Cooking Classes in Pokolbin & Surrounds

Getting Cooking Classes Right

Pasta, brisket or profiteroles – the cooking schools around Pokolbin each teach a different kind of food, and two of them share a road. Our Italian Table at 138 Mistletoe Lane and Hunter Valley Resort + Farm on the corner of Hermitage Road and Mistletoe Lane sit within the same stretch of vineyards, while Majors Lane Cooking School is out at 64 Majors Lane in Lovedale. All three are hands-on, and every class ends at the table, sharing the dishes the group has just made. Where they differ is the menu, the group size and what else is on the property once the aprons come off.

Three kitchens, side by side:

Our Italian Table: pasta, gnocchi, arancini and regional Italian cooking in the villa kitchen at Nicita Estate, with options running from two hours up to a seven-course lunch, from $155 per person
Majors Lane Cooking School: barbecue on a Traeger smoker, plus Thai and Greek menus, taught outdoors under cover at Lovedale Smokehouse, from $170 per person
Hunter Valley Resort + Farm: a chef-led class in a purpose-built teaching kitchen covering canapés, Vietnamese spring rolls and profiteroles, with lunch afterwards
Shorter options: the resort's pizza class takes around an hour, and its candy class makes peanut brittle, marshmallows and boozy rocky road
Numbers: Majors Lane takes private groups of between 6 and 18, while Our Italian Table can be reserved for your group alone once 12 places are booked, up to 20 guests

None of these is a drop-in: Hunter Valley Resort + Farm arranges every class through its events team, and the other two schools are booked for your group. With no train in the vineyards, plan on driving or booking transport between them.

Long lunch crowd: Our Italian Table suits a group that wants to roll pasta, then sit at a long table under the pergola looking across the vines.
Barbecue lovers: Majors Lane runs two low and slow masterclasses – brisket and wings, or pork ribs with a Louisiana-style red sauce – led by pitmaster Ben Sales.
Mix and match: Hunter Valley Resort + Farm lets a group combine cooking with candy or pizza workshops, grape stomping in an oak barrel or a barrel-rolling team challenge.
Staying put: the resort has 35 rooms, the 4 Pines taproom and Barrel Bistro on site, so a hens or birthday group can cook, drink and sleep in one place.

Details worth checking first

Drinks: Our Italian Table is BYO, while a drink comes with lunch at Majors Lane and the resort has the 4 Pines taproom on the property.
Dietary needs: tell Majors Lane about special requirements ahead of time and it can cater for them; at Our Italian Table gluten intolerance is fine with notice, but vegan and dairy-free diets are not.
Weather and footwear: Majors Lane cooks outdoors under cover whatever the weather; Our Italian Table asks for closed shoes in its kitchen.
What you leave with: an apron and recipes from Majors Lane, a personalised certificate from the resort's cooking school, and biscotti and espresso to close an Italian class.

Answers to Common Cooking Class Questions

Which Pokolbin-area cooking class is best for a work team?

All three take corporate groups. Our Italian Table can pair cooking with wine blending, olive oil tastings or yoga through partner businesses, Majors Lane takes work teams on weekdays, and Hunter Valley Resort + Farm takes conference groups based elsewhere in the Hunter.

Is there a short cooking activity for a busy wine-country day?

The pizza class at Hunter Valley Resort + Farm takes around an hour, and Our Italian Table's masterclass on a single dish runs for two hours.

Can we stay where we cook?

Hunter Valley Resort + Farm has 35 rooms on its 100-acre Pokolbin property, along with the 4 Pines taproom and Barrel Bistro for dinner.

What do the cooking classes around Pokolbin cost?

Our Italian Table starts from $155 per person and Majors Lane Cooking School from $170 per person. Hunter Valley Resort + Farm confirms class details with its events team when you book.

Cooking Classes in Pokolbin & Surrounds

Find the Right Cooking Class in Pokolbin & Surrounds