Dubai knows how to spend a Saturday around food. Chef James Knight-Paccheco is offering another option: learning how to cook it yourself.
Chef Teach Me launched on 31 October at The Demo Kitchen in Al Quoz. Knight-Paccheco teaches groups of up to 16 every Saturday, with classes from 10am to noon and 2pm to 4pm. Sessions cost AED450 to AED550.
“People spend this amount on brunch, but this way they get to walk away with skills and knowledge that will last a lifetime,” he told Caterer Middle East.
A weekend food experience that earns its place in your kitchen afterwards.
A Chef With Plenty to Teach
James Knight-Paccheco has built a name in Dubai’s kitchens, with roles at ME Dubai and Cove Beach. In Abu Dhabi, his work at seafood restaurant Ryba helped earn it a Michelin Bib Gourmand and the guide’s 2025 Opening of the Year award.
Away from the stove, he and his wife, Maria Knight-Paccheco, work on The Chef JKP Podcast, which takes listeners behind the scenes of hospitality. The show is featured on Emirates’ ice entertainment system and won silver in the Food & Drink category at the 2026 Signal Awards.
Chef Teach Me brings him back to teaching, something he’s done with both apprentice chefs and home cooks.
Why Dubai, why now?
At The Demo Kitchen, that experience translates into small, hands-on classes where home cooks can get individual guidance as they work through each dish.
In a 2025 interview, Knight-Paccheco identified experiential dining and closer connections with chefs as a regional trend. These classes fit that thinking: participants cook alongside him, ask questions and learn through doing.
His aim is to give home cooks confidence and give back to the community. “It is purely for home enthusiasts,” he said. The sessions focus on practical skills for home cooks.
What’s on the programme?
The opening classes focus on meals people actually make at home. Each two-hour session covers three dishes, including one of his signatures, a restaurant technique and an unexpected ingredient. Menus will change, with the technical focus ranging from heat and seasoning to sauces, timing and finishing.
- Rise and Shine, AED450: On 7 November, covering eggs, hollandaise, potatoes and French toast, with preparation tips for getting several hot breakfasts ready together.
- Surf and Turf, AED550: On 14 November, covering chargrilled steak, live-fire control, cooking fish correctly and what to look for at the fishmonger.
- Festive Formula: On 21 November, covering planning and time management when cooking for friends and family towards the end of the year.
Ingredients and equipment are provided, with HexClad, the Ramsay-backed cookware brand, supplying its hybrid pans. Participants cook the dishes themselves, then eat them at the venue or take them home, along with recipes and gifts.
“We have kept the number low because the sessions are hands-on; they won’t just be demonstrations,” Knight-Paccheco said. “This way, guests will be right next to me, getting all the insider tips and tricks.”
Private lessons and corporate team-building sessions are available on request. Future plans include vegan food, wellness and family cooking, guest chefs, community partnerships and other cuisines.
There could eventually be something bigger: “Who knows, we may even open a Chef Teach Me Academy – watch this space!” he said.
Why we’re interested
There’s something sensible about starting with everyday kitchen problems. A sauce that splits. A dinner party that needs planning. Breakfast that arrives in stages.
At AED450–550, the classes need to deliver useful guidance. But the appeal is clear: learn from an experienced chef, and take those skills home.
Bookings are available through chefteachme.com
