Sweet Wanderlust: Chocolate-Making Short Breaks West Sussex

🛌  Sleeps 2 – 10 | 🌳  Luxury Shepherd’s Hut and Self-catering Cottages | 👙  Outdoor Heated Pool | 👩‍🍳  On-site Baking and Chocolate Masterclasses

The Experience | £150pp

If you’ve always wanted to get sticky fingers making your own chocolate, here’s the chance. The Artisan Bakehouse in West Sussex is an award-winning cookery school owned and run by passionate foodies, Les and Louise. Along with their talented team they run a variety of foodie masterclasses for you to sink your teeth into on a short break.

From wonderful and traditional real bread-making classes to creating sweet treats (think viennoiserie, pastries, and seasonal sweet delights). Our favourite is the tasty artisan chocolate-making class where you can learn the secrets of making delicious chocolates.

Under the expert guidance of Mike Noble, Owner and Head Chocolatier from the acclaimed Sussex based artisan chocolatiers, Noble and Stace, you’ll enjoy a relaxed, fun-filled day of making fresh cream truffles, caramel truffles and solid chocolate tablettes.

You will leave with your delicious hand-crafted chocolates beautifully boxed packed with – wait for it: 15-20 fresh cream truffles, 20 caramel truffles and 3 tablettes – that’s over £50 worth of quality chocolate. Sweet lord.

You’ll also get chocolate tasters throughout the morning (Mike brings a selection of his current batches from Chocolate HQ). And a complimentary bag of milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips to take home ready for you to create more deliciousness in your own kitchen.

4-hour class, from 9:30am – 3pm, with 2-course homemade lunch (including drinks).

The Stay | From £118pn

At the heart of The Artisan Bakehouse estate is a 16th-century red-brick farmhouse, along with three different self-catering options for your short break in West Sussex: The Brewhouse and The Milkhouse (both sleep 4, if you’re a group you can take the two cottage which are connected by an adjoining door).

Expect light, bright, immaculate interiors in the cottages with vases of fresh flowers to welcome you. The chunky beams remind you that you’re sleeping in historic properties and the 5 acres of beautiful gardens and woodlands are a flavour of the stunning West Sussex countryside just outside your front door.

As well as the cottages, there’s also the Baker’s Hut – a super-sweet wooden shepherd’s hut that sleeps 2 and is tucked away in a secluded spot; perfect for a West Sussex glamping escape.

Best of all, as well as the garden and woodland to enjoy there’s also a heated swimming pool to jump into (open from May – October). And you can help yourself to the summer vegetable patch, eggs from the chickens, fruit from the orchard and other seasonal produce when it’s available on site.

The Location

The Artisan Bakehouse is set within 5 acres of garden and woodland in the sleepy countryside of West Sussex, 25 mins from Brighton and on the edge of the South Downs national park.

Beyond the Bakehouse, there’s plenty to do on your West Sussex short break including  exploring the miles of unspoilt countryside of the South Downs or the beaches of the south coast that are within 10-40 mins drive.

You can also saunter around the ancient and historic village of Steyning, just 5 mins away, with its eclectic shops, cafes and tearooms.

The Essentials

• Chocolate-making workshop from £150pp
• Complimentary welcome breakfast basket
• Outdoor heated seasonal pool, free for guests to use from mid-May to mid-Sept
• Help yourselves to herbs, fruit, vegetables and eggs from the gardens
• Visiting spa therapist can be booked for treatments
• Fully-licensed Bakehouse open for lunches and afternoon teas (on a seasonal basis)
• If you want to stay and bake as a group, there are two lovely self-catering cottages, The Brewhouse (sleeps 4) and The Milkhouse (sleeps 2/4), that make up the 16th-century farmhouse. Both can be booked together if needed
• Stays available from £118pn
• Online baking masterclasses also available so you can take the experience  at home