Gosman Spoon Co. reviews

Julie Buckley reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"Thoroughly enjoyed this course. I was bought it as a birthday present and had no idea what to expect. We were met by Nick and Debbie who were both so welcoming and knowledgeable. The day flew by as we sat in the sunshine in their garden and turned a big lump of wood into a spoon using axes and knives. I’ll never look at wooden spoons the same way again. I left filled with ideas and inspiration and a fairly decent spoon for a first attempt."

Gosman Spoon Co. responded:

"Thanks Julie. It’s always amazing how much there is to making a simple spoon!"

Ben reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"Brilliant day excellent instruction and by the end of the day had a decent looking spoon, would highly recommend. The home made soup for lunch was also lovely. Thanks. Ben"

Gosman Spoon Co. responded:

"Thanks Ben and glad you enjoyed the soup! "

Richard Holborn reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"An excellent day - Nick made everyone feel really comfortable and capable. Explaining the tools and the techniques of spoon carving. Would really recommend and made all the better by the amazing vegetable soup produced by Debbie - which was a welcome surprise!! Everyone walks away with a spoon! "

Gosman Spoon Co. responded:

"We’re so glad you enjoyed the course and the soup! Please just email if you need any more information."

Liz reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"I booked my husband onto the spoon carving course as a birthday gift. He thoroughly enjoyed it! Nick and Debbie were very helpful and friendly. Everything, including the setup and tools to use, were really good. Highly recommended. "

Gosman Spoon Co. responded:

"Thank you so much Liz for your kind words. We’re so glad that Richard enjoyed his day and that you had a great day at Bressingham! If Richard or you would like more information on greenwood carving or tools, etc., please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Best wishes Nick & Debbie"

Nikki reviewed: Advanced spoon carving techniques

"Nick is a very friendly and accommodating chap. Although he's extremely knowledgeable about tools and wood, he has a kindly gentle way of sharing it. The beautiful setting feels like you're in a woodland despite being very easy to get to. Likewise Debbie is lovely, keeping us plied with proper coffee and tasty treats. We did the whole day course, each making our own spoons for our household. I remember being told a Welsh saying along the lines of, "a couple who stirs together stays together"; which is why I thought it would be a nice craft to do together. We had a lovely sunny day which started with a little chat around the fire. Then we learned about wood, tools and resources for getting started. Very soon we were designing our own spoons, riding draw horses and wielding axes. Then we ate our packed lunches and raring to go we resumed with carving and finessing our spoons. No sooner said than done we made a smaller eating spoon. The time flew by and it was such a delight to spend time without digital devices. You could do this craft on your own, as a couple, with a friend or as a family group. Be warned though you will sleep ever so soundly, dreaming of running away to woods and becoming a spoon carving elf. ;-) "

Gosman Spoon Co. responded:

"Thank you Nikki for such a lovely review and for your kind words. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need advice on tools etc. Spoon carving can become very compulsive! Best wishes Nick & Debbie"

Andrew Cole reviewed: Beginner’s bowl carving

"As a complete novice I was a little nervous as to how quick I’d be able to actually make something, but I needn’t have been. Nick very quickly got me into it, his knowledge and ability to teach is second to none, and it’s clearly something he is passionate about. The feeling when you’ve produced something is fantastic. The setting of the course is beautiful and the hospitality from Nick and Debbie is wonderful, with the constant flow of coffee and of course the home made scones. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to get away from things and immerse in something completely new. ?"

Gosman Spoon Co. responded:

"Thank you Andrew for your lovely comments and review, it’s much appreciated. If you have any questions about tools or need advice, etc, please don’t hesitate to ask :)"

Christina reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"Nick and Sophie are great hosts and they do everything to give all participants a fabulous experience. One to one attention instills confidence, which in turn supports individual creative processes. Everything at the right pace, patient guidance, and an obvious love of sharing their knowledge, skills and passion. Relaxing setting away from noise and interruptions and the very best warm scones made the day perfect. And I have finally used my carving axe and carved a spoon. Thank you. Christina"

Gosman Spoon Co. responded:

"Thank you so much for your kind words Christina, it was lovely having you here and the weather was marvellous, so perfect all round! If you have any questions or need help finding tools, please just ask!"

