Not so long ago it was a renovation obsession. If you needed to "sharpen up" the look of your kitchen, bathroom, garden or back deck there was a television program on how to do it. The latest set of skills that we think are a little blunt however, are not the ones in the shed. It seems that the "do it yourself" flavour of the month is the "master of the home" learning how to be a "
master chef", or at least be able to whip up a yummy meal.
Perhaps it’s the substantial number of cooking shows that are appearing on our screens, or maybe people are becoming increasingly curious about how they can stay home and prepare more appetising meals. Whatever the reason, it seems to have translated into an eruption of interest in people attending
cooking classes around the country.
Maria Benardis, chef and owner of
Sydney’s Greekalicious cooking school has certainly noticed a difference.
"I’ve observed an increase in people enrolling to do cooking classes. They’re taking an interest in what they eat and rediscovering the enjoyment of cooking and sharing food with friends and family. We’re all shifting towards getting back to the basics and finding love in simplicity" Ms Benardis said.
Choose any cuisine you like and there’s bound to be a class to introduce you to the fundamentals of how to prepare the signature dishes. If
seafood,
BBQ,
vegetarian or
organic food is your passion, you’ll be well catered for, or if you have a sweet tooth you’ll be tempted by
chocolate classes that will have you bringing your own handmade chocolates home. Many classes are available as a one-off, which may suit you down to the ground. Or if you are looking for a little more depth, others can be purchased as a series of classes that operate over a period of weeks.
Cooking classes are becoming increasingly popular as a
gift for birthdays or to say "thank you" to someone, and they won’t break the bank in the process with many coming in with a price tag not much above $100 per person. They’re also proving to be all the rage as a great way for a bunch of friends to spend time together and have a lot of fun. Some
cooking schools offer exclusive use of their venue for you and your group of friends, and will tailor the class to your specific requirements.
Check out the abundance of
cooking class gifts available for purchase online by logging on to dining
dining and lifestyle experience gifts website
Best Gift Certificates. It is the only online
gift voucher website in Australia dedicated to restaurants, wine, food and the hospitality industry, combined with
lifestyle experiences.
Best Gift Certificates is operated by hospitality media outfit de Groots Media. de Groots is well established in the restaurants arena with sister website
Best Restaurants of Australia having provided up-to-date information about what’s what and what’s new in restaurants for more than ten years. Managing Director Maureen de Groot commented that the internet is an excellent means for people to find out about the
cooking classes available in their area. She has noticed a dramatic increase in traffic on her company’s websites from people searching for cooking schools since Channel Ten’s MasterChef program went to air. "The level of interest has been phenomenal," Ms de Groot said. "We’ve been swamped with enquiries from both men and women who want to brush up on their culinary skills. People have become very well informed about what they’re eating and want good meals not only when dining out but at home as well."
Cooking class gifts can be searched for by location on
Best Gift Certificates and can be delivered to the recipient complete with a personalised message immediately by email, saving time and hassle. Or if the purchaser prefers, the certificate can be sent by mail to any location within Australia.
If the person being purchased for has quite specific taste, the
Universal Gift Certificate takes away all the guesswork. The purchaser simply chooses the amount they want to spend ($25 to $500), and when the gift certificate is received the recipient visits
bestgiftcertificates.com.au, redeems the gift certificate into an online account and then starts shopping for a lifestyle or
dining experience of their choice.
Start shopping now for a cooking school gift.