Cooking Classes in Northern Beaches

Bushland and heritage buildings ring the Barracks Precinct at North Head, above Manly, where a French-born chef runs a cooking school that draws groups from across the Northern Beaches. Roving Larder Cooking School gives private groups the whole building: a commercial kitchen built around one very large central island, and a communal dining room where everyone eats what they cooked.

For a beaches birthday or team day it is a sit-down alternative to a pub function, because the meal is the activity and nobody needs kitchen experience.

The formats groups book at the school:

• Cook & Dine: about two hours cooking a three-course menu in pairs under a chef's guidance, then around an hour at the table with a welcome drink and wine, from $169 per person
• Private bookings: 8 to 30 guests with exclusive use of the school, while the team handles ingredients, set-up, dietary requests and the clean-up
• Cook & Connect: a quicker two-hour company session where the group cooks the main and the chef supplies an entrée or dessert
• Longer days: half or full-day retreats that pair the meal with guided walks, workshops and similar activities
• Outside private events: public classes, themed dinners, and cooking days for teenagers in the school holidays

There is free parking in the precinct car park, and closed-toe shoes are a must in the kitchen. Founder Marie Clément's background runs through patisserie, fine dining and food education.