as a private chef, or developing your own healthy catering or food business.
This Institution will make sure that you have a cooking instructor who will teach you all about cooking, product development, how to write recipes and cookbooks that adapt to plant-based and vegan techniques. The opportunities that attending this school provides are endless.
Plant-Based Community Cookery School
Plant-Based Community Cookery School is a community school that offers detailed plant-based cooking classes in Hackney. These classes are fun, relaxed, and impactful, and you get to make and eat healthy and delicious vegan meals. This community is located in Stoke Newington, Hackney, East London.
The community was founded in 2012, and since then, they have been training excellent chefs who are masters in the art of making hundred percent vegan meals. You will be able to publish cookery books, start and manage your own vegan business with ease.
Their varied masterclass program includes:
- Going Vegan
- Gourmet Vegan
- Essentials Of Vegan Cookery
- Fermentation
- Nut Cheese
- Aqua Faba
- Vegan Baking
- Raw Desserts
- Wild Food Cookery
- Gujarati Cuisine
- Sourdough Bread
- And many more…
The most beautiful thing about this community is that all proceeds raised from their masterclass program are used to run free cookery classes for groups most in need across the capital. So, you improve your cooking skills while giving to a good cause.
Le Cordon Bleu
Le Cordon Bleu is one of the best culinary schools in the world, with different branches all over the world. It is not a vegan school, but they offer quality vegan and plant-based culinary programs that promote healthy cooking and transform your culinary, communication, and leadership skills.
Attending this culinary school will expand your knowledge on a wide range of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, and pulses, gaining expert knowledge on ingredient varieties and innovative culinary uses. The production of vegan, vegetarian, and plant-based restaurants and products will be a breeze.
Expert chefs will help the student to build a solid foundation of fundamental culinary skills, with topics including stocks, sauces, soups, preservation, fermentation, and dehydration, along with special techniques such as making tofu and sprouting, oils, vinegars, herbs, and spices, which will form key components to complex recipes as the Plant-Based Cuisine programme develops.
Jamie Oliver Cookery School
Jamie Oliver Cookery School offers detailed plant-based courses where you will learn how to make vegan meals that adapt to people who are alergic to gluten, the location of this is London Islington, London Oxford Street, you have to be 18 and above to take attend this school.
If you are 15-17 you have to attend with an adult who is also attending this cookery schools, the things you will when you take a course in this school includes;
- Master the 4 key taste sensations – salty, sour, sweet and hot – then put your know-how to the test by making a Thai-style crunchy sweet & sour salad.
- Discover how to deepen flavor with a series of umami boosters – from miso and soy sauce to porcini mushrooms and beyond.
- Learn how charring can sweeten and deepen flavor.
- Rustle up their best-ever chickpea & cauliflower curry, topped with a spicy nut oil.
- Get creative and make your own veg-based sauce that’s perfect for pasta, using your favorite veg!
- Watch their chefs prepare spinach pasta dough, so you can enjoy freshly made pasta that really makes your sauce sing.
- Take a seat at their chef’s table to tuck into your epic veggie feast.
At the end of your classes, you will be able to make;
- Handmade spinach pici pasta with the veggie sauce you whipped up earlier
- Fragrant chickpea & cauliflower curry topped with a spicy cashew oil
- A complimentary glass of bubbles on arrival or a tea or coffee before 12pm
- Water is provided throughout and you’re welcome to purchase wine, beer, spirits & mixers, cocktails and softs from our drinks menu.
London Vegetarian Vegan School
London Vegetarian Vegan School is one of the best vegan schools in London that is tucked away in Forest Hill, London. The London Vegetarian & Vegan School is more than just a cooking school: it’s a space where plant-based living meets creativity.
The school offers hands-on classes that teach you how to cook real, wholesome meals using natural ingredients instead of processed substitutes. From Italian to Indian and Middle Eastern dishes, every session explores new ways to make vegetarian and vegan food exciting and flavorful.
It’s ideal for anyone who wants to sharpen their kitchen skills or embrace a healthier, more conscious way of cooking.
Ballymaloe Cookery Schools Organic Farm and Gardens
Ballymaloe Cookery Schools Organic Farm and Gardens is one of the best vegan culinary schools in London, and it has been in existence since 1983. They offer a variety of vegan-certified courses, like the twelve-week certification course and organic farm courses.
The cookery school is located in our own 100-acre organic farm. Over 12 intensive weeks, they teach students a deep and fundamental understanding of food and how it is produced sustainably, how to recognize the best ingredients, and cook them to perfection.
The Ballymaloe 12 Week Certificate Course is an intensive immersion program designed for anybody with a passion for food, from those who wish to pursue a professional culinary career to enthusiasts who would like to cook with confidence in their own homes.
The course curriculum covers a comprehensive range of techniques and cuisines, including:
- Ballymaloe-Style Irish Food
- Classical French
- Indian
- Mexican
- Italian
- Middle Eastern
- Spanish
- Butchery
- Fermentation
- Sourdough
- Cheesemaking
- Curing & Smoking
- Menu planning
- Wine Studies
- Food Hygiene (HACCP)
- Meeting Food Producers & Suppliers
The Vegan School
The Vegan School is the last vegan culinary school on my list. The goal of this school is to sustain and promote the healthy preparation of vegan delicacies. You will be able to make plant-based meals, whether you are a novice or a professional who wants to upgrade their skills and techniques.
You will be equipped with the skills, confidence, and creativity to thrive in the plant-based food industry. Your long and short-term goals in the vegan industry will be achieved because this school does not just want to teach you how to cook; communication skills and working with teams will be tested.
Some of the best vegan chefs will be there to teach you and guide you while you try and fail until you get the hang of making delicious vegan meals, and also strategies that will help you effectively start a business in the vegan culinary industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re considering pursuing a culinary education in London, you probably have a few questions about what to expect. Here are the most frequently asked questions about culinary schools in London, answered clearly and simply.
Are vegan culinary courses in London expensive?
The cost depends on the school and program level. Short vegan cooking workshops may cost a few hundred pounds, while full professional plant-based chef diplomas can range from £2,000 to £10,000 or more.
What can I do after graduating from a vegan culinary school?
Graduates can pursue careers as professional vegan chefs, food entrepreneurs, recipe developers, nutrition coaches, or sustainable catering specialists. Some also start their own plant-based restaurants or online cooking brands.
Do vegan culinary schools in London offer online courses?
Yes! Several schools now provide online vegan cooking classes and live virtual workshops, making it easier for international students or busy professionals to train remotely.
Do I have to be vegan to attend a vegan culinary school?
No, you don’t have to be vegan to attend. These schools welcome anyone interested in healthy, sustainable, and creative cooking, regardless of dietary preference.
Conclusion
Vegan cuisine is no longer a quiet trend; it’s a global movement, and London stands at its flavorful center. The city’s vegan culinary schools are doing more than teaching recipes; they’re shaping a new generation of chefs who see food as both art and activism.
Whether you dream of opening your own plant-based restaurant, working in sustainable fine dining, or simply mastering the craft of conscious cooking, your journey can start right here in London, where passion meets purpose, and every meal makes a difference.
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