Gelf Alderson

The Pie Shop

£148.50
£148.50
Tax included.
Level:



Chef Tom Morrell from River Cottage teaches you how to make and cook with pastry — giving you the skills, knowledge and confidence to create homemade pies for any occasion.

You'll master four types of pastry: shortcrust for tart cases, rough puff for sausage rolls and cheese straws, hot water crust for pork pies, and suet for savoury and sweet steamed puddings. Each lesson builds practical technique alongside delicious recipes.

The course includes 4 on-demand video lessons, lifetime access, downloadable notes, practical pie-making assignments, and a small interactive online classroom. Approved by the Independent Cookery Schools Association (ICSA).

Discover how to make and cook with pastry on this pie making course with chef Tom Morrell from River Cottage.

Tom Morrell will teach you all the skills necessary to make a variety of savoury pastry recipes – including shortcrust, rough puff, hot water crust and suet. He'll then show you how to make a pork pie, bake sausage rolls, make pastry bases for quiches and tarts and make a classic British suet pastry for steamed or boiled puddings.

By the end of this course you will have gained the practical skills, knowledge and confidence to create homemade pies for any occasion.

You'll learn:

  • which pastry to use for different pies
  • how to make pork pies with hot waster pastry
  • making quick rough puff pastry for sausage rolls and cheese straws
  • blind baking with shortcrust pastry for tart cases
  • savoury and sweet steamed pudding recipes using suet pastry

The course includes:

  • 4 on-demand video lessons - presented by Tom Morrell and River Cottage
  • lifetime access to the videos, notes and interactive class
  • flexible classes - join and learn when and where you like
  • downloadable lesson notes
  • practical pastry and pie making assignments and recipes (with tutor feedback available)
  • access on your mobile, PC, Mac or laptop
  • small interactive online classroom - chat online to students from around the world and share your creative ideas

Independent Cookery Schools Association approved

This course has been approved by the Independent Cookery Schools Association (ICSA), recognising the highest standards of training.

Time to complete the pie making course:

Every student is different but in general we think the whole course will take around 15 hours 5 minutes to complete including:

  • Video lessons: 3 hours 5 minutes in total
  • Course notes: 30 minutes per lesson
  • Your pastry and pie making recipe assignments: at least 2 hours per lesson
  • Interactive classroom time: 15 minutes per lesson
  • Tutor feedback review (Expert level): 15 minutes per lesson

You'll need:

Your lesson notes will include the full details of the ingredients you'll need, but you will be making pies and pastry, so you'll need standard kitchen equipment.

Ready to get started?

Just add the course to your basket above - choose the 'Expert' option for personal feedback from Tom on your pie making.

If you know someone who'd love this course then give it as a gift - just tick "This is a gift" at the checkout.

Any questions? Contact us by clicking on the orange speech symbol - we'd love to hear from you.

 

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Lessons

What You’ll Learn

Explore the lessons and topics covered across the course.

In this first lesson Tom will teach you how to perfect pork pie pastry. Get Tom’s tips for working with this pastry, and practise what you’ve learned with the creation of the ultimate River Cottage pork pie.
A common misconception is that puff pastry is tricky to work with. In this lesson Tom will teach you otherwise and show you how puff pastry can be as easy to cook with as, well, pie! By following a few simple guidelines you can have perfect puff pastry every time, and by the end of this lesson you will have created sausage rolls, cheese straws and a cheese, potato and basil tart.
Shortcrust pastry can be great for both savoury and sweet dishes. Follow Tom’s method and learn the art of blind baking and sealing. By the end of this lesson you will have created tart cases, an indulgent veggie roast onion and blue cheese quiche.
Suet pastry is a good, old-fashioned British pastry used for steamed or boiled, sweet and savoury puddings. Learn how to work with this versatile pastry, and put your skills to the test with the ultimate comfort food – steamed suet pudding.
Learning options

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Expert
£148.50

A guided learning experience with expert support, feedback and recognised outcomes.

