The Hapuku Kitchen Experience - A Day with Chef Fiona Read

The Hapuku Kitchen Experience is an ever-changing feast, focused on using traditional cooking techniques such as fire and fermentation, which follows and celebrates the seasons.  To ensure you’ll be cooking with only the freshest produce available, the menu is created the day prior, after Fiona has wandered through the garden.

The day begins with an introduction to the kitchen and the menu for the day.  This is discussed over a cup of locally roasted coffee or a refreshing drink made from herbs and flowers from the garden.  We’ll then embark on a journey around the Hapuku Kitchen property, foraging in the garden for fruit, vegetables and herbs.  The extensive tour provides plenty of opportunity to discuss Hapuku Kitchen’s gardening philosophy with Fiona and her passion for ensuring the provenance of all the produce used.  You’ll also have the chance to roll up your sleeves and plant something.  Depending on the season this might involve sowing some seeds or planting vegetable seedlings, shrubs or possibly even a tree.

Once you have completed the harvest, collected the eggs, and fed the pigs and cows, you’ll return to the kitchen and as a group, prepare the various dishes that make up the menu.  With help always at hand, you will learn many techniques and tricks on the creation of the dishes of the day.

To finish the day, simply relax and enjoy the feast accompanied with wine or beer from some of Fiona’s favourite Canterbury and Marlborough winemakers and brewers.  Delicious home-made non-alcoholic beverages are also available, such as sparkling elderflower and cucumber.

Dietary Restrictions and Allergies
When making your booking, please inform our team about any food allergies. While we do our best to cater for dietary requirements (eg. dairy and gluten) we may not be able to cater for all requests.  Please contact us to discuss this further.
We are unable to cater for those on a Paleo, Vegan or Halal diet as part of our regular classes, however we are more than happy to arrange a private class to accommodate specific food restrictions.