About Us
The Artisan Culinary School is a boutique culinary school based in Altea, in the Alicante province, the gastronomic heart of the Comunidad Valenciana. Our work focuses on general European gastronomic culture, specific culinary crafts, and specialty artisan products. The school offers full-immersion, one-week, and two-week, all-inclusive specialized courses for artisans, farmers, food professionals, culinary and pastry arts students, entrepreneurs, and food enthusiasts. Our areas of expertise and work include artisan-cured meats and meat preserves, artisan cheese & dairy production, artisan fruit & vegetable conserves, artisan seafood preserves, artisan bread making, and artisan pastry and frozen dessert production.
The Artisan Culinary School was born as a dream more than a decade ago. The project originates from its founders’ vocation of service and love for knowledge and education. Juan Penzini and Mariana Brewer begin their culinary education as professional cooks, and from that starting point, each has been refining their skills. Mariana specializes in hospitality and service, and Juan trains and teaches students in technical culinary disciplines and gastronomic culture.
Both Juan and Mariana bring together several years of invaluable work experience, having successfully led service teams of up to 125 staff members in the restaurant industry, taught at international culinary schools, and provided gastronomic consultancy services to clients in the primary and secondary sectors. In those years, they have acquired immeasurable experience in the field, educating and training more than 500 people for kitchen and front-of-the-house service. Mariana and Juan currently serve and have recently dealt with students and clients from more than 45 countries. They achieve that experience only with the complicity of a couple that successfully keeps working together.
Every step its founders have taken in those more than ten years gives rise to the Artisan Culinary School.
Our mission is to inspire through meaningful education.
We create immersive experiences for artisans, farmers, entrepreneurs, food lovers, and culinary professionals—honoring and sharing the knowledge, skills, and cultural heritage that define Europe’s food traditions. Through hands-on learning and deep human connection, we aim to preserve and pass on the best of Western culinary culture.
