11 Cooking Workshops To Level Up Your Culinary Talents

More adept at opening a menu than a cookbook? Horrified at your bank statement after one too many food deliveries? We can relate – which is why we’ve rounded up some of Perth’s best cooking schools to brush up on your culinary skills.

The Table Of Us

We were transported straight to the streets of Sicily when local author Simone Agostino released her beautiful hardcover cookbook, The Table Of Us. Get into the wholesome, uncomplicated Italian recipes with the master herself at one of her intimate pasta-making workshops, where you’ll learn step-by-step how to make one of her signature dishes. Running for 2-3 hours, workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants, and can be customised with your preference of pasta style or egg-free options. Check out the fantastic range of classes on offer HERE.

Salt & Company

Salt & Company aren’t just about teaching you to cook a dish, they’re about inspiring a passion for good food. During the class, you won’t just learn a recipe, but also the fundamentals of each cuisine, plus key ingredients and techniques – so you can be empowered to continue to explore the dishes at home. The team run frequent courses in almost every type of cuisine imaginable: from a Sri Lankan banquet, to Japanese izakaya, to South American street food, to northern Italian… truly, we’ve barely scratched the surface. Plus, there’s heaps of plant-based courses that don’t compromise on flavour, like vegan bar food or their Vegetarian Goodness course.

Warehouse 1, 239 Fitzgerald Street, West Perth

Shikisai Japanese Cooking Class

Founder of Shikisai, Kyoko Yoshida believes food brings happiness, and we’d have to agree. Seeking to demystify Japanese cuisine, classes are tailored to your skill level and led by passionate and skilled instructors. Classes include a deep-dive on mirin and soy sauce, a commercial course perfect for beginner chefs, or lessons suitable for kids and teens. Limited to groups of six, you know you’ll be leaving with ample confidence to try the recipes at home.

255 Corinthian Road, Riverton

Ayarah Vegan Cooking School

Nestled in ten acres of bushland in Roleystone, Ayarah is the type of tranquil environment that could turn even the staunchest carnivore onto the benefits of plant-based living. Learn how to make nourishing plant-based meals in just about every type of cuisine, whether it’s Chinese, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Spanish… you can even sign up for an ultimate guide in vegan meal prep. With an impending move to Margaret River in the works, keep up with their latest news over on their instagram here.

Food Ritual

With all these newfound Japanese cuisine skills you acquired at Shikisai, you’ll probably be interested in some handcrafted miso. If you want to make a deep-dive into an ingredient and you’re in it for the long haul, keep an eye on the Food Ritual instagram for one of their sought-after miso making masterclasses.

The Cooking Professor

Whether you’re a total novice or you’re looking to sharpen your existing skills, The Cooking Professor has a class for you. Helmed by chef Riki Kaspi, they have a team of instructors at hand, ready to cover just about any cuisine – from tapas to dumplings, Thai classics to Jerusalem street food or native Australian game and herbs. They also have courses focused on specific techniques or skills, like fermentation, smoking or knife skills.

267 Scarborough Beach Road, Mount Hawthorn

Urban Provider

Urban Provider was inspired by growing up in his father’s Italian restaurant, and chef Nico Moretti is passionate about sharing that love of food. Open since 2002 right in the heart of Leederville, classes run the gamut from “I’m just here to eat” to seasoned pros – with cuisines ranging from his family’s Italian recipes, to Arabic meze, Balinese favourites or French bistro classics. If you really want to immerse yourself in the foodie experience, they also offer luxe travel and cuisine packages.

267 Vincent Street, Leederville

Cultured Living

Speaking of fermentation, Shenton Park’s Cultured Living are passionate about its benefits. With an online store selling everything you’ll need to get started – think jars, weights, kombucha kits, kefir grains and more – you can also book in to do a workshop with these fermentation fanatics. Depending on your experience, the courses will give you a broad introduction to traditionally fermented foods and how to incorporate them into your diet, with foods such as kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut, pickled cucumbers, beet kvass and heaps more covered. If you’re booking into a private class, you can even customise the course to suit your interests and skill level.

Sweet Artist Academy

Do you have dreams of whipping up a sweet Sunday afternoon tea, but struggle with a box of cake mix? Worry no more, as Sweet Artist Academy in Joondalup is dishing out top tips on all things dessert. Classes are limited to seven students, so participants of all abilities have the opportunity to become pastry whizzes. Classes include macarons, an introduction to cake decorating, croquembouche, or go the savoury route with sourdough bread.

Suite 10, 133 Winton Road, Joondalup

The Little Italian School

Forget about that dried packet pasta that’s been at the back of the pantry for who knows how long: the Little Italian School is here to teach you all about making pasta from scratch. In true la familia style, the classes are run by Tania with the help of her restauranteur parents. Extremely passionate about her Italian culture, Tania seeks to pass that on to her students, also offering language and culture classes. As well as pasta parties for adults and kids, the Little Italian School also offers classes in cannoli-making – so your sweet tooth will be satisfied, too.

Let Prove

We admit, this might be a bit cruel, given that the upcoming August class has already sold out… but we consider it getting in on the ground floor. Local creatives Nora and Scott from Neighbourhood Press have begun to document their wholesome food journey over at the beautifully curated blog Let Prove. As well as the blog, you can learn all of Nora’s favourite plant-based, slow-living recipes in a series of workshops at Stackwood. Keep your peepers peeled for any new workshop announcements, we will be!

Perth City Farm

What doesn’t City Farm do? Weekly farmer’s markets, urban farm, wedding venue… plus, host to some amazing workshops centred around kinder, sustainable living. Some highlights from their calendar include a comprehensive, hands-on fermented soy workshop where you’ll make tofu, miso paste and tempeh, a sourdough overview, or a step-by-step introduction to lacto-fermentation, where you’ll make sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha.

1 City Farm Place, East Perth