the teachers
Rodney Dunn
Rodney grew up on a farm in rural New South Wales. A chef apprenticeship eventually led him to Sydney where he worked under Tetsuya Wakuda at his esteemed restaurant, Tetsuya’s.
After completing his chef apprenticeship Rodney moved into food media, developing recipes for most of Australia’s food magazines, working as Food Researcher for the Better Homes and Gardens television program and authored a cookbook entitled Roasting.
Rodney has taught cooking classes for the Sydney Seafood School and Simon Johnson Providores. He was Food Editor for Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine from October 2004 to June 2007 and he is currently Contributing Food Editor.
Rodney’s passion for flavour has seen him return to the roots of produce, moving to Tasmania in July 2007 with his wife, Séverine and son, Tristan, to set up The Agrarian Kitchen.
Classes taught at the agrarian kitchen
The Agrarian Experience
Tomato Gluttony
Handmade Pasta
Winter Braising
Cooking with Fire
Soups
Charcuterie
Birds of a Feather
Graham Prichard
Graham worked at Demeter Bakery in the late 1980's, before operating a wood-fired sourdough bakery in Cobargo, on the New South Wales south coast. Since then he has consulted for holistic bakeries, as well as documenting sourdough process at numerous Australian bakeries.
In 2005, Graham and his son Maedi started Sourdough Companion, an online community for bakers passionate about sourdough. The Artisan Baker Association (ABA) grew from this community, and is focused on ensuring healthy connections between bakers and bread eaters.
Oatlands in Tasmania is now the base for Graham's family and the ABA. Graham has opened “Companion Bakery” in Oatlands which also features an Alan Scott Wood-fired oven. Across the road, Callington Mill is being restored and will produce freshly stone ground organic flour for the bakery.
Graham believes that sourdough baking is actually a very simple art that anyone can pick up and evolve to suit their lifestyle and environment. He is particularly interested in cool fermentation and the creation of natural cool closets for both home and commercial baking.
Classes taught at the agrarian kitchen
Secrets of Sourdough
Alistair Wise
Alistair grew up in Hobart and started his apprenticeship in a local patisserie. Whilst an apprentice Alistair won both the National Bakery medal and Scholarship and the National Pastry Gold Medallist and International Pastry Team Member.
After moving to Melbourne and working in various Hotels, Alistair worked at Circa, the Prince where Michael Lambie gave him a recommendation to work for Gordon Ramsay UK. In London Alistair worked for Gordon Ramsay at Angela Hartnett at the Connaught.
Upon returning from the United Kingdom, Neil Ferguson (Allen and Delancey NYC) offered Alistair the opening of Gordon’s first New York Hotel and Restaurants, once opened Alistair received critical acclaim for his desserts and particularly his bonbon selection by the likes of Frank Bruni of the Times and the New Yorker.
Now based in Tasmania with partner Teena and daughter Matilda they have brought to life their own food destination, a specialised bakery called “Sweet Envy” in North Hobart offering old time sweets and confections lovingly crafted in small batches evoking the sweet memories of childhood with a modern twist on the premise that food is art.
Classes taught at the agrarian kitchen
Pastry 101
Tortes and Gâteaux
Ice-Cream class coming soon in 2013
Desserts to Die For
Sally Wise
An absolute whirlwind in the kitchen (just ask anyone who attended her first class here at the agrarian kitchen) and above all it must be said that Sally is the most passionate preserver we have ever met.
Author of bestselling cookery books “a year in a bottle”, “out of the bottle”, “my kitchen to yours” and “leftover makeover”. You can read more of Sally’s writing in Green living and Gardening Australia magazines or visit her website at www.sallywise.com.au.
Sally also regularly presents at Gardening Australia expos and at events for Open Gardens Australia and The National Trust. You can hear Sally on ABC local radio in Tasmania talking Jams and Preserves.
Classes taught at the agrarian kitchen
Preserving Summer’s Bounty
Marcus Vermey
Marcus Vermey’s destiny was sealed, long before he began working life. Born into a family of butchers from Holland, his father was born above the family butcher’s shop in Amsterdam.
Marcus’ father, Bill moved the family to Australia in the mid fifties and set up Vermey’s Quality Meats in 1964 in its current site in Sandy Bay, Hobart. Marcus began his career at Coles and then joined his father in the family business.
Marcus was the first young Tasmanian butcher to win the Work Skills Australia competition in 1992/1993. In 1994, Marcus spent six months in Europe on a sabbatical looking at butcheries and then worked in Tokyo Japan in the meat trade.
In 1998, Marcus took over the family shop and after renovations has grown the business four fold, including picking up several medals for their sausages along the way.
Classes taught at the agrarian kitchen
Mutton Dressed as Lamb
The Whole Hog
All Beefed Up
Rainer Oberle
After several visits Rainer Oberle came to Tasmania with his family in 2007 for good. As a trained horticulturist and former head gardener in German research and botanical gardens, he is fascinated with the range of plants that can be found in the wild and of course that can be grown here in Tasmania.
Self-sufficient and sustainable living has always been on top of his agenda. Rearing farm animals and growing the family’s own food has always been a vital part of his life. The acquaintance with Rodney and his idea of a farm based cooking school has filled the last gap to complete his long journey of fruit and vegetable growing, small-scale farming and food.
“Growing these vegetables in the garden and watching the process of how they are going to be used in Rodney`s classes is absolutely fascinating and inspiring.“ Rainer Oberle
Rainer has also just completed his training as a commercial pilot and started his own, personalised Travel Service to showcase Tasmania’s unrivaled lifestyle, breathtaking landscapes, unique flora, fauna and its culinary highlights.
Classes taught at the agrarian kitchen
Gardening Workshops - The Agrarian Way
Linda Evans
Coming soon
Classes taught at the agrarian kitchen
Vintage baking
