[Skill Class] Knife Skills Bootcamp (5.5 hrs, 4 classes / year)_Cooking Class

Knife skills training at Umami food studio

Knife Skills Training in Johannesburg & Pretoria

Knife Skills Training by Umami Food Studio for Johannesburg & Pretoria

Knife Skills Training covering Asian cuts

Knife Skills Course: Chef Techniques for Home Cooks (5.5 hrs)

Name: Knife Skills Course: Chef Techniques for Home Cooks (5.5 hrs)
Brand: Umami Food Studio
SKU: Class012
Price: 1700.0 ZAR
Availability: OutOfStock

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R 1,700 - R 1,800

"I never thought I could dice an onion so well or julienne vegetables... it completely changed the way I cut, and really enjoyed the process." - Jasmi Hira -

• Why Join: Boost your cooking productivity forever

• Protein: Chicken or tofu (for lunch served)

• Can't Accomodate: All welcome (share your restriction for lunch)

• Ideal For: Beginner cooks, young adults preparing for independent living, serious home cooks who dont want to be limited by own knife skills

Choose a date

Don't see suitable dates for your group of 4 or more?
Request an additional date.

[Semi Final] 3 Oct 2026: Sat 8:30am, ✅ Halal ✅ Vegan sold out

[Final] 30 Jan 2027: Sat 8:30am, ✅ Halal ✅ Vegan sold out

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DIETARY INFORMATION

Accommodates all dietary requirements: please share your special requirements for lunch

COURSE CONTENT

1. (Theory) Fundamental: Knife types (Western vs Asian), selection, knife sharpening & maintenance tip, kitchen hygiene tip

2. (Theory) Preparation: Workstation setup, board choice & maintenance

3. (Practice) Basic cutting techniques and principles: how to hold a knife properly, body position, stabilizing objects to cut, safety rules

4. (Practice) Different cuts: Push cut, pull cut, top to down cut, mincing, julienne, chiffonade, Japanese sashimi and tataki cuts

5. (Cooking) Asian slaws & dipping sauce: turning what's been cut into a delicious meal

TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. All sales are final. No refunds.

2. Date changes are free more than 28 days before class. 28–7 days before: R250 per person. Under 7 days, up to 72 hours before: R350 per person. 72–48 hours before: 50% of the fee is forfeited. Under 48 hours: 100% forfeited. Hours count back from the class start time. Choose your new date within 1 month, or the credit expires.

3. Can't make it? Send someone in your place, at no cost.

4. Check the class menu before booking, especially for groups. No cancellations or date changes due to dietary restrictions. Full details: Cooking Class T&Cs →

FAQs

About 4 hours, in three parts: a welcome drink and potstickers on arrival, 2 hours of prep and learning (no drinking yet), then 1.5 hours to cook and eat together. We cook as one team. Watch, take notes or get stuck in, it's up to you.

Waterfall Estate, Midrand. 5 minutes from Mall of Africa, 30 minutes from Johannesburg, Pretoria and the airport.

No, we cook together as a team: half demo, half hands-on. You learn from Rany, our founder and a seasoned food educator with 10+ years of experience, from questions and from each other, cover 3–4 recipes, and taste the dish done right, your reference for cooking at home.

Our halal classes use halal-certified meat, with no pork and no alcohol in the cooking. We're not halal-certified, and other guests may have wine with the meal. Non-Muslim guests are welcome too: same authentic recipes. Read the full answer →

Nothing but a healthy appetite and a good sense of humour. We prepare everything.

4 days before, we WhatsApp you directions and your gate access code.

We cook on solar.

Yes, bring your own. ½ bottle of wine (1 bottle per couple) or 2 beers per person. We keep the first 2 hours, prep and learning, alcohol-free. Sharp knives, clear heads.

10 years old. Our classes are for anyone who truly wants to learn how to cook, whatever their age. If a young guest can stay focused for around 4 hours and cook alongside adults, they're welcome. We use fire and knives, so guests aged 10–17 must attend with a paying adult. Same class, same menu, same price.

All sales are final. Change your date for free more than 28 days before; fees apply after that. Or send someone in your place at no cost, any time. Full details: Cooking Class T&Cs →

Classes run only at our studio, where the kitchen and team are set up for it. But we can bring private dining to your home: from R1,000 per person (incl. VAT), based on 10 guests. Talk to us → for details.

Yes, from 8 guests. Your own class, your own date, just your group.

Smaller group (min 6 people)?

Keep it private: pay the min session fee. See the 6-guest examples in our sample quotes.
Join a public class: book seats in any class on our calendar. Or request your chosen class on your chosen date, with at least 6 weeks' notice. We fill the remaining seats.

Book a private class → Plan team building →

As a general rule, not our regular classes. This avoids conflicts of interest and protects our recipes, which have been copied and sold without our permission before. Now and then we run classes open to everyone, so talk to us first. Chefs and food businesses can also book our consulting or chef training.

Studio Location

Customer Reviews

5 stars: 18 (95%)
4 stars: 1 (5%)
3 stars: 0 (0%)
2 stars: 0 (0%)
1 star: 0 (0%)

Best 5 hours spent in kitchen

When Rany told me I could completely change the way I cook in 5 hours, I didn't believe it. Now I do. I never thought I could cut this well. My food looks like it's done by a chef!

