After recent classes on how to make sushi and open oysters I figured I was ready to up the ante and tackle a full 3-course meal. A Catalan meal. Well, why not, I visited Barcelona this summer ...

The Barcelona Club by Cordornìu is a group dedicated to celebrating the best of Barcelona, showcasing top 10 lists of Barcelona discoveries very month – join them at www.facebook.com/TheBarcelonaClubByCodorniu. Cordornìu makes Cava and now has launched its Barcelona Supper Club, offering three culinary masterclasses in one evening, with a chance to sit down at the end with fellow students and enjoy the fruits of your labours.

And because it’s a Cava company there is of course a Cava masterclass where I learned a lot of very interesting facts. Did you know for example that it is believed the British invented sparkling wine? Due to the fact that fermenting wine kept exploding in the bottles and the French got to hear about it! Sparkling wine is more expensive than your common or garden wine because the grapes are superior, having been given the best possible start in life, in the most favourable part of the vineyard. A bit like the people who drink it ...

Fuelled by Cava we moved to sizing up Jamòn, an incredibly flavoursome ham cured in salt. There isn’t much I couldn’t tell you about Jamòn after a very informative session with Jamòn master Chuse. Plus I can distinguish the smell of a pig’s thigh from the back of its knee. Information I never thought I would have.

And finally, the piece de resistance, the meal itself. Divided into three groups, our team got to prepare the main course alongside Catalan expert Rachel McCormack – Anec amb Peras, which is, of course, Duck breast with Cava-soaked pears. A delicious meal, it is surprisingly easy to make. And all this for the price of £40, which includes three masterclasses, a three-course meal, Cava and constant grazing on Jamòn, olives and bread.

When and where?
The Barcelona Supper Club by Cordornìu, runs on Wednesday November 16 from 7pm to 10pm at L’atelier des Chefs, 19 Wigmore Street, London W1U 1PH. For more information and to book tickets visit cwww.codorniu.co.uk.

A cocktail with your Catalan? Try this delicious Cava recipe