Take part in hands-on, traditional Italian cooking lessons held in a brightly lit kitchen, taught by first generation Italian teachers. Discover a Mediterranean diet which is not only delicious, but helps extend life!
Explore an idyllic natural valley and charming villages by hot air balloon. Ride high as you meet passionate local producers while dining at vineyard restaurants.
Bake and Gather
An idyllic scene: women selling homemade pastries for just a few dollars each in a park on a Sunday morning — strawberry scones and buckwheat danishes filled with raspberry jelly, chocolate fudge cookies and molasses-rich biscuits among them — Strawberry Scones by Los Angeles-based pastry chef Zoe Nathan of Rustic Canyon restaurant collective. But this fundraising series goes far beyond your average bake sale; this event is known as Bake & Gather and proceeds go toward her restaurant collective’s collective’s Rustic Canyon collective’s efforts to support Rustic Canyon restaurants collective.
Nathan aspires to bring people together through food in the spirit of love and community. Her concept is straightforward: host a bake sale in your community to raise funds for any charity you select; the first such sale was hosted in February and raised over $9,000. A second one will take place May 27. Nathan says her bake sales also provide an opportunity to reclaim kitchens that have become chaotic spaces; these events provide an opportunity to reconnect with food, its sources and its users – something many kitchens lack the space or time for.
Cooking can be an excellent way to enhance your health and live more sustainably, not to mention provide an enjoyable social activity when done with friends or family. Even if you don’t have time to prepare food yourself, taking part in hands-on cooking classes may provide an opportunity to develop new skills while meeting like-minded individuals while getting active while increasing mindfulness and strengthening mental wellbeing.
Melbourne offers a wealth of exciting cooking classes and culinary workshops, catering to both children and adults of all ages – including kids baking classes and artisan bread-baking workshops for both hen’s parties, team building activities or romantic experiences for couples.
Yarra Valley Food Group
The Yarra Valley Food Group is an organisation that brings together local farmers, producers and eateries to offer visitors an unforgettable culinary experience. A must-visit for anyone interested in exploring more of Melbourne’s legendary cuisine and wine. In addition, this organisation provides cooking classes that can accommodate groups from six up to fifty participants at private homes or fully-equipped kitchens in Melbourne’s trendy suburbs – ideal for team building activities that bring coworkers closer together!
At Punt Road Wines in Healesville, Punt Valley Food Group Farmers Market is an absolute delight to visit, offering local producers of all sorts at its monthly markets – fruit and vegetables to breads and sweet treats are showcased. A visit to this regional market provides an ideal family day out.
No matter if it’s your first or twentieth time visiting, the Yarra Valley Food Group Farmers’ Market always has something new and exciting for visitors of any experience level. Here you can stock up on products you know you like while exploring what else there may be to see and try, take home new recipes or meet passionate growers and makers from Yarra Valley Food Group who share in this experience.
For those wanting to expand their wine knowledge of the region, Yarra Valley Food Group provides cooking classes at De Bortoli Winery. This family-owned and operated winery prides itself on highlighting natural produce of its region; classes are led by expert chef-instructors with all cooking tools provided, after which participants share in a meal made by themselves!
An exciting wine tour of Yarra Valley’s exquisite wineries is available to those interested in tasting some of this region’s finest bottles. Viator offers easy booking processes and guests can opt for chauffeured transportation or self-driving tours according to their preference.
Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery
Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery is an absolute chocolate lover’s paradise that doubles as both a working factory and cafe, located just an hour outside Melbourne. Spread across 16 hectares with breathtaking Yarra Valley views, an orchard, wetlands, farm animals and expansive lawns; visitors are welcomed on site with free chocolate tastings as well as large viewing windows that allow them to watch talented European chocolatiers craft premium handmade chocolates at work and showcases featuring thousands of premium handmade products made in Australia – they even ship Australia wide!
Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery was established by husband-and-wife team Ian and Leanne Neeland and is home to an experienced team of European Chocolatiers as well as passionate local staff, creating an experience the entire family will enjoy.
The Chocolaterie’s popular cafe offers breakfast, morning tea, lunch and afternoon delights for its many patrons. Their menu features pastries, desserts and ice cream made from ingredients from their kitchen garden as well as local farms and ingredients from other sources sourced locally. In addition they serve an exquisite selection of locally produced coffee and wines!
Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery offers more than delectable chocolate creations; they also provide interactive workshops where visitors can get involved with and learn the craft behind what they create. With both public and private classes to meet all levels of experience.
Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery offers an exciting January school holiday program called Choco-Licious Junior Chocolatier Classes to kids aged 6 to 12. These hands on classes allow children to create their own chocolate masterpieces with help from European Chocolatiers at Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, all the while having lots of fun doing it! Class fee includes chef’s hat/apron combo, name badge/graduation certificate plus three treats as souvenirs of this educational and interactive class experience.
The shop is vast, often packed to capacity with visitors helping themselves to free unrestrained Belgian couverture chocolate. Everywhere you look is something sweet to tempt you – from massive one kilogram blocks of white and dark chocolate, soft centres shaped after Australian native animals and truffles; chocolate sauces, fudge biscuits and beauty products associated with chocolate adorn every shelf in this shop.
Healesville Sanctuary
Healesville Sanctuary is just an hour outside Melbourne and dedicated to conserving Australian native animals in an environment that closely resembles their natural habitat. Discover tranquil tracks that lead to iconic species like koalas, dingoes, and platypus roaming freely in their natural environments. Learn about conservation efforts through Keeper Talks or petting or feeding sessions offered at Healesville Sanctuary; catch magnificent birds of prey or parrots during Spirits of the Sky show for an up close and personal experience!
Experience Melbourne’s multicultural influences during this private Lebanese cuisine cooking class held at the chef’s home. Not only will you learn three dishes from family recipes, but you’ll also experience its Lebanese culture and heritage! Additionally, this experience can accommodate specific dietary requirements such as vegetarian or gluten-free options with prior notice from your instructor.
This half-day class begins at 9:30 AM and will end with lunch and a glass of wine at approximately noon. Aprons and cooking utensils will be provided to keep you clean in the kitchen while working together with our chef on creating delicious cuisine! Your booking information includes a note regarding any dietary restrictions; your personal chef will then prepare a menu according to those needs.
Healesville Sanctuary’s dining facilities are designed to meet a range of dietary preferences, from vegan and vegetarian to traditional American fare. Enjoy a meal at Sanctuary Harvest Cafe or candlebark Cafe near the front entrance for a quick lunch or snack; both offer hot and cold dishes along with beverages, ice creams and sweet treats!
Healesville Sanctuary provides something for every taste – be it an intimate dinner for two, an unforgettable family adventure or simply looking to discover Australia’s indigenous culture through nature exploration and connection experiences such as dining at its restaurants and cafes or playing or witnessing didgeridoo performances! Experience an ancient Murrundindi (Wurundjeri Elder), play or watch an didgeridoo performance, experience Australia’s indigenous heritage with all these experiences available here at Healesville Sanctuary!
Healesville Sanctuary is committed to sustainability practices and strives to send no waste to landfill. They have implemented a no single-use plastic policy as well as in-house organics recycling and aerobic composting services, strict retail and catering guidelines regarding renewable, recyclable or compostable packaging materials as well as innovative sustainability measures such as biodegradable waste management solutions and water-saving irrigation systems.