Having enjoyed the fabulous food across Sri Lanka, we were really keen to do a cooking class while in Ella. We chose Ella’s Spice Garden because the session included a tour of their spice garden and the chance to see spices like peppercorns, turmeric and cinnamon growing. We made a good choice. Theeka was an excellent host. We were welcomed with a cup of local tea and then had a tour of the spice garden which lasted about 15 minutes. He then took us into the kitchen where we (there was a class of 8) helped to make dishes including a delicious Dahl, garlic curry, coconut sambol, samba rice, aubergine pickle and other dishes. Afterwards we sat down and devoured them all. They were all amazing. He followed up with pictures from the day, and a recipe book. We also had a physical recipe notebook to take home with the recipes we cooked. I ended up buying loads of spices from their garden so I can make the recipes at home. All in all great value and well worth two hours of your time in Ella.

Theeka was a great host and explained techniques and ingredients in detail. He kept in contact regarding the booking so I knew what was happening. It was a good mixture of demonstration, explanation and hands-on as well as advice on how to adapt some of the fresh ingredients when at home. Theeka is genuinely enthusiastic about what he does which in turn makes it really enjoyable for his visitors. Before we had finished eating what we had cooked, he had sent over the e-book of recipes, plus some extra ones he thought we might like and photos he had taken. Definitely recommend when you're in Ella.

We did not had the cooking lessons, but we had a guided tour in the garden - for only 200 LKR. We learned a lot about the spices. After that we bought some spices from the spice garden in the small shop he has. The spices were very cheap too. He was so nice and kind. Would definitely recommend this to everyone staying in Ella.

We went to purchase spices from the shop. It was a pleasant walk from the main road, round the outskirts of the spice garden. We got talking to the owner, a friendly guy. Sorry we didn't have enough time to attend your cooking class.

Such an amazing experience- I really recommend! Theeka‘s skill and passion for Sri Lankan cuisine shone through and the class was informative and entertaining. The food was absolutely delicious, really enjoyed the whole experience. Thank you

We loved our experience with Theeka and his small team! You get a tour of the spice garden before helping to make 7 vegan dishes that you enjoy as a group at the end. It wasn't as hands on as other cooking classes I've done (a lot of the food is already measured out, chopped etc.), but we liked the relaxed vibe and it was fun and engaging. Importantly, the food was delicious! A great way to spend an evening and meet some other travellers, too.

We booked well in advance for Theeka's cookery class as we know he gets booked up quickly. His kitchen is located a short (uphill) walk behind Chill Cafe and starts with a really informative walk around his spice garden to understand the key ingredients used in Sri Lankan cooking. Then back to the kitchen to get our aprons and get starting. He is very good at getting everyone involved in small ways for each of the dishes until the feast is ready for everyone to sit down and try. Honestly the best Sri Lankan food we had on our trip and we have already tried making some of the dishes again when we got home!!

We visited late afternoon to take a tour of the spice garden. The guide was the cutest old man who gave us a private tour and told us lots about his garden and the spices. We brought lots to take home with us!