Chatham Island Cooking Classes & Workshops

In conjunction with our sister brand, Hotel Chathams, this is the ultimate Chatham Island six night foodie tour – come join our Chatham Island Cooking Class & Workshop where you will be taken culinary journey featuring Chatham Island ingredients – led by Chatham Island chef Kaai Silbery, international chocolatier Tom Hilton and Waiheke tea creator Timmy Smith. This unique experience is hosted at Bridget & John Preece’s home which was recently featured on NZ Grand Designs.

Cooking Classes:

Day 1:  Chef Tom will take you on a chocolate culinary journey.  When you break for lunch you will sample a selection of items using chocolate and savoury food – we all know that chocolate goes with everything.  This workshop is all about chocolate and why not indulge in a special hot chocolate created by Tom.

Day 2:  Timmy has been a tea enthusiast for the past 30 years and has honed her craft on Waiheke Island, New Zealand.   She has a gentle way of deepening people’s understanding about tī ( tea) and tī otaota (herbal tea) within the realms of Te Ao Maori.  She will gift people an experience that will leave them feeling relaxed, refreshed and warmed with manaakitanga (hospitality).

Participants will learn about various teas and blending herbs, how best to enjoy them, and their benefits. Tasting occurs throughout the experience, in innovative and interesting ways.  Armed with your new knowledge, and palate, you are then guided through creating your own unique tea blend.

Day 3: Chef Kaai will pull the previous two days ingredients together with you – it’s all hands today, you’ll be working with Kaai on creating your own beautiful lunch featuring chocolate and tea plus locally sourced and foraged ingredients, along with freshly caught seafood and also honey from Kaai’s British Black bee apiary.  Of course, you can’t enjoy such an amazing lunch without indulging in a  glass of bubbles or two!

This is a tour for the foodies we’re you will also enjoy:

• Three course seafood dinner, served at Hotel Chatham’s on your first night at Chatham Islands
• Garden tour and seafood bbq at Admiral Gardens – home of Val & Lois Croon.  Here it is an opportunity to buy some beautiful locally made Chatham Island gifts – you’ll love the gorgeous jewellery

While you’re at Chatham Islands, you’ll hear about and explore:

• Tommy Solomon’s statue and enjoy a guided tour around the Moriori land and headland with expansive ocean views
• Enjoy an iconic Chatham Island Paua pie and be able to buy locally caught seafood from Chatham Island Food Company – take home with you or have shipped
• Visit the Moriori Marae, learning about the history of Moriori
• The newly opened Chatham Island Museum
• Go Wild Apiary – where we hear from Kaai and learn about the British Black bees which produce the island’s honey
• In your downtime, you can visit Cottage Crafts & River Onion Cafe.

Includes

• Three days of cooking classes / workshops, an apron to wear (and keep) and diary so you can make notes
• Guided walk through Grand Design’s Kopi House and Bridget’s stunning native gardens
• Air Chatham flights departing from Auckland & returning to Wellington, value $1,100
• Six nights accommodation
• Own room at no additional cost if you’re travelling by yourself – choice of room locations
• Coach transport and Chatham Islands airport transfers
• 6 cooked breakfasts, 5 lunches and 6 dinners
• Dinners with wines & beer
• Wine and bubbles at the cooking classes / workshops
• Chatham Island book which explains the history of the island
• Quiz nights with prizes.

Excludes

• Purchases of a personal nature
• Alcohol over and above provided with dinners and spirits

Information

If you are flying to Auckland to board the Air Chatham flights, please ensure you book flexible airfares as adverse weather conditions can alter Air Chatham’s flight departure times out of both Auckland and Chatham Island.

• Thursday 13th – Auckland/Chatham Island – flight departs 1.30pm, please ensure you have checked in prior to 12.15pm
• Wednesday 19th – Chatham Island/Wellington – flight departs at 9.30am landing Wellington at 11.15am

If you’d like to stay an extra night and return to Auckland on Thursday 20th, this is easily arranged – additional cost of $550 which includes accommodation, meals and of course transfer to the airport.  You can choose to include this option when you receive the registration link which is sent separately once you’ve paid your deposit.

Per Person Cost

A variety of room types available:

• $4,800 – single room at Hotel Chatham.  This is a single bed in a small room, sharing toilets and showers. No water views
• $5,100 – single, twin or double room with ensuite at Hotel Chathams, ground floor rooms with expansive water views with door opening out to deck
• $5,100 – single, twin or double room with ensuite at Hotel Chathams, first floor rooms with expansive water views with door opening out to deck
• $5,100 – single, twin or double room with ensuite at Traveller’s Rest, ground floor & first floor rooms with a variety of water and urban views
• $5,100 – single, twin or double room with ensuite at Forget Me Not Suites with front deck – urban views.

Hotel Information

You’ll be staying at three of Hotel Chatham’s properties:

• Hotel Chatham’s is located on the waterfront at Waitangi
• Forget Me Not Suites – 1 minute walk to Hotel Chatham
• Traveller’s Rest – 1 minute walk to Hotel Chatham

Booking, cancellation & refunds

• A $500 deposit secures your place – once we receive your deposit, you will receive an email to choose your accommodation type
• If you choose to cancel your booking, your deposit is non-refundable unless we fill your place – a $250 administration fee applies
• If we have to cancel we will give you a full refund or you can have your deposit transferred to any of our other events
• Full payment is due 6 weeks prior to the commencement date and is thereafter non-refundable in the event of your choosing to cancel, unless we are able to re-fill your place – a $250 administration fee applies

We strongly recommend travel insurance be taken out as soon as you have booked to cover you should you, due to illness, be unable to travel.