My Cooking School Experience in the Wairarapa: Is Lavenders Green Worth It?
Looking for something to do in the Wairarapa that isn’t another wine tasting? A day at a country cooking school might be just the thing.
I spent a full day at Mary Biggs’ cooking school on her farm, Te Puhi, foraging in her gardens and cooking a four-course lunch.
At $200 per person it’s not a cheap day out, so I get why you’d want to know if it’s worth it.
Here’s my honest experience, what we cooked and ate, and who I think this cooking school is perfect for.
Quick Answer: My Top Picks for Your Cooking Day
⭐⭐⭐ Where should you stay? Chambre Damis, a countryside B&B near Greytown with a 9.9 rating from over 100 reviews. Check prices & availability →
⭐⭐ Best thing to book? A full-day class at Lavender’s Green, booked directly with Mary. Check class dates →
Mary Biggs is a well-known name in the Wairarapa and is the woman behind the successful brand Lavender’s Green which was set up in 1999 selling lemon condiments, such as lemon curd and cordial.
She also runs a fantastic cooking school at her farm called Te Puhi, where you can learn some of her favourite recipes using ingredients that are fresh, tasty and picked right from her gardens.
This is by far the best cooking school in New Zealand that I have experienced!
All About Lavender’s Green Cooking School
The cooking school starts at 9.30am and is a full day of cooking, foraging for food in her gardens, and of course eating the 4-course meal you prepared! It’s a really great way of gaining some knowledge of typical New Zealand meals and the kind of food families around the country may prepare. Once the meals are cooked, you sit and enjoy the food over a few glasses of local wine, which is included in the price too. It’s a really fun day out and great to do with a bunch of your closest girlfriends.
Not only do you go home with a full belly, but you also get to take home a set of new recipes and a kitchen gift too, all for $200NZD per person.
On the Menu
- Starter: Home hot-smoked salmon with goat’s curd, pickled beetroot and watercress
- Main: Slow-roasted pork belly with duck fat roast potatoes, kūmara, Jerusalem artichokes and slow-cooked purple cabbage
- Cheese: Very old Edam and Blue Monkey with oat biscuits and fresh figs (cheese from C’est Cheese in Featherston)
- Dessert: Lemon posset with poached quince
*All courses are seasonal so the food I photographed may not be available in the summertime for instance.
Where I’d Stay Near Lavender’s Green
(⭐⭐⭐ = my top pick)
⭐⭐⭐ Chambre Damis: Pick this one if you want a peaceful countryside stay. It’s a recently renovated B&B near Greytown with a beautiful garden and a 9.9 rating from over 100 reviews. Check prices & availability →
⭐⭐ ASURE Oak Estate Motor Lodge: Pick this one if you want to be in Greytown, a short drive from Featherston, with the cafés and Schoc Chocolates close by. It has a 9.2 rating from over 450 reviews. Check prices & availability →
⭐ The Castle: Pick this one if you want something a little unique. Yes, it’s really called The Castle, and it’s one of the highest-rated stays in Greytown. Check prices & availability →
Where Is the Cooking School Located?
Mary’s cooking school is located in Featherston, one of the small towns in the Wairarapa region and about 20 minutes from Martinborough.
Her Te Puhi farm is full of beautiful gardens, veggie patches and lemon trees. Her country estate is just gorgeous too. If you are a fan of interior design like me then you will love all of the little details, it’s a real country home. The table is beautifully decorated and the house has an eclectic style going on (which I LOVE!).
3 Wairarapa Food Experiences I’d Book Right Away
🧀 Martinborough Winery and Foodie Day Tour: Pick this one if you want a full day of local food and wine with a long vineyard lunch. It has a 4.9 rating. Check availability →
🍽️ Half-Day Foodie Tour of the Wairarapa: Pick this one if you want something a little different. It takes you around the small Wairarapa towns with tastings along the way. Check availability →
🍷 Martinborough Winery Tour: Pick this one if you want to taste the local wines you’ll be cooking with. It has a 4.9 rating from over 200 reviews. Check availability →
So, Is Lavender’s Green Worth It?
So, if you are looking for something to do in the Wairarapa region, I highly recommend you get in touch with Mary to book a class. It’s well worth doing and she is just lovely!
All food is gluten-free and she is happy to cater to any dietary requirements you may have.
My Number One Tip: Hire a Car for Full Flexibility
If you’re staying a few nights, the Wairarapa is much easier if you have your own wheels. Mary’s farm is out in the countryside near Featherston, so a car (and a designated driver for the ride home) makes the day much easier.
Check here for the best car rental companies and prices for your Wairarapa trip →
A big thank you to Mary for having me and Destination Wairarapa for organising this!
Sounds like a fun day and the food looks delicious. I love lemon curd, but don’t know hers. I have been to Wellington several times, but not the Wairarapa, yet.
The food was so delicious and I have to say it was one of the best pork bellies I have had in my life! The Wairarapa is a really great getaway from Wellington. If you need any recommendations in the future feel free to contact me 🙂
Looks like so much fun, I totally would get into this and making those delicious looking dishes!
They were so yummy! Still dreaming about them now…
I had the pleasure of staying at Te Puhi. Sadly missed the cooking school. But will be going back to sample the fare most of which comes from the farm. Great hosts.
Oh brilliant, I’m glad you had the pleasure to stay at Te Puhi! It just means you will have to come back and experience the cooking school now;)
Yeah I know right! Making me hungry again…
I studied food and nutrition so I would love to go to a cooking school. The food you cooked looks beautiful and I bet it tasted delicious too.
Oh it was! Thanks for reading 🙂
I love taking cooking classes in new places – great way to learn about the culture and history of a place. The food looks delicious! Great way to spend a day.
The big city cooking classes leave a lot to be desired. They are so cookie-cutter. But this appears to have been an intimate experience, which I would love. Hiding to the gardens in search of ingredients, cooking with someone who is so unique – what an experience!
Definitely! I think this cooking school is a lot more authentic than some of the ones that are out there.
You had me at pork belly and duck fat potatoes! Great looking menu and a fun afternoon cooking up a storm. I love that little cottage!
Haha yup…my favourite too! Thanks for reading 🙂
Definitely right up my alley! Was the goats curd actually mixed in with the smoked salmon? Food looks fabulous as does the surroundings.
This post is really delicious! And the house is absolutely adorable. I keep on stumbling upon incredible New Zealand articles that just make me wanna get there as soon as possible!
It’s just a sign you have to come here 😉
I love that you can “forage” for your own food and then prepare it! I love fresh cooking, so this sounds like an amazing experience!
Yeah I think it gives a more authentic experience! 🙂
What a lovely place! I love taking cooking classes and food tours when I’m traveling.