Meet Novello – November 2025’s Amigo of The Month!

Meet Novello – November 2025’s Amigo of The Month! We caught up with Novello to find out what makes The Avenue Cookery School so irresistible! From discovering the school by chance to tackling Macarons, Ravioli, and even Laver Bread, here’s what keeps Novello coming back for more…

How did you hear about The Avenue?
My husband and I must have walked past the school dozens of times before as it is on one of our morning walking routes but we’d never noticed it before! This particular morning the door was open with someone inside so we peeked in and asked about what it was. We took contact details and I’ve been a regular since! We’re very lucky because it’s not very far from where we live. No I’ve been coming to classes since we discovered it which was around Spring this year. So a happy accident turned into a regular culinary adventure!

Which classes have you done?
I’ve done loads of classes! Macaron Class, Pizza Workshop, Fish Class, Italian Class, Useful Sauces Class, Sous Vide Class, the Intermediate week-long course and lots more. I’ve done some with my husband and some with other members of my family including grandchildren and some with friends. Everyone loves coming!

What was your favourite class at The Avenue?
Oh gosh! It’s difficult to choose a favourite! I have always loved cooking but had never done classes before. I’m really enjoying learning how to do things properly and I get so much out of all the classes that I go to. I particularly liked the Macaron Class because I hadn’t attempted to make macarons before that. Who can resist mastering the perfect macaron?

What’s your favourite dish to cook that you learnt with us?
Again it’s difficult to choose a favourite but I think maybe the Ravioli which was incredibly easy with the butternut squash filling – but I also now do Sous Vide which although I had dabbled with previously using my Thermomix, I hadn’t really understood it. Richard was fantastic at explaining it all!

What was your favourite dish to eat at The Avenue?
I really enjoyed eating the salt baked Sea Bass. It was so moist and tasty. We’re getting hungry!

What is the most obscure thing you have made in the kitchen?
I love experimenting and often go off piste and play around with putting stuff together that you wouldn’t think would work. Possibly the most obscure thing I’ve made might be Laver Bread (Welsh seaweed – not bread at all!) and cockles in a Yorkshire pudding with Hollandaise sauce on top! might be up there with the most obscure! Creativity clearly knows no bounds here!

What class would you like to do in the future?
I’d like to work my way through them all! That’s what we like to hear!

Any final comments?
I’m so pleased we discovered The Avenue! I’m really enjoying going to the classes and delving deeper into the subject of food. Discovering making Butterscotch and salted caramel and how delicious (I didn’t think I had a sweet tooth before that!) and quick and easy they are to make though was NOT a good thing! Waistlines are definitely at risk of suffering badly!

A huge thank you to Novello for sharing your deliciously honest thoughts! From Macarons to Sous Vide and even the occasional off-piste experiment, we love having you in the kitchen and we can’t wait to see what culinary adventures you’ll whisk up next!