EXCLUSIVE COOKING EXPERIENCES
Victoria is home to Australia’s top chefs and restaurateurs and we believe that there is no other city in the world that can boast the diversity and quality of our food and wine. Enjoy a hands-on cooking experience with one of Victoria’s leading chefs in Melbourne or in regional locations such as Daylesford, Mornington Peninsula or the Yarra Valley.
Paddock to Plate at Green Olive, Red Hill
Green Olive at Red Hill, in the heart of the spectacular wine country of the Mornington Peninsula just one hour from Melbourne, has established itself as one of the premier ‘Agritourism’ properties in Australia. Spend time on a walking tour though the olive grove learning all about biological farming, olive oil, and table olives. Wander through the vineyard and get a feel for why ‘terroir’ plays such an important role in producing great wines. Learn all about seasonal produce in the ‘kitchen’ garden, while touching, feeling, smelling and being a part of the food you will then cook.
This Food and Wine experience is all about rolling up sleeves and joining the farmer in the paddock and the chef in the kitchen. Guests will use their culinary skills and be guided by Green Olive’s expert chef to create a true “paddock to plate” dish. Once the hard work is done guests can sit down and enjoy their food creation with a glass of Green Olive at Red Hill Estate grown wine.
Daylesford with Alla Wolf-Tasker AM
An icon in regional dining, Lake House in Daylesford has long been considered one of Australia’s best restaurants, championing local seasonal cuisine long before it became a mantra for many. The hotel and all manner of indulgent facilities that have grown around the restaurant over the past three decades continue to delight visitors from near and far. Culinary Director and visionary, Alla Wolf Tasker has enough national and international awards to fill virtually every wall of her fabled house on the lake from Two Hats in the national Good Food Guide to Australia’s Best Wine List Hall of Fall from Gourmet Traveller. Widely credited for getting regional destination dining started in Australia against all odds; Alla’s tenacity and a belief in what was possible is indeed legendary. Her passion and enthusiasm to support and profile local Victorian producers is exemplary. During this Acacia exclusive experience guests will meet the who’s who of agriculture in central Victoria. Alla will introduce the producers before stepping into the Lake House kitchen where she will provide an intimate and educational cooking demonstration that leads to an exceptional dining experience.
Italian-Australian Cooking in a Private Home
While the history of Italian migration to Melbourne dates back to the 1850’s gold rush, it was the post war migrant influx that forever transformed our city in to the vibrant culinary hub that it is today. Indeed, it is the fusion of Mediterranean and Asian cooking techniques with spectacular Australian produce, that best epitomises modern Australian cuisine. For guests after an intriguing glimpse into the world of Italian-Australian cuisine, join Melbourne local home chef Sandra Del Greco on an authentic culinary adventure inspired by regional, seasonal and fresh ingredients. Guests may first elect to join Sandra on a tour of one of Melbourne’s buzzing local markets where she provides insight in selecting the freshest ingredients for the feast ahead. Then, in a private home kitchen and with a quality pinot grigio in hand, Sandra will create dishes that pay homage to both her Abruzzese heritage and her Australian homeland in an interactive, relaxed and conversational environment.
Walter Trupp Market Tour & Cooking Class
As befitting Australia’s culinary capital, Melbourne is blessed with one of the country’s leading cooking schools. In an impressive, designed for purpose kitchen facility a short distance from one of Melbourne’s inner city produce markets, guests can join private cooking classes with acclaimed chef Walter Trupp who has forged an international reputation at some of the most prestigious restaurants in Europe, including a stint as Head Chef of Marco Pierre White’s restaurant group. Guests will first journey to bustling Prahran Market where guests will be expertly guided on the selection of quality seasonal produce suitable for the cooking class. Then back to the kitchen for an entirely hands-on experience with plenty of laughs to be enjoyed along the way. The culmination of this fun activity will be the consumption of your own culinary masterwork.
