Have some fun with a bespoke cocktail masterclass from one of our dedicated mixologists. Learn how to make three amazing cocktails from the experts and then get to drink them afterwards. You’ll enjoy a glass of fizz on arrival together with canapés to soak it all up - what’s not to like?!

We all love a glass or two of chilled Prosecco, Zinfandel Blush and Sauvignon Blanc – especially if it’s from New Zealand. But do you just look for a cheap bottle or something really amazing? There are some spectacular varieties of these popular wines plus some other sublime white varietals around. Here’s your chance to try a few different white, rosé and sparkling wines and discover what’s so special about those wines you love. Enjoy a glass of fizz on arrival plus 6 different wines.

Bored with the usual places to go for lunch? Don’t fancy eating a sandwich on the go? Then why not join us at Blackfriars Cookery School and take part in one of our 1-hour express classes. You will learn to make a classic street food that will take you back to the streets of Bangkok or Mumbai, at your own individual workstation. Each class focuses on a particular street food and you will learn to make it, using authentic ingredients and recipes, in less than 40 minutes. This workshop looks at one of the tastiest dishes in the world but maybe one you have never heard of. Classed as the national dish of Indonesia Nasi Goreng is a fried rice like you will never have tasted. Learn how to make this meat and vegetable fried rice flavoured with south east Asian spices and topped with a fried egg. Once the cooking is over you can sit, with a beer or glass of fizz, and consume your handiwork. These courses are designed to be relaxed, informative and fun.

Get ready for an unforgettable May Bank Holiday weekend as we host our first-ever Beer Festival! Set in the surroundings of our 13th-century medieval friary, this is the ultimate way to kick back, relax and enjoy some of the best local brews. Join us in our Cloister Garden, complete with heated parasols, fire pits, festoon lighting, lush greenery, rustic stone and wood features. With all-weather level access, you’ll be able to enjoy everything the festival has to offer in comfort. Or step inside our historic Medieval Banquet Hall, where local brewers will be showcasing their craft beers. You’ll have the opportunity to sample beers from eight fantastic local breweries, including our very own St Dominic’s Brewery, as we celebrate its first anniversary! Founded in 2024, St Dominic’s Brewery stays true to Dominican brewing traditions. In medieval times, brewing ale was as common as bread-making for the friars. After the Dissolution, when the friary was abandoned, the Brewers & Bakers Guild held their quarterly meetings in the Chapter House. Today, we continue this rich history—brewing our own ale alongside our daily bread. Enjoy Blackfriars Street Food straight from the BBQ, sip on wine, cocktails and soft drinks from our classic bar, soak in the festival vibes with live music on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and bring your furry friends because our Cloister Garden is dog-friendly! Don’t miss out on this exciting new festival! Book your tickets now and be part of history at Blackfriars Beer Festival 2025.

Fridays are the new… err, Fridays don’t you know – and we’re continuing the tradition in our Cloister Garden. We’ll be hosting a weekly BBQ most Fridays throughout the summer. Come and enjoy the afternoon sunshine over a chilled bottle of Whispering Angel Rose, a cold beer or selection of bespoke home-made garden cocktails, or wrap yourself up with one of our blankets, under the heated parasols and settle in with a bottle of red in front of one of our fire pits. You’ll enjoy an arrival fizz, glass of fizz, home-brewed beer or soft drink, sharing plank of seasonal starters, followed by a main course straight from the BBQ and rounded off with a seasonal dessert.

On Saturday 10 May 2025, Blackfriars will host, in partnership with Durham University’s IMEMS (), the 25th Public lecture on Fit for a Kaiser: feeding the Holy Roman Emperor. Hosted by Professor Len Scales, Head of History Department at Durham University. The Holy Roman Emperor had the highest status of any prince in medieval Europe, and providing appropriate food and entertainments when the emperor and his retinue visited other princely courts therefore represented a particular challenge. The talk will illustrate several such occasions, with a particularly close look at the visit of the emperor Charles IV to the French royal court in January 1378, for which we know some details of the food that was served. The talk will also discuss the practicalities of feeding and providing for the medieval imperial court, which spent much of its time on the road, travelling between different centres in central and western Europe.

Louisiana is famous for its vibrant jazz music, spectacular Mardi Gras festival and its unique cuisine. This session will take you on a journey through the cuisine of the American deep south with Creole staples such as Gumbo and Jambalaya. Expect Recipes Like: + Cajun Spice Mix + Chicken & Prawn Jambalaya + Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo + Dirty Rice + Bananas Foster. Exact recipes for this class will vary by season.

Relax and have fun at our convivial evening of Chinese Bao making. Our cookery school teacher will show you just how easy it is to make home-made soft pillows of steamed buns with succulent savoury fillings and luscious sweet treats. Accompanied with a couple of Asian beers to wash it down and enough to take home to show off to family, friends and work colleagues. Come on your own, with family or friends. Event suitable for vegetarian and vegan, not suitable for gluten free.