John Pettigrew reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"Lovely venue and kind, welcoming hosts. We learned a lot and were well supported in learning a new craft - and well fed with tea and excellent home-made scones! Being given some more green wood to take home and start a second spoon with was great. There are few things more annoying than learning something fun and then not having the chance to continue. Overall, a great day and definitely recommended."

Gosman Spoon Co. responded:

"Thank you John, we’re so glad you both enjoyed your day. If you have any questions, just ask!"

Mike reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"I did this course recently and I have to say the whole day was excellent and great fun. Nick is a great tutor, explaining things clearly and being patient while us newbies were trying not to hack our fingers off! I particularly enjoyed the fact that Nick and his wife Debbie obviously have a proper interest in nature and the outdoors and took the time to explain not only the process of spoon carving itself, but also some history around the tools and correct wood to use etc. I felt like I came away from the course with decent background knowledge, a new skill and a new spoon of course! Great fun and highly recommended."

Gosman Spoon Co. responded:

"Thank you so much for your kind words Mike. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me."

Julia South reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"I didn't actually attend the course but my son and husband did. They really enjoyed the day. My son is starting DofE and wanted to test the water to see if woodworking could be the skill he learnt and this course gave him a good starter insight. Booking and communication was straight forward also, so would definitely recommend this course."

Gosman Spoon Co. responded:

"Thank you Julia, we’re so glad your sone enjoyed the day!"

Alison reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"I had a lovely day in the relaxed surroundings of Nick and Debbie's garden whilst learning a new craft. Nick and Debbie were excellent instructors and I came away having learnt to use a range of tools, including my own whittling set and various tools of Nick's. I am proud of the spoon that I created under their instruction and look forward to carving more. Thank you."

Gosman Spoon Co. responded:

"Hello Alison. Thank you for your kind words. We’re so glad you enjoyed the day. If you have any questions or need help finding tools, please don’t hesitate to contact me."

Will reviewed: Advanced spoon carving techniques

"Nick is a friendly, knowledgable and patient teacher! He taught my wife and me to make spoons from a wood billet from scratch. I would certainly recommend this to anyone who has any interest in wood carving. I had never done anything like it before but thoroughly enjoyed it. My wife also really enjoyed it, and found it different to whittling which she has some prior experience with. Using axes and a draw-horse was particularly enjoyable!"

Rachel Higgins reviewed: Advanced spoon carving techniques

"Thank you Nick and Debbie for a fantastic day carving a spoon. It was great to see the whole process from log to spoon. We particularly loved learning axe skills. Debbie’s cake and coffee kept us going all day too. We would recommend this course to anyone who has an interest in heritage skills, Nick certainly knows what he is talking about. We will be back to carve a Scandinavian bowl/cup in the future. Thanks again for a brilliant day."

Elaine & William Portch reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"We had a thoroughly enjoyable day carving our spoons. Nick began the course by talking 'trees'! We were given good tuition in how to use the tools safely and effectively and were guided through the stages of creating our own spoons. Fantastic hospitality copious tea and homemade cake and scones! Thank you to you both."

Anthony reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"I had such a great time on this course on 19th Sept. It was excellently run, with a seemingly limitless supply of tea, coffee and cake. Nick and Debbie were excellent, encouraging and knowledgable guides. We got to try out a range of tools, and best of all - I carved a spoon! We're going to hang it as an ornament above our kitchen door, as a marker. The first of many, now I've got the bug!"

Gosman Spoon Co. responded:

"Thank you Anthony for your kind words. It was a pleasure having you on the course. Happy spoon carving :)"

Jackie reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"This was an excellent beginner course despite the weather. Nick was very knowledgeable and it easy to follow instructions. The cake and refreshments were spot on for such a wet day."

Gosman Spoon Co. responded:

"Thank you so much Jackie. We’re so glad you enjoyed the day. If you need further help to find information on our website, just email :) Best wishes Nick & Debbie"

Jonathan Underwood reviewed: Beginner’s bowl carving

"A thoroughly enjoyable weekend. The course is intensive but so interesting we got stuck in and learned as much as we could. I was amazed at what I could achieve with a few extremely sharp tools. Nick's expert knowledge, coaching and patients allowed me to develop new skills and techniques. Facilities are basic but all you require. Debbie's apple cake is to die for! I would recommend this course and I suggest getting booked in ASAP!"

