FAQs

Registration

I need help registering for your class. What do I do?
Contact us at classes@purplefoodie.com or via WhatsApp on 0044-7922184722.

The class that I want is sold out. What are my options?
If seats are sold out, it is recommended that you still contact us by filling out the waitlist. Each class in the waitlist usually progresses 1-2 spots.

Can I change my dates after I have booked them?
Once booked, you normally cannot change your dates or switch them for another one, unless there are seats readily available for the date you want to move to. It is easier to move your seats to an earlier date than a later date. Please refer to the short Terms & Conditions. If you are unable to attend after registering, please let us know.

How do I remind myself what I had registered for?
Just check the email you would have received from classes@purplefoodie.com with the term "Seats confirmed!" in the subject. If you created an account while registering, you can also view the list of classes you booked in your Account page.

Do you offer discounts for multiple registrations?
There are no discounts for multiple registrations as each seat is treated equally. Several students have booked all 6 classes at full price.

Who is Chef Shaheen Peerbhai?
Shaheen Peerbhai is a London-based chef and cookbook author trained at Le Cordon Bleu Paris and London, and at Alain Ducasse Education in France. She has worked in 3-Michelin starred restaurants in Europe and has attained multiple culinary scholarships. She has taught baking to thousands of students since 2010, including guest lectures at Le Cordon Bleu, and has been baking professionally since 2005. Read more about Shaheen's work and see the press coverage her classes have received, including The Hindu, Indian Express, Hindustan Times, Vogue, and NDTV.

Class Menu

What are the dishes you will teach us?
Have a look at the Class Menu.

Do you use easily accessible ingredients and equipment?
I only use the absolute best quality, locally available ingredients, and share where to source them from. There is no point me teaching you something if you can't find the ingredients in your city! Also, you will be added to the local WhatsApp group for the city you attended, where you can discuss ingredients and much more with other bakers.
I don't use my professional equipment in class, instead showing you techniques to make highly professional bakes with regular home appliances such as an OTG oven or handheld blender. It is therefore very practical to replicate every step you learn in class.

Do I need to know how to bake to attend your classes?
You definitely don't need to be an expert baker! I've had many first-time bakers enjoy their class so much, they sent me photos of what they then baked at home. I will teach everything you need to know to create beautiful, delicious pastry. I encourage you to ask as many questions as you like to make the experience enriching for you. All 6 classes are suited for all levels of expertise. If you're really, really only looking for the most basic of classes, go for the 5 classes besides French Fancies.

I'm an advanced baker, or I bake professionally. Can I still learn something at your classes?
I've taught hundreds of students who bake professionally - be it from their homes or their own pastry shops. I've had LCB and other cooking school graduates, cooking school teachers, and cookbook authors attend and enjoy my classes. I've even conducted lectures at LCB Paris. If you're looking for slightly more technical or advanced classes, you might consider attending French Fancies.

I have certain allergies or dietary restrictions. What can I still attend?
If you're looking for a class with all egg-free recipes, you've got three great options - Weekend Brunch, Bread Basket, and Ice Creams! I am not one for substituting eggs with other ingredients just to make things egg-free. Instead, I’d rather make recipes that don’t depend on eggs, celebrating all the other ingredients. These recipes taste so good, you won’t even notice they’re egg-free. Contact us if you still have specific questions about other ingredients.

Where will the classes be held?
The classes are at fabulous new locations:
Piramal Museum of Art in Lower Parel, Mumbai
Petit Pas Studio in DLF Phase 3, Gurgaon

How long is each class?
Depending on the class you choose, between 3-4 hours. But please allow some extra buffer time.

How many students in a class?
Around 16-22 students per class.

I have booked seats. Now what?
Great! Just wait for the day and show up 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Until then, add classes@purplefoodie.com to your safe senders list, and move any emails from your Gmail Promotions tab to your inbox to ensure future mails are sent to the correct folder.

Do we need to bring anything to class and can I take home what we bake in class? Will you provide printed recipe sheets?
You do not need to bring anything to class - you are provided everything you need. You will get to taste everything we make and can choose to try it in class or pack it for later. You will each be provided printed recipe sheets.

On the day

What does a typical class experience feel like?
This article by The Hindu captures well what a typical 3.5 hour class feels like. I start by sharing her Cardinal Rules of Baking, walking you through what you should and should not use in the kitchen. I then pack the class with valuable recipes, answering questions along the way.
"I really want to deliver as much as I can in three and a half hours to my students. I do a truckload of pre-prep, mise en place and kitchen organisation so that I can work at a high speed during the class. Slow work really annoys me. I value time, and with 20 people sitting around me, that’s a lot of time to respect." When we start on the loaf cake, a participant asks whether honey can be substituted with sugar. “Honey is dense, sugar adds lightness and helps your cake rise,” she explains while making a thin butter line down the middle. “This guides the crack, that is inevitably going to tear your loaf. This lets you manipulate its position.”

Why do you prefer demo-based classes?
All my classes have always ever only been demo-based, where I teach and students watch every stage of the creation from scratch. There are three advantages of demo-based (i) Learning: Students are able to focus on observing clearly my techniques and steps without worrying about why theirs looks slightly different from their neighbours, and are able to record videos and take notes to review at home (which they can't do in a hands-on class) (ii) More recipes: A demo-based class moves faster, which allows me to fit 5 recipes in most demo classes but only 3 recipes in hands-on classes, and (iii) Price: A hands-on class requires much more equipment and table space, reducing class size, which would mean significantly higher prices.
The best way of learning is for you to listen to & watch carefully what I teach, take lots of notes/pictures/videos, ask questions, and then go home and replicate what you've learned immediately, referring to your notes. You can then ask questions to me and other students on the PurpleFoodie WhatsApp groups.
A recent student put it best: "Demos work best because students can give each item their undivided attention. The students are not distracted by their own dough or batter and comparisons with the neighbours' one and Shaheen is not worn thin trying to pay attention each and every individual work station. That said, the students are an active part of the process and have a hands-on look, touch and taste at every step of the dish".

How do student creations turn out? Do you have pictures?
Students happily report very positive results when replicating the bakes in their kitchens. You can see a some pictures they have shared at the bottom of the Gallery page.

What support exists after the class is complete?
After each class, students are given the option to be added into a very active WhatsApp community exclusively of PurpleFoodie students from that city and a Facebook group, of which Shaheen is also a part. Students actively discuss their bakes, share recipes, ask questions, and discuss ingredient sourcing and baking tips.

Future Classes

I can't attend this set of classes. When will your next class in India be held?
Sadly, Summer 2018 is likely to be the last batch in a long time. I will be busy with my book launch and other exciting projects later in the year, so if you're keen to bake, join now!

How do I get notified about future classes?
To know about any future baking classes in Bombay, London, Delhi, Bangalore or elsewhere, fill in your details. For collaborating on hosting classes in your city, please contact me separately.

Do you teach private classes?
Sure. Email classes@purplefoodie.com and we can chalk out something for you if you have a large enough group.