  • Expert Assignment Feedback
  • Private Tutor Messaging
  • Certificate & CPD Hours
  • On-demand Lessons Videos & Notes
  • Collaborative Classroom Chat
  • Message Classmates Directly
  • Small Classroom Size
  • Lifetime Access
Peer
£49.50

Learn alongside others with a collaborative, flexible learning experience.

  • On-demand Lessons Videos & Notes
  • Collaborative Classroom Chat
  • Message Classmates Directly
  • Small Classroom Size
  • Lifetime Access
COURSE TUTOR

Gelf Alderson

Gelf Alderson is the Culinary Director at River Cottage having worked alongside Hugh F-W for nearly ten years. Gelf is a dedicated ambassador of the River Cottage commitment to sustainability. He was one of the early pioneers of the farm to fork philosophy and is passionate about using food that is farmed locally, sourced from the River Cottage kitchen garden, or foraged from the surrounding area.

Gelf is able to communicate the importance of sustainable eating in a simple, practical and down to earth way. He is both engaging and charismatic and leaves people with a clear understanding and heads full of ideas to implement at home.

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SUCCESS

What Our Learners Achieve

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CPD Learning Hours

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Benefits

Why Choose Us

The advantages of Learning with Experts and a supportive community.

Learn on Demand

Start whenever it suits you, and immerse yourself in motivational lesson tutorials with expert guidance.

Practice what you learn

Enhance your learning and personal growth with lesson assignments. Each course includes an optional assignment at the end of every lesson.

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Be part of a community

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Reviews

What Learners Say

Genuine feedback and experiences from learners.
5.00

“It is extremely beneficial to have feedback on your own understanding of the topics and to have input on the detail required in an answer. Learning with Experts has been a really good experience.”

Bronwyn
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“Outstanding content - I have gone back into the course videos many times and had many hours worth of incredible insight even before doing the assignments, which have forced me to really think about the experts' guidance.”

David
5.00

“The course has given me lots of tips and ideas. It was helpful being able to speak to others in the class about assignments and the feedback from the expert was very inspiring and has given me the confidence to try new things in my own garden.”

Helen
5.00

“I would not hesitate to recommend Learning with Experts for the RHS Level 2 Certificate. They provided thorough, comprehensive study materials alongside each individual video lesson presented by highly regarded experts in the field of horticulture, who are also engaging communicators."

Amanda
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Common Questions

Answers to the most common questions about learning with us.

Our online classroom is designed to help you learn from experts in a collaborative, social environment alongside a small group of learners.

Each lesson combines expert-led videos with optional assignments, giving you the opportunity to apply what you’ve learned and share your work with others. You can take part in ongoing discussions, ask questions, exchange feedback, and learn from a community of like-minded people from around the world.

By learning together in a small, supportive group, you benefit not only from expert guidance but also from shared ideas, perspectives, and experiences—helping you stay engaged and retain what you learn.

You can start your course at any time within 12 months of purchase. Once you begin, you’ll have lifetime access, so you can revisit lesson videos and notes whenever you like.

Courses are designed to fit around your schedule, allowing you to learn at your own pace. Each lesson video is typically 30–40 minutes, and we recommend around an hour for each assignment.

Both Peer and Expert options give you full access to the course content, including lesson videos, downloadable notes, assignments, and a collaborative online classroom with up to 20 learners. You’ll also have lifetime access to revisit the material at any time.

The Expert option includes everything in Peer, plus personalised assignment feedback, direct messaging with your expert tutor, and a certificate of completion.

With the Expert option, you can interact directly with your tutor throughout the course. You’ll typically have one week per lesson to ask questions and receive feedback on your assignments, with as much interaction as you need during that time.

Your tutor access begins when you enter the classroom and follows the course schedule (for example, a four-lesson course usually runs over four weeks). If you need more time or support, our team is here to help.