Cooking is both an art and a basic skill everyone can learn. From the right way to cut, store, clean, or defrost — there’s always something new to master, no matter your age or experience.

Seafood lovers who want to finally cook their favorite dishes, or refine their kitchen skills, can now learn straight from Manila’s top chefs — chef Kalel Chan of Lobby 385, chef Tatung Sarthou and more. Even better, the masterclasses are free. These sessions, however, are exclusively for Cold Storage members.

Cold Storage, a trusted name in the seafood industry since 1996, has long been known for premium-quality seafood — from Norwegian salmon, gindara, halibut, scallops and Chilean seabass to local catches proudly featured in their “LOKAL” line.

While many know Cold Storage from supermarket freezers, it also has two flagship stores — one in Banawe, Quezon City, and another on Wilson Street, San Juan. These stores recently launched a membership card designed to reward loyal customers with more than just discounts.

“For the longest time, since we relaunched the stores, we’ve really had a lot of customers. So I said, maybe we can extend our discounts to friends and family — things like that. Every time there’s a request like that, they would call me or my brother. They’d say, ‘Sir, this person is here, that person is here.’ These are loyal customers — they’ve been regulars for a long time. So I said, let’s just extend it to them. This is our way of making it official,” CEO Marco Qua told DAILY TRIBUNE.

During the launch of the membership card at the Wilson Street store, Qua shared the lineup of perks awaiting Cold Storage members. New sign-ups receive a free sushi platter right away, plus a birthday treat during their birth month. Members also enjoy special privileges such as a priority lane for holiday orders and exclusive invitations to product launches and events.

Then came the announcement that drew the loudest buzz: a special members-only raffle with an all-expenses-paid trip to Japan as the grand prize. “The home of world-class seafood and sushi,” Qua said with a smile, adding that this was just one of many surprises Cold Storage has in store for its loyal customers.

But perhaps the most valuable and lasting perk of all is the series of seafood masterclasses.

“You can actually talk to customers about food — like asking, ‘How do you cook that shrimp or fish?’ Sometimes, even our staff don’t know how to prepare certain dishes. Then the customers themselves teach them. Before you know it, our staff have learned something new and pass it on. So when a new customer comes, they’ll say, ‘Oh, this is how we learned to cook it.’ That’s exactly what we want — this kind of interaction,” added Qua to DAILY TRIBUNE.

Seafood can be tricky — it’s delicate, quick to spoil, and easy to overcook. These masterclasses take away the guesswork, teaching proper cleaning, seasoning, and cooking techniques so anyone can confidently prepare and serve fresh seafood at home.

“Chef Kalel and chef Tatung will be holding classes, kind of like masterclasses, exclusively for our members. It’s going to be on a first-come, first-served basis, of course, because it fills up quickly. Can you imagine attending classes with top restaurant chefs like them? You’ll see how the dishes are prepared and how beautifully they’re plated. For example, I imagine my wife or sister-in-law joining — and even me! I’d love to learn, too. It could be a Thursday class, from one to three in the afternoon, like an after-school setup. Something fun and meaningful to do on weekends as well. In fact, we’ll be holding a class tomorrow,” he added.

Qua also shared with DAILY TRIBUNE that, apart from Chef Chan and Chef Tatung, they are still in talks with other top chefs who will soon join the lineup. And getting the membership card is easy: it’s free with every P5,000 worth of purchases (single or accumulated receipts). Once you have it, you can quickly sign up for the exclusive masterclasses.

Cooking alongside a chef, learning new techniques, tasting as you go, and meeting fellow seafood enthusiasts — these are the experiences that make the Cold Storage masterclasses stand out. It’s a celebration of food, community and the joy of learning something new.