Who is Spice Bazaar?
Spice Bazaar began as a gourmet spice business, concocting and creating unique blends of flavours from Moroccan, Middle Eastern, Persian, Asian and Indian cuisines. Our customers were always asking us how to use these spice blends so we began doing small cooking demonstrations and classes utilising and showcasing our spice blends.
Spice Bazaar has now been hosting public, private and corporate groups in fun, hands-on and relaxed cooking classes across multiple cuisines for over 12 years. Many of our classes use some of the 50 spice blends in our range, but if spices aren’t your thing, there are a number of classes that don’t involve any.
Our presenters, Pat and Jill, have spent many years travelling Europe, Asia, India and Australia cooking, eating, watching and learning from diverse cultures about ingredient selection, cooking techniques and flavour. The knowledge they bring back from their travels always informs our exciting and innovative menus, bringing tradition and authenticity to each cuisine we offer. Pat and Jill’s much-loved presentation style makes classes stimulating and entertaining, breaking down barriers quickly and ensuring everyone plays a valuable role, regardless of cooking experience. We know that when people feel comfortable they cook great food!
Food is the ultimate social glue - everyone must eat and cultures have bonded and socialised at the dinner table for millenniums.
What is the format of the cooking classes?
Smalls groups of people work together to prepare and cook the majority of dishes on the menu. Each menu involves 4-7 different dishes. You will generally prepare and cook entree dishes, and then snack on these, then it’s on to completing the menu before seated dining.
We want you to be involved. We believe that the best way to learn is to do it yourself. With the guidance of our expert food tutors, and the experience you gain, our objective is for you to take home the recipes and recreate them for your own family and friends.
Can I come along to a cooking class on my own?
Yes! Our classes are a social and fun experience. Come alone, come as a couple, or a group, you will be sure to meet like-minded foodies and make some new friends.
My child is under 18 years old, can they attend cooking classes?
Children 16 years and over are welcome to attend on their own. Children 13 years and older are welcome to attend as long as they are accompanied by an adult. They also need to be tall enough to stand at the kitchen benches to safely carry out food preparation and cooking at stoves etc.
(Unless the class is specified as a “children’s cooking class”)
Can I bring along a friend to watch?
We’re sorry but we cannot accommodate spectators, either children or adults.
Where are the cooking classes held?
Prior to 2022, our Cooking Classe were conducted at the cooking school located at 79 Victoria Street, Seddon, Victoria (just 10 minutes from Melbourne CBD, either by car, taxi or train). A number of other venues are now being employed to deliver classes of different sizes which are all setup for cooking and dining. Venues are located close to public transport.
Location information for classes and tours and offsite dinners will be advised prior to the session.
What if I have dietary intolerances/allergies?
With prior advice (minimum of 2 weeks), we will do our best to accommodate dietary preferences and allergen avoidance. Information regarding suitability of dishes for vegetarian, gluten free, other possible allergens is given for each class as a guide to assist you in making your choice – please note that some classes will be more suitable than others. Give us a call to discuss which class might be best for you. We will do our best to accommodate requests but as we cook in small groups we cannot guarantee that every dish will have an alternative.
What should I bring to a cooking class?
You don’t need to bring anything with you – we provide all the ingredients and equipment, aprons to use on the day, and recipe sheets that you can take home. Please wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes.
Please bring your own Mask for COVID protection and a bag to put it in as you dine. Its a good idea to have your own personal sanitiser.
Can I take food home from a cooking class?
Sorry, but we don’t allow food to be taken away after the session for insurance reasons. Unlike a takeaway restaurant, not all dishes are cooked and served immediately.
Please be assured that no food will be wasted.
Can I reschedule my class booking?
If you wish to amend your booking more than 14 days prior to the scheduled class or event we are happy to transfer your booking to another date within the next 3 months.
If you request is made less than 14 days before the scheduled booking, we are unable to reschedule your booking. You are more than welcome to give your place to someone else, just drop us an email and let us know the new name for the booking.
All class transfers will incur a $25 administration fee.
We hope you appreciate that Spice Bazaar cooking school is a small business with high operating costs. As such, cancellations made on short notice are difficult to re-sell and therefore incur costs to the business. We have a fair but stringent booking amendment policy. For further information please see our terms and conditions: http://spicebazaar.com.au/pages/policy.html
In the unlikely event that Spice Bazaar need to cancel an event, 48 hours notice will be provided and the customer will be offered the option of rescheduling their booking for a future class date, or a refund can be arranged.
Can I buy a gift voucher?
Gift vouchers are issued online (emailed to the address entered as “recipient”) and are valid for 36 months.
Gift vouchers cannot be exchanged for cash or refunded.
Gift vouchers that have expired cannot be redeemed.
Bookings for a cooking class or event need to be completed while the voucher is valid.
To redeem a gift voucher please choose class(es) from our Cooking Class Schedule.
Use your unique voucher number to purchase class(es) in the checkout process. (Include all hyphens in your voucher number)
Is there car parking available?
On street parking is restricted (most for 2 hours), so please check the signs as you park. We will direct you to the most appropriate parking in the reminder email you will receive in the week prior to your session.