In 2022, The Agrarian Kitchen relaunched its cooking school as part of a 19th-century precinct in New Norfolk, just under a 40-minute drive from Hobart. This new iteration completes the trifecta of restaurant, cooking school and kitchen within the same historical location. The Agrarian Kitchen was founded in 2008 by Rodney Dunn (who worked under renowned chef Tetsuya Wakuda) and his wife Severine Demanet. The cooking school offers guests a chance to explore the garden and gain a better appreciation of its produce. While the classes are usually one or two days long, they are at least six months in the making, as seeds are saved, planted, watered and nurtured in preparation for your arrival.
Classes at The Agrarian Kitchen are hands-on, with purpose-built workstations, and limited to a maximum of 12 people per class. The Agrarian Experience is a weekly course that allows participants to work closely with Rodney Dunn to create a seasonal feast. The school brings in notable chefs including Peter Gilmore, Danielle Alvarez, and Ben Shewry to lead sessions, which sell out quickly.
Surrounded by bush, in the fertile lands of West Tamar, Fork n Farm Homestead offers a scenic and tranquil location to rest after exploring all that Tasmania has to offer. As well as luxurious tiny cabins, the team at Fork n Farm hold artisan workshops over one or two days. Your hosts Cassie and Aaron Lobley between them bring two decades of experience to sharing their knowledge and passion for fine food, produce and drink with small groups throughout the year.
Making the most of the Off Season, they are hosting a Fire & Wine Winter Workshop. Over the course of an evening, you’ll take part in preparing a five-course feast featuring locally sourced meats, cheeses, bread and produce, complete with matching wines, and mulled wine (made by you) plus a decadent dessert.
The Turvey family, founders of Twamley Farm, have been toiling the land around Buckland for 190 years. This sprawling farm, complete with original sandstone homestead, hosts a series of cooking classes in collaboration with local gourmet caterers Gert and Ted. With small groups they specialise in rustic Italian dishes, farmhouse French cuisine and winter warmers. For the latter, they offer a seasonal class sharing the secrets to warming comfort foods, utilising the farm’s produce to prepare a slow-cooked feast.
The day opens with cake, hot beverages (and perhaps a sneaky hot toddy) by the fire, and ends with a communal lunch matched with local east coast Tasmanian wines. Walk away with new connections, a full belly and a stack of recipe cards.
For those who prefer to sit back and appreciate the hard work of others, a chef-led feast and kitchen tour at Stelo at Pierre’s is a superb way to spend a cosy Tasmanian evening. Behind this heritage building facade in downtown Launceston is a Mediterranean-inspired dining experience that showcases some of the best local produce.
This team has curated a five-course tasting menu utilising Tasmania’s wild produce to celebrate the Off Season. This winter special includes a visit to the beating heart of the restaurant, with a tour of the kitchen to meet the chef and the staff who have put together your feast.
Among the oak trees of the sprawling 50-hectare Truffles of Tasmania farm is where decadent black truffles can be found – along with the opportunity to experience truffle hunting for yourself. The Off Season heralds the start of truffle harvesting, and with Truffles of Tasmania you can enjoy an immersive two-hour Truffle Hunt Experience.
Guided by knowledgeable farmers and your canine companions Ace and Mia, the farm’s dedicated truffle-hunting labradors, you’ll learn about the process of growing and harvesting this much-sought-after produce. Regular snowfalls and the cool conditions provided by the Great Western Tiers location result in a stronger and sweeter flavoured truffle. You can harvest and handle the truffles with your bare hands, and savour the experience over a truffle-themed winter platter and beverages to top off your day. Suitable for all ages (children under 10 free), this is the perfect activity for your Tasmanian winter adventure.
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Tourism Tasmania. Explore more wild, weird and wonderful experiences during Tasmania’s Off Season.
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