Play with your food in New Zealand – the top Kiwi cooking schools

A growing number of “foodies” are choosing vacation destinations as much based on the gastronomy of the area as the history, culture, art or beachfront locations. The focus on cuisine doesn’t stop at dining; it also includes cooking. In New Zealand, food loving Kiwis provide a range of opportunities throughout the country that let visitors play with their food (usually while drinking excellent New Zealand wine).

Starting in the cosmopolitan city of Auckland, the Auckland Fish Market offers visitors a chance to: “Look. Cook. Eat.” At their Seafood School, the country’s infatuation with all things saltwater is interactively celebrated. In this cooking school, students roll up their sleeves to create a fabulous seafood meal under the direction of world-class chefs. Once the cooking is complete, everyone in the class then sits down and eats, accompanied by a glass of lovely wine. The school is housed in the Fish Market building, a seafood mecca. Along with the Seafood School, the building hosts a variety of fresh seafood retailers, a boutique food market, restaurants, cafés and exceptional wine bars. In Rotorua, which showcases one of the world’s most lively fields of geothermal activities, foodies can enjoy a special walk on the wild side at Treetops Lodge & Estate. The full and half-day Wild Food Cooking Experiences pair visitors with a knowledgeable Maori Chef, who takes them through an interactive wilderness walk to gather native ingredients for the upcoming meal. Guests discover the treasures of the forest, including tangy kawakawa and peppery horopito. Then, it’s back to the spectacular lodge to sit at the bar in the beautifully designed kitchen, with a glass of wine, to watch what has been gathered transform into garnishes and a range of unique flavourings for gourmet dishes with Treetops’ own trout, game birds, reared venison and wild pork.

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The Ruth Pretty Cooking School takes visitors on a relaxed food journey that includes special guests such as top chefs and food personalities and ends with a long, leisurely lunch at their beautiful rural property in Te Horo, an hour away from the capital city of Wellington. Under sun umbrellas, students savour every dish from the class (with matching wines). Located on the South Island, just an hour’s drive from Christchurch, the Akaroa Cooking School was recently named one of the top ten places in the world to learn to cook local cuisine, by Lonely Planet. In the beautiful seaside town of Akaroa, students learn to cook using the freshest, finest quality local produce. Each dish is matched with award-winning local wines and served with a fun and indulgent approach to eating, sharing and making new friends. Air New Zealand has direct non-stop flights from Vancouver to Auckland and offers flights from many other North American cities. Qantas also offers flights from many Canadian and U.S. gateways. For more information about New Zealand, please visit: NewZealand.com.