The full experience
A rare opportunity to learn from nne of the UK's most exciting Live-Fire chefs
4+ hour experience
Spend a day cooking alongside James Peck - the award-winning chef behind the acclaimed live-fire restaurant Ember, recognised in the OpenTable Top 100 Restaurants and known for his bold, ingredient-led approach to cooking over fire. James has cooked in leading kitchens, travelled through Texas to learn from some of America's finest pitmasters, and has become one of the UK's leading voices in modern live-fire cuisine.
This exclusive masterclass at Millington Hall Farm isn't about following recipes.
It's about changing the way you think about cooking with fire.
James' philosophy is refreshingly simple: exceptional produce, perfectly seasoned, cooked over embers with precision and restraint. No unnecessary gadgets. No complicated techniques. Just an understanding of fire, flavour and ingredients.
If you're passionate about food and want to learn from one of the very best, this is an experience you won't want to miss.
What You'll Learn
- How to cook with Embers - You'll learn how to cook using radiant heat, understanding how embers deliver gentle, even cooking and remarkable depth of flavour. This is one of the defining techniques of modern live-fire restaurants.
- Salt Baking - One of James' signature techniques. Discover how salt baking gently cooks ingredients while preserving moisture and intensifying natural flavours. It's a beautifully simple method that consistently produces stunning results and is guaranteed to impress your guests at home.
- Brining & Seasoning - Seasoning starts long before food reaches the grill. James will explain when to brine, when to dry-brine, when to season and, just as importantly, when to leave exceptional produce alone. Understanding these subtle differences will elevate every meal you cook.
- Seafood Over Fire - Seafood can be intimidating on the barbecue. James will demonstrate how to cook delicate fish and shellfish over live fire with confidence, preserving texture while developing incredible flavour.
- Dry-Aged Beef & Premium Cuts - You'll explore the characteristics of dry-aged beef, learn how to maximise flavour without overcomplicating the cook and understand why simplicity often wins.
- Reverse Searing - Master one of the most reliable ways to cook thick cuts of meat. James will demonstrate how reverse searing delivers beautifully even cooking, exceptional crust development and complete confidence every time. You'll never cook a large steak the same way again.
- Cedar Plank Cooking - Discover how natural wood can become another ingredient in your cooking. You'll learn how cedar planks gently perfume fish, vegetables and other ingredients, creating subtle layers of flavour that simply can't be achieved through conventional cooking methods.
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Ingredient-Led Cooking - Perhaps the most valuable lesson of the day. James believes the finest dishes begin with exceptional produce. Rather than hiding ingredients behind heavy sauces or excessive smoke, you'll learn how to identify quality, treat ingredients with respect and allow natural flavours to shine.
A Restaurant Experience
Throughout the masterclass you'll enjoy tasting the dishes as they're prepared, discussing techniques, asking questions and learning directly from James in a relaxed and informal setting.
This is a rare opportunity to gain insight into the methods, mindset and attention to detail behind one of the UK's leading live-fire restaurants.
Included with Your Masterclass
Every guest receives:
✔ A full day of hands-on tuition with James Peck
✔ Premium seasonal ingredients
✔ All equipment, fuel and materials provided
✔ A printed recipe and technique guide
✔ A digital follow-up recipe collection
✔ Access to our exclusive BBQ community WhatsApp group
✔ Exclusive Millington Hall Farm discounts
✔ Priority access to future guest chef experiences and masterclasses
Is This Masterclass Right For Me?
This class is perfect for:
- Confident home cooks
- BBQ enthusiasts looking to refine their skills
- Big Green Egg and kamado owners
- Chefs wanting to explore live-fire cooking
- Anyone passionate about exceptional ingredients and restaurant-quality food
Some previous BBQ experience is recommended, but enthusiasm is far more important than perfection.
What Makes This Masterclass Different?
Throughout the day, James will share the techniques and philosophy that have made Ember one of the UK's most talked-about live-fire restaurants.
Working in small groups, you'll cook with premium seasonal ingredients while learning how to let fire enhance flavour rather than dominate it.
About James Peck
James Peck is one of the UK's leading live-fire chefs and the founder of the award-winning restaurant Ember. A former Army chef, he refined his craft in professional kitchens before developing a style centred on fire, exceptional ingredients and thoughtful simplicity. His restaurants have received widespread recognition, and he has become a familiar face at major live-fire festivals and demonstrations across the UK. Recent experience cooking alongside renowned Texas pitmasters has further shaped his approach, blending modern British cooking with world-class barbecue techniques