The Shoalhaven is a food lover’s paradise, with an abundance of amazing local ingredients on offer. Sampling some of our food is always a highlight during your stay. But for those of you who’d like to go to the next level and go on a little gastronomic adventure, then book into one of our fantastic cooking classes with our foodie experts. Whether you’d like to learn to bake, ferment or just simply know a bit more about pairing flavours together, we have a variety of workshops available to suit anyone’s flavour.
The Valley Table, Kangaroo Valley
With 15+ years in Sydney’s food scene, Angie is bringing her homemade, gourmet family meals to Shoalhaven. Based out of Kangaroo Valley, The Valley Table offers heat-and-serve meals, perfect for weekends away, as well as bespoke cooking classes (starting November 2024) featuring locally grown produce and ethically sourced, free-range meat. In addition, Angie brings a range of wild-fermented and locally grown condiments and drinks, by Angie’s Food. Available to order as a standalone product, or able to be worked into menus, these change with the seasons and champion local produce. Want to get a taste of what you can expect? The Valley Table are regulars are the KV markets, and a few valley-based events. Keep any eye on their socials for their next location or for upcoming classes.
Milk Haus, Milton
Join the gut health revolution and learn how to boost your immune system with some delicious wholefoods. Milk Haus cooking school in Milton runs regular workshops that focus on anti-inflammatory recipes that you’ll actually want to eat! Learn all the ins and outs of what to include in your diet plus all the bad foods to avoid. The team will teach you the art of fermentation and how to make your very own bone broth, both great ways to promote better gut health and relieve general discomfort. Milk Haus also runs regular raw food and vegan cooking classes, filled with recipes that will impress even your most cynical of meat-eating mates! The lovely venue where all the workshops are held also overlooks the beautiful, green rolling hills that surround the property – an amazing setting to relax and get hands-on with some fresh ingredients. Check out the Milk Haus website for more details of what’s currently happening in their kitchen, we’re sure that there’ll be a workshop that floats your boat!
Carramar Kitchen and Cottage, Cambewarra
Tucked away in a quiet corner of Cambewarra, Carramar Kitchen and Cottage offer a bespoke combination of accommodation and cooking classes. Drawing on many years spent in the USA, classes feature a strong Tex-Mex influence, and champion seasonal, local produce, some of which is grown on the property. With many years’ experience as a personal chef, classes can be tailored, and feature taste-test, demonstrations and explanations throughout the day, ending in a (delicious) shared meal. Keeping the day immersive and hands on, numbers are capped to ensure that each participant makes the most of the day. Wondering when to book? Check out the upcoming classes here.
The Treat Factory, Berry
The Bean to Bar children’s workshops at The Treat Factory in Berry are a huge hit with the kids at Easter. Running especially for little ones only, they’re a great way for children to learn all about the chocolate making process with their very own hands. Plus, they get to sample the fruits of their labour at the end and in indulge in all the chocolate they’ve just made! The class is filled with loads of fun but also provides a solid educational foundation for all the important parts of a chocolatier’s process. While you’re here, make sure to pay a visit to the Dairy Bar which serves up artisan gelato, sundaes and milkshakes – all made on-site with award-winning South Coast Dairy milk and cream. You won’t get much fresher than these udderly delicious treats!
Martins Ridge Farm, Conjola
If smallgoods, charcuterie and delicatessens are your vibe, then this is the workshop for you. Martin’s Ridge Farm, nestled in the hills of Conjola on the South Coast, is sustainable, free-range farm that connects people with their food. Holding workshops on charcuterie and sausage making on the property, participants are taught the basics of butchery, how each cut is used as well as the curing and fermentation process for meats. From prosciutto and pancetta to salamis, bacon and sausages, attendees will walk away with a share of produce from the weekend, as well as a host of recipes to try the process again and again. Don’t have a whole weekend to spare? Pop by the farm gate on Fridays, or stop by one of the many local stockists.
