For those looking for a different social experience, or the perfect Mother’s Day gift this season, try the ZWILLING cooking studio. Whether you classify yourself as a culinary artist or a beginner, there’s something here for everyone.
Located at the world-renowned cutlery company ZWILLING J.A. Henckels’ U.S. headquarters in Pleasantville, the studio is a place where local residents who love to cook or want to expand their skills in the kitchen can take a wide variety of classes. The studio is also a great choice to hold parties for birthdays and bridal and baby showers, and Westchester-based corporations have also realized the sparkling space is a great choice for company outings and team-building events.
“Regardless of the class or event, interaction between participants is a crucial element of the studio, which can hold up to 45 people to host a celebration,” said Bernard Janssen, executive chef and culinary program manager. Capacity for classes is capped at 18.
“What it adds, is this interactive part of an event,” Janssen said of community members and corporations that reserve space for special events. “Instead of going to a restaurant or another event space where there’s food served, here it’s very informal, you get together, you create something together. It’s an experience.”
There is at least one class practically every day of the month, ranging from basic knife skills courses to sessions focusing on different ethnic cuisines. In late March and April, for example, there was a Mexican fiesta class, another for Filipino fare, tastes of the Middle East and French bistro menu items. There is an emphasis on authentic cooking.
There are also special themes offered, such as date night or girls’ night out and classes for kids. The “Simple Suppers, Weekday Wonders” course is another popular choice for people who have busy work weeks and want to meal prep in advance.
Cooking studio assistant manager Stephen Schwartz said there had recently been a class for Sri Lankan food. One man who took the class, a native to the South Asian island nation, told ZWILLING staff that it was the closest thing to the food he ate as a child.
“Somebody comes in here to take a class, and you remind them of home, it doesn’t get any better than that,” Schwartz said.
Best of all, whether it’s a class, party or corporate event, there’s always a hands-on component where those who attend get to eat what they and others created.
Janssen explained that the classes are typically divided into three groups of up to six people, and each group cooks one component of a full menu. When finished, they sit down and enjoy the meal together, he said.
“So, it’s very focused on culinary education,” Janssen explained of the classes. “People come in with a different goal compared to a corporate event.”
“We sit them together and they enjoy that food together,” Janssen said. “But if you come in for French bistro with your team, you’re going to work that full menu. So, all three courses. It’s very much focused on culinary education.”
Online reviews of the classes are overwhelmingly positive. “Chef Bernard and Chef Tayla at the Zwilling Cooking Studio are absolutely fantastic!” commentor Amy Hill wrote. “From the moment you walk in, the studio itself feels warm, modern, and beautifully designed – a perfect space to cook, learn, and laugh. Both chefs strike the perfect balance of professionalism and humor, making the experience not only educational but also incredibly fun.”
In February, Ellen Simpson came to a similar conclusion. “This class was incredible! The chefs were so knowledgeable, patient and funny that the time flew by,” Simpson wrote. “I’ve never been in a cooking class that had so much food to sample throughout the class and there were still enough left to fill a box to take home!”
Janssen said if anyone is interested in future classes to check the offerings on the ZWILLING website at www.zwillingcookingstudio.com/copy-of-schedule-new. Typically, classes are scheduled about three months in advance.
Kids’ Camps & Family Time
The cooking studio is not only for adults, but ZWILLING gets the entire family involved. Week-long children’s cooking camps are offered in the summer from late June until just before Labor Day weekend. There are full-day and half-day offerings for students from 9 to 11 years old and 12 to 15 years old.
On the first day, they are introduced to the basics around the kitchen, including food safety. Then from Tuesday through Thursday, the classes shift to instruction on different cuisines. On Friday the camp ends with the kids getting 90 minutes to put together a meal that is judged, with a prize for the winning team.
Janssen said there are kids returning three or four years in a row while others return for multiple weeks. The summer camp has been such a success that ZWILLING started offering three-day camps for holiday weeks during the school year.
One of their former campers is now headed to culinary school, a great compliment to the program but certainly not the goal, Schwartz said.
“This is not just about cooking for the kids,” he said. “We teach them things, obviously, things like time management, working together collaboratively and working with other kids. It’s a really important component for us.” There are periodic family cooking classes for both the parents and their children, typically held on a Sunday, Schwartz added.
Studio chefs also use appliances that can be found in a typical home, not commercial or restaurant-grade equipment, Janssen said. “We choose to use high-end home appliances because we feel that whatever people do and learn here, they should feel that they should transfer that to their own kitchen,” Janssen said.
Retail Store Piques Interest
Schwartz said the store was carved out of excess space during the pandemic, previously used twice a year for the company’s warehouse sale. Aside from its well-known cutlery, the store offers high-quality pots, pans and cookware and serves the general public.
Merchandise makes for a great gift for the home chef, and gift cards are also available, Janssen added.
Of course, if someone takes a class and uses an item available in the studio, they can also choose to see if it’s available in the store.
“So, if you want, and you have been using a certain knife, a certain pot, a certain tool in the class, we offer the opportunity to purchase that,” Janssen said. “During an event we will never hard-pitch a product, but we will show you why a certain knife where the curve is a little bit more comfortable and supports a certain technique.”
Along with its cutlery, the store offers STAUB cast iron and ceramic cookware, products from DEMEYERE, considered among the best stainless-steel cookware and MIYABI, a top Japanese cutlery line.
The store is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is accessible from the Village Lane side of the building.
