The Agrarian Kitchen -A must do for the Glitterlist
If you're in Tasmania, then you should do this. But this year's 2024 Cooking school lineup is seriously next level. (scroll down for the most recent updated classes)
When I first moved to Tasmania in 2016, a friend surprised me by inviting me to join her for an all-day hands-on workshop at The Agrarian Kitchen that she said it was "Somewhere I Know You Will Like." I was thrilled! Not only was it a day out with her, but we were also going to learn a dozen things we could make for Christmas with the talented and effervescent Rebecca Sullivan from Grannie Skills. I drove the 2-hour trip from the bottom of Tasmania with glee. Arriving at the century-old schoolhouse, parking, and then heading first to refuel with coffee and a light bite, we made the niceties introductions to our other new classmates before diving in for a full day of learning. The day was structured to learn 10 skills with a Christmas flavour. The food, the building, the chatter, and the people I met were all foodies, lifelong learners, and creative individuals with similar values. Gosh, it was fun. However, it was the walk through the extensive food garden that blew me away, and this is where I first met Rodney Dunn.
‘Roddy’ as they called him, was lightly funny, softly spoken, and had a way of conversing with everyone in a room - which to me, is one of the finest skills I think a person can have. But, boy, could he cook. The 12 of us gathered around a long table, buzzing on with our hamper projects—making sented candles, loose leaf tea, door wreaths, pickled cherries, Christmas cake, and so fourth. It was much later in that afternoon, that I skipped out of the Schoolhouse with a basket of freshly made goodies, grinning at the fact, not only had a fabulous day out - I’d finally worked out how to make amazing whipped body butter.
That was over half a decade ago. Since then, I have gone on to make an annual batch of spiced cherries every year, (made my yearly batch last week)…
Up until then, I had only really ever done 1 other immersive cooking class- in my 20s- in the very far south of Ireland at Ballymaloe Cookery School. I went for a day, & back then, I didn't think anything could trump it. Well, that's until now.
When Roddy and Sevone decided to up stumps, relocate the School into their pretty historical town of New Norfolk, they broaden the picture, starting afresh between the walls of the large sprawling old mental asylum building- they knew they were going to be challenged. It's probably 20 times bigger set up compared with their schoolhouse, but its a gamble that has paid off. Gone are the Polly tunnels - its a world class acre food garden, and it really is amazing. Visiting them, it's clear to see that they nailed it -long table lunches, grand evening dinners, to the outdoor kiosk for the most amazing takeaway cake, their degustation lunch, and immersive cooking and gardening experiences. For me - The Agrarian Kitchen dining experience is up there with some of the loveliest things to do in Tasmania, if not Australia. On any budget.
What I love, is that can experience it in a few ways - as a visit caters for all styles of traveler and budgets.
If you can spare the day and the pennies, then definitely treat yourself to an entire day of cooking in the school kitchen. Honestly its a destination in its own right.1 But seriously the entire day is a cooking next level experience. Besides their signature 'The Kitchen Experience’ classes on Friday, there is also a sprinkling of the calendar's special date classes lineup for this year. These are taught from some of the finest chefs/artians from round Australia, For ease, for me, I’ve made a list and links to each of these classes to book. They all come with a luxurious long table sit down lunch, but these teachers are handpicked experts in their crafts. And gold for students to learn from.
