6 Venues Where You Can Learn to Cook Like a Chef or Make Coffee Like a Barista

Ever wanted to cook a meal just like what you eat at your favourite local restaurant?

These days, many Chefs and restaurants are adding cooking classes to their repertoire as home cooks want to expand their culinary horizons and dish up new temptations to serve family and friends.

Here are six venues where you can learn to cook like a Chef or make coffee like a barista in time for Spring:

Lush palm fronds and tinkling wind chimes take you from the Hinterland haven of Yandina into the wondrous world of The Spirit House Restaurant. New dishes from Head Chef Tom Hitchcock await guests at this Chef Hat-awarded venue, where a memorable dining experience of modern Southeast Asian flavours is guaranteed.

 

Whether you are a competent cook or simply want a basic understanding of Asian ingredients and cooking methods, a hands-on Spirit House cooking class is a great way to meet new people, learn new skills and have an enjoyable day out which includes lunch/dinner and wine. Click here to see the upcoming cooking class schedule.

Experience the original flavours of Italy at Pizza e Vino on Glebe Point Road in Glebe and indulge in authentic cuisine, traditional pizza and a great selection of wines. Find a welcoming ambience and friendly staff who will make you feel right at home in moody surrounds of subdued lighting, Art Deco-style artwork and exposed brick walls covered with hanging pots and pans.

 

Join the Art of Cooking class and Chef will share his secrets and tricks of the trade in a simple, professional way; or become a pizzamaker for the day – it doesn’t matter if you are here for fun, or to learn how to amaze your friends at home, roll up your sleeves and be ready to get your hands into your dough for a full immersive journey into the world of pizza.

Offering traditional Italian dining and an exclusive vibe, I Maccheroni on Jersey Road in Woollahra draws visitors from near and far to enjoy an authentically styled experience. Charming rusticity abounds inside with timber furniture and walls accented with navy cushioned seating and dark racks overflowing with an extensive selection of wines, creating an intimate ambience for romantic dining.

 

Every Saturday, Chef will teach you how to cook mouth-watering Italian delicacies from scratch with a choice between arancini, fresh pasta or gnocchi; intimate group sizes ensure you have a hands-on authentic Italian cooking experience and take home life-long skills as well as an I Maccheroni tote bag, limoncello and recipe cards.

Find the first coffee roasting business to be located on the Mid-north Coast at Peak Coffee Brew Lab & Roastery on Jambali Road in Port Macquarie. The brainchild of global coffee entrepreneurs, Sean and Kristine Edwards, this crop-to-cup venue provides expertly-roasted wholesale coffee, along with a range of online beans, merchandise, brewing equipment and barista courses.

 

Come into the brew lab to learn about the range of espresso, filter and single-origin coffee on offer along with how to launch your career as a barista with small and private classes with plenty of practice time and one-on-one interaction with trainers for each participant. Click here to view training sessions.

Those looking to appease ravenous hunger in Kangaroo Flat head down High Street to find OMG BBQ – Bendigo’s only low and slow barbeque restaurant, dessert bar and café. Find all your BBQ needs at this one-stop-shop from gift boxes with hand-selected rubs and sauce to a pit master pack with everything you need to prepare a sensational grill up; while those looking for exclusive desserts are catered for by ‘the Dessert Nerd’, who designs and concocts the most amazing sweet treats to entice all taste buds.

 

Join one of the OMG BBQ Academy classes and gain the confidence to cook food that is mouth-watering – it doesn’t matter your experience level, or even if you have a smoker or not, you will enjoy your day learning how to cook brisket, pork, lamb and chicken, in more ways than just one! You’ll also learn how to whip up a couple of sides so you are not just serving great meat.

Combining food, fun, family and friends, dining at Criniti’s Brighton Le Sands on The Grand Parade creates memories with your loved ones. When you visit this rustic restaurant - voted Australia’s favourite Italian - you are treated like family as you peruse a fusion menu of traditional and contemporary dishes, from wood-fired pizza and pasta to ribs, steaks, burgers and gourmet salads.

 

Learn the art of pizza making in an immersive and hands-on class designed to teach you the techniques and secrets behind creating delicious and authentic pizza from scratch, from preparing the perfect dough to selecting and combining high-quality ingredients. You’ll learn how to knead the dough and experiment with various toppings and cheese to create a unique pizza.