Fantastic Value and hands on learning

When you purchase the best knives but have no idea how to use them, then this class is where you need to be. Rany gives hands on training covering all types of food and you will feel super comfortable cutting and chopping after this course.

So informative

Buying expensive, quality knives is all good and well, however if you don’t know how to use them properly won’t make your life any easier. Rany gives you hands on lessons on how to get the most out of your knives and which knife is best for what type of food. Always a pleasure having a learning experience at Umami

Enjoyed so much

Joined the training with my foodie son. We had a blast and we've been practicing all weekend. The small group size was a bonus for individual attention, and the food was top-notch.

I never cut anything this fast

Thanks for the another awesome class. Enjoyed learning cutting techniques with my son. Can't believe how fast I've become in just one session. Excited to get back in the kitchen!

Excellent teacher and hostess

I attended Knife Skills course. The course caters for both beginners and those who have been using kitchen knives for some time. We spent significant time actually using our knives learning to be more efficient and many time saving trips and tricks. Rany is an excellent teacher and hostess. Our lesson culminated in a mouth-wateringly delicious Asian style meal that was produced with the various ingredients we sliced and diced. I highly recommend Umami Food Studio, and will definitely be attending Rany's other classes.

Amazing Experience!

We spent the day, learning about knife skills in the kitchen. From how to hold your knife, sharpening and cleaning your knife, to slicing sashimi, taking skin off salmon, julienne carrots etc. It was an amazing experience and I can strongly recommend going to any of Rany’s classes!!!!

Enhance your knife skills

Even though you think you know how to use your chef’s knife, you don’t! Rany focuses on how to hold the knife, position your fingers to avoid injury, how to place your body, shoulders and arms. It is important to RELAX! We used dough to simulate how to cut sashimi and we learnt how to cut the main vegetables used in cooking including the popular “julienne” and “chiffonnade”. Finally, we finished with the most delicious meal using all the expertly cut vegies. I learnt so much and feel more confident to try these skills at home. Thanks for your professional class, Rany.

A Really Great Time!

I attended this course as the original recipients had some unexpected engagements, and their loss was my win! The course is in-depth; covering choosing a good knife, how to hold a knife, how to do different cutting techniques safely, the uses of your different cuts, how to improve food safety/kitchen hygiene and even a little at how to look after your knife. It's not for the faint of heart, (I have a callous forming!) but if you want to have a wonderful time, eat delicious food and learn useful skills, I recommend this course! Rany is a wonderful teacher, she's stern yet encouraging!

A Must

The knife skills course exceeded my expectations. I learnt how to hold a knife, how to stand, how to make cutting easier and safer and much much faster. Simple things but with w our sous value to me. Rany is super knowledgeable, deeply committed and organised which I find inspiring. I'd I have done every one of her courses by now if I lived in the same province. Highly recommended⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Any home chef would love this course

I used to be uncertain and even afraid of using "big" knives. At this course I learned how to position my body, how to hold the blade and how to use each different blade. After some theory notes we practiced and played all day so this is a very practical course. I can honestly say that I now use my fancy knives at every opportunity and it has halved my preparation time! I didn't even lose any fingers LOL! An absolutely wonderful course if you would like to be more confident in your food-prep! You don't need your own knives if you don't own any yet, Rany will advise you on the best ones to purchase for first time knife enthusiasts!

Absolutely amazing experience!

Absolutely amazing experience!

Thank you Sannette! Hope your newly acquired knife skill serves you well to rock in the kitchen! #KnifeSkill101

Dietary Restriction: Eat all

Knives

What an amazing experience. Would love more courses

Very hands-on

Fun class with delicious food served with what we cut. Wish it was little less intense.

Lifetime skills in 4 hours!

Amazing class, delicious food and a lifetime of knowledge.

Never thought I will love this for team building!

The cutting practice was like meditation. It cleared my mind and only focused on that single task. I loved it, and I can't wait to put my new skill into use.

Executive Retreat

Everyone had such a great time. Our WhatsApp group has been so busy with people’s comments. You have that really professional no-nonsense approach.Your studio rocks!

Knife Skill Pro!

I never thought I could dice an onion so well or julienne vegetables. Despite it being only a couple of hours, it completely changed the way I cut, and I really enjoyed the learning process. I definitely recommend it for a beginner like me 🙌.

Great Experience!

Really had an enjoyable and fruitful day at Umami Studio on the kitchen knife skills course, set the platform to tackle the other courses!

Do I need to bring a knife? If yes, what do you recommend?

Umami Food Studio

Yes. Please bring a 20cm chef knife to class. If you're traveling by plane (e.g. CT / KZN), let us know and we'll prepare a knife for you. We recommend these knives:
[Entry level] Victorinox 20cm chef knife: https://tinyurl.com/395n58ax
[Lifetime use] Wusthof 20cm chef knife: https://tinyurl.com/2p9xus4u

Prices vary, so be sure to compare options before purchasing. We don't recommend buying a knife set or santoku knife for this training.