Gosman Spoon Co. responded:

"Thank you so much for your kind words and generous praise. Take care and best wishes. Nick & Debbie"

Sheelagh and Clive Steward reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"We had a thoroughly enjoyable day…such an achievement to turn a block of wood into a spoon…great patient teaching with lots of useful information about the history of wooden spoon making and understanding how to work with wood and using the tools necessary. Great hospitality too..a fun day and shall enjoy using our wooden spoons. Thoroughly recommend…beautiful, peaceful location too!"

Louisa reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"We had an amazing day with Nick and Debbie, learning everything from types of wood to use through to different techniques and how to handle all the different characteristics of the wood that came our way as we worked on our spoons! Nick was incredibly patient and helpful, and we both left with something to be very proud of. Thank you for helping me make Father’s Day that bit more special this year; it’s a day we will remember and talk about for quite some time to come!"

Gosman Spoon Co. responded:

"Thank you Louisa! We are are so happy that we were part of your Dad’s special Father’s Day."

Edward Garrett-Jones reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"Hi Nick, Thanks for the tuition and also thanks for your enthusiasm in running the spoon-carving course. It will be something I will remember in years to come. 40 years ago I spent some time in South Yemen where there was nothing even remotely resembling a spoon. Wonder if they use spoons nowadays? I sorted the balance on Monday. I am looking forward to starting your book. Would you be interested if I sent you some extracts from my father's wartime diaries? I sent you ad odd sum to cover the book balance and the gloves so please let me know if I need to adjust. Hope we can meet again soon."

Gosman Spoon Co. responded:

"Hello Edward Thank you for your kind words. Spoon-making HQ at the moment seems to be Romania and Portugal where I believe they have people selling them in markets. Your Father’s wartime experience sounds like an amazing story. I would be interested in finding out more. If you could share some extracts, that would be fantastic. Perhaps we can work together on it? I’m between books at the moment, so the timing is good :-) Best wishes Nick Nick@gosmanspoonco.com"

Linda reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"What an awesome day! Fabulous weather, great setting, and great fellow ‘spoon-makers! I came away with renewed confidence and a ‘not too shabby’ eating spoon. Recommend this course for anyone interested in starting on a spoon carving journey - you will learn everything you need to know about wood, axe work and knife work. Nick’s enthusiasm and encouragement is a tonic and spoon carving is just a little bit infectious, so beware - you’ll be hooked!!!"

Gosman Spoon Co. responded:

"Thank you Linda! If you need any more help or advice on tools, please don’t hesitate to easily me."

Jay Bailey reviewed: Beginner’s bowl carving

"What an amazing few days with Nick. Even having a few years of woodworking and woodturning knowledge, I definitely can say I learnt a LOT in those two days. Nick is very passionate and knowledgeable about what he teaches. His teaching is very clear, well organised and even a novice can grasp both complex and basic techniques (although it certainly does take practise!). Nick and his family were very welcoming, entertaining and the food was delicious! I hope I can return to one of Nicks courses and learn more from the master. Thank you Gosman Spoon Co."

Gosman Spoon Co. responded:

"Thanks so much for your review Jay, it’s much appreciated :)"

caz mattocks reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"I still cannot believe i made my own spoon! Never having used any of the equipment before and having absolutely zero experience, my expectations were low but guided by Debbie and Nick I had such an interesting, enjoyable day and somehow made a spoon. Debbie and Nick were absolutely wonderful, they offer just the right amount of guidance. Clear instructions and demonstrations were given every step of the process and then we were left to complete each stage with encouragement and helpful tips. Debbie and Nick have a lovely way of teaching which is perfect for adult learning, building confidence and self belief. I didn't just leave with a spoon, at the end of the day, I left with a new confidence about trying new skills, developing carving techniques, being at one with wood the outdoors and not having to have everything perfect. Thank you Debbie and Nick ?"

Angie reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"Great day despite the cool weather. Nick was very generous in sharing his knowledge and the setting in his garden was lovely. I look forward to coming back for the advanced course in a few months."

Matt & Charlotte reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"We had a fantastic day not only learning about spoon carving but also the history and tradition of green woodworking. We were a little bit nervous coming as it was the furthest we have been away since lockdown however we were made to feel really welcome and felt very safe. Nick went to alot of effort to work with our own style and we came away with beautiful hand carved spoons!"