Our Workshops

Introduction to Cheese Making Workshop

Introduction to Cheese Making is a mostly demonstration workshop starting at 2pm and going to approximately 4:00 pm. We limit the workshops to 5-9 people. This class is for anyone interested in making food from scratch, sustainably and cost effectively. The process is so easy, and you will Wow your family and friends. In this class I will be teaching participants to prepare a range of scrumptious cheeses from scratch which include the following: -

1. Gourmet Feta – this can be marinated in various oils with assorted herbs and spices to create your own unique gift to suit discerning palates. You will make this cheese that you will take home to finish over the following days.

2. Pot Set Yoghurt – you will never spend $$$ on store bought pot set Greek probiotic yoghurt again – this is an all-round winner with everyone in both flavours and cost.

3. Labneh – Make great dips and cheese balls with this healthy version that will replace your sour cream, this is another winner.

4. Quark – Save $$ on cream cheese. Think about all the Cheesecakes and dips you make over the holidays, this is a $$ saving and sustainable version that is a sensation.

This workshop is designed to take the mystery out of cheese making and break it down into something so simple, you will be able to reproduce it in your own kitchen, the method and technique are as simple as the ingredients themselves.

Notes will be provided. Pre course coffee & tea is provided along with tasting of homemade preserves and cheeses.

Following completion of the workshops, each participant is invited to take advantage of a discount on the equipment and ingredients to make the cheeses.

The Full Day Cheese Making Workshop

Class numbers are restricted to ensure hands-on experience, you will be making your own cheeses in the workshop. Our cheese making workshops are taught by home cheese makers for home cheese makers, we do not use fancy equipment and the process has been modified for your home kitchen environment. After the workshop we guarantee you will be able to make your own cheeses at home!

At the end of it all, you will be surprised at how easy home cheese making really is! Home cheese making is also cost effective, we will show you how to make your own delicious creamy Greek Style Pot Set Yoghurt for just over $1.70. Plus, you know what goes into the food you are consuming.

You will be working in groups to make your own *Artisan Cheese and Marinated Feta along with demonstrations for making Pot Set Yoghurt, Labneh, Quark and Ricotta. Class notes will be provided.

Pre course coffee & tea and morning tea is provided, along with lunch, cheese, and homemade preserve tastings. Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements so we can adjust the menu accordingly. In addition to this, the milk, and a hoop to take home with your cheese are included. Other ingredients (to make the cheese) will be available for purchase.

We limit the workshops to 6-9 people. We start at 10:30am and finish around 4:30pm. Please note, these workshops require a minimum of 6 people to run

*Artisan - made in a traditional or non-mechanized way using high-quality ingredients

Artisan cheese – could be any of the following: - Camembert, Triple Cream Brie, Blue, Swiss, Asiago, Havarti, Halloumi, Greek Fetta, Pecorino, Gruyere, or any other cheese that we get a request to make.

The Preserving Workshop

This is a demonstration workshop starting at 1:00pm and going to approximately 4:00pm. Each class will cover preserving food – bottling, drying, pickling, freezing, smoking, safe preserving basics and techniques, and will include some hands-on steps, sampling, and discussing preserving history, methods, and so much more.

Home Preserves

For all home canners, some understanding of what canning (bottling & preserving) is and why it works will be most helpful. Canning (Bottling & Preserving) is a reliable method of preserving food, and the basics of canning are easy to learn.

Are you interested in the art of preserving food – bottling, drying, pickling, freezing, smoking, and storing surplus produce from the garden and having “food for all seasons”. The fridge dependency has meant many have lost the skills of preserving and storing food to enable us to use today’s surplus against tomorrow’s shortages and ensure you have food throughout all the seasons.

Plants, like all living things, grow, die, and decay. As soon as you pull up a carrot or pick an apple, the process of decay begins. For this reason, all fruit and vegetables are best eaten fresh, but this is often not practical, especially when you have a glut of produce, ripe and ready for harvest at the same time.

There are few things more rewarding for the home gardener than to assemble a meal of home grown produce. This harvest can be enjoyed year around by preserving, be it via bottling, drying, salting, fermenting, pressure canning or freezing.

The beauty of this is that not only can the season’s surplus be preserved for other times of the year, but also a variety of flavours and textures can be enjoyed because of the preserving process.

As people have concerns over the additives to foods and the increase in allergic reactions to types of chemicals. If you preserve it yourself, you know exactly what has gone into the food.

Smoking Workshops

BEGINNING SMOKING WORKSHOP

This is a half day demonstration workshop. Each class will cover safe smoking basics and techniques, introduction to recipes, rubs, brines, along with discussion of different smokers and demonstration of different products and so much more.

Pre course coffee & tea is provided along with product tastings

ADVANCED SMOKING WORKSHOP

A basic knowledge of Hot and Cold Smoking is necessary as we will not cover introductory information in this workshop. We recommend that you have attended a previous basic level Smoking workshop.

We will be covering: -

· Brines and Injections

· Creating and testing a dry rub

· Techniques for different foods: - herbs, Fruit, Vegetables and Meats

· Use of different Smokers

· And much more….

Pre-course coffee & tea and morning tea is provided, along with a light lunch and product tastings. Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements so we can adjust the menu accordingly. Class notes will be provided.

Custom tailored workshops available on request

Booking Conditions:

To secure a place full payment is essential at the time of booking.
Six (6) participants are required for workshops to go ahead, and the workshop may be postponed if minimum participant numbers are not met. Most workshops will be capped at 6-9 people, we hope this will ensure each attendee is provided with the best environment to learn and retain the skill set being taught.
Given the nature of preparation required for the workshop, paid bookings are non-refundable and cannot be refunded or redeemed for cash but may be used as payment for products or used to attend another workshop of the customer’s choosing.

If you are unable to attend or wish to transfer to another workshop date, please advise us within 14 days
If you have advised us with at least 14 days’ notice, we are happy to credit your workshop fee for use in a future workshop or as payment for products
If you have not advised us with at least 14 days’ notice and we cannot fill your place in the workshop with another participant your fee will be forfeited

Gift Certificates are also available either for a $$ amount or a particular workshop.

Hope this helps with your decision, and we will see you at one of our future workshops. If you want to put a group together with a minimum of 6 people, I can do a full day Cheese Making with the cheese of your choice or an Introduction to Cheese Making Workshop for your private group.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any further questions and/or comments.

**We reserve the right to raise our workshop fee at any point within reason; unstable Cost of Living and grocery prices make accurately costing workshops months in advance of the event very difficult, unfortunately we don’t have a crystal ball to foresee any potential price rises and we will raise the cost to attend if we are advised of any significant cost increases. We encourage anyone interested in attending to book asap! Once booked you will not have any more to pay regardless of any potential cost increases closer to the date.