2024 Agrarian School ‘Special Workshops’
January 14th 'The Vegetarian Experience’ with Roddy SOLD OUT
January 29th ‘The Whole Hog’ Marcus Vermey, Butcher, 2 Days (1 spot) SOLD OUT
February 3rd ‘The Art of Flower Cultivation & Design’ Jac Semmler (1 spots) Book Here
March 2nd ‘Gardening Fundamentals’ Mitch Thiessen, head gardener (1 spot) SOLD OUT
March 8th ‘Tomato Gluttony’ Roddy Book Here
March 16th ‘Cook with Darren Robertson’ (2 spots) Book Here
March 19th & 20th ‘Fermentation Experience’ Rough Rice- 2 Days (1 spot) Book Here
April 13th ‘Cook with Joseph Abboud’ (3 spots) Book Here
April 21st 'The Vegetarian Experience’ with Roddy Book Here SOLD OUT
April 22nd - 23rd ‘The Secrets of Sourdough’ Jay Patey, Pigeonhole Bakers (8) Book Here
April 27th ‘Cook with Peter Gilmore & Elizabeth Hewson’ Chef + Writer (spots) SOLD OUT
April 28th ‘Cook with Peter Gilmore & Elizabeth Hewson’ (4 spots) Book Here
May 5th & 6th ‘The Whole Hog’ Marcus Vermey, Butcher (11 spots) Book Here
May 20th+ 21st ‘Natural Cheesemaking’ Stephan Peak & Roddy 2 Day (3 spots) Book Here
May 26th ‘Handmade Pasta’ Sam Smith (ex River Cafe) (7 spots) Book Here
May 27th ‘The Whole Hog’ Marcus Vermey, Butcher (9 spot) Book Here
June 14th ‘Cook with Analiese Gregory’ (1 spots) Book Here SOLD OUT
June 21st ‘Cook with Danielle Alvarez (6 spots) Book Here
June 22nd’Cook with Danielle Alvarez (2 spots) Book Here
June 28th & 29th ‘Charcuterie’ Roddy - 2 Day Course (1 spots) SOLD OUT
July 27th ‘Cooking with Truffles’ Roddy (3 spots) Book Here SOLD OUT
August 4th ‘Cook with Lennox Hastie SOLD OUT
August 5th ‘Cook with Lennox Hastie SOLD OUT
August 8th ‘Bake with Nadine Ingram of Flour + Stone’ (11 spots) Book Here
August 9th ‘Bake with Nadine Ingram of Flour + Stone’ (7 spots) Book Here
August 12th ‘Cook with Andrew McConnell’ SOLD OUT
August 16th ‘Beatrix Bakes’ Book Here SOLD OUT
August 17th ‘Beatrix Bakes’ SOLD OUT
August 26-27th ‘The Secrets of Sourdough’ Jay Patey, Pigeonhole Bakers (12 ) Book Here
September 8th ‘Handmade Pasta’ Sam Smith (12 spots) Book Here
September 16th ‘Natural Cheesemaking’ Stephan peak & Roddy (12 spots) Book Here
September 21st ‘Gardening Fundamentals’ Mitch, head gardener (6 spots) Book Here
October 18th ‘Cook with Analise Gregory’ Book Here SOLD OUT
November 8th 'The Vegetarian Experience’ with Roddy (7 spots) Book Here
November 15th ‘Bake with Belinda Geffory’ Book Here SOLD OUT
November 16th ‘Bake with Belinda Geffory’ SOLD OUT
November 22nd ‘Beatrix Bakes’ Book Here SOLD OUT
November 23rd ‘Beatrix Bakes’ Book Here SOLD OUT
All include a garden tour and a long table lunch.
One of the most fabulous things to do is to book into their set lunch at $180 per person. Add another $70 for pairing wines ( or just order what you like) Its utterly fabulous. You can see the seasonal dishes on their instagram here. It’s tailored around the seasonal garden - and if you can time it - book the garden tour before - it’s the best combination - It’s such a good feel-good experience. Lunch is between 11-2 Fridays in summer otherwise they are hosted on Saturday, & Sunday…but do book. Seats are snapped up quickly in busy seasons
If your passing through - then a quick caffine refresh out on the grass from the kiosk with a lovely slice of cake and a lovely to soak up the sun in the historial space is in order. Or cocktail/wine. The cake is always amazing. On the way to the loos go check out the wall of seasonal preserves and concutions/brews that they make - like bottling a library of a years work. Here you’ll see here their handmade maturing cheese, umami concoctions and hanging cured meats on site. They have a few ‘picnic staples’ preserves usually on offer too - grab-a jar for a thank-you or to crack later on in winter. It’s quite spectacular to see how ‘garden to plate’ they really are.
I’m running out of lines….till next time…. X LJ
(If theres not a date there that suits and theres a few of you - maybe email them….. I discovered that they can fashion up and do private classes of 8-12 students. Win!)
I really must put this on my bucket list now that I’ve reached the time of my life when the bucket list is all about me, rather than me and the kids and the other half.
Oh bugger, Our bus broke down and we're at New Norfolk for a few days, hopefully we will be back on the road soon.But there's no courses available at Agrarian Kitchen.I will have to suffer with coffee and cake , it's a hard life but someone's got to do it.I went to Cake lady Cafe yesterday, It was my childhood right there all of it .Tupperware everything , red Formica table s painted hutches , canisters, and dial up phones .It was like being at home in the 70s