2025 SHARE THE LOVE OF GREAT FOOD!

Under the Pickle Tree’s Cooking School at the foothills of the Yarra Valley is relaxed and convivial place to journey to south-east Asia without leaving the country. The kitchen overlooks bushland in beautiful Panton Hill.

My cooking classes are very “hands on” and focus on familiarising you with authentic Asian ingredients and flavours and teaching you methods to replicate street food classics in your home.

Classes have a maximum of eight people - and work is done in pairs so you can get through many more dishes than working alone.

Menus for the classes are inspired by my time living and working in Thailand and Vietnam and by seasonally available ingredients sourced from Springvale’s fresh food and seafood markets.

Under the Pickle Tree is located on a bushland property in rural Panton Hill, with accommodation and recreational activities nearby including the weekly St Andrews Community Market, wineries, mountain bike and hiking trails and more.

The cooking school has outdoor dining and a rustic aspect with both indoor and outdoor cooking over charcoal. Classes run for about 4–4.5 hours. The cost is $160 a person. This includes a Vietnamese iced coffee on arrival, a shared banquet on the outdoor deck with your choice of a Thai beer or local red or white wine and recipe cards to take home.

Private classes - with a custom-made menu - are available on a day of your choice. Private lunches and dinners fully catered in a bushland setting or at your home are also available. Minimum group size is 6 people. For further details contact Kelly on 0418 534 511 or email kelly@underthepickletree.com.au.

Cancellation Policy: On Extreme and Code Red Fire Danger Days classes will be rescheduled or a full refund offered.

Classes only run with a minimum of six people. If there are insufficient people booked into a class, you will be offered a full refund or a transfer to the next available class of your choice.

Gift vouchers are also available.

WINTER CLASSES 2025

Winter is when we crave hearty nourishing food and when I love to cook on woks or over charcoal to recreate authentic Vietnamese and Thai street food. Let me teach you how to make marinades that will rock your next BBQ and stir fries and braises with spice and tang. All my classes are collaborative. Cook and chat, informal, informative. You will go away with a deeper understanding of essential Asian ingredients and how to balance sweet, salty and spicy, to suit your individual tastebuds.

Classes include a welcome drink and snacks, a four-course feast on my outside veranda with a local wine or beer, recipe cards and extensive information on ingredients and substitutions.

To book a private lunch cooked by me or a private cooking class contact Kelly on 0418 534 511

Autumn Classes 2025

Thai Night Market Classics - Sunday June 1 - 10.30 am start - BOOK NOW -

You are going to become wok masters learning how to perfect pad thai (a deceptively difficult dish to cook well). You will also learn a Thai version of rice paper rolls with a tangy green chilli sauce and a dish that renowned chef Yottom Ottolenghi flew to Bangkok to try: hoi tord or a Thai mussel omelet. As always all my dishes can be adapted for vegetarians and are gluten free.

Cost is $180 per person

I am available for private cooking school bookings on a date of your choice and a menu to suit your dietary needs. I can also cater for your events or cook private dinner parties.