FAQ

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Yes – most of our classes are designed especially for beginners with step by step instructions and hands-on help from our chefs.  We don’t assume any knowledge and we teach our students “where they are at”. 

Our intermediate French classes do require some skill in the kitchen and most of our beginner students are ready for these classes after about 4 to 6 months of regular attendance.

The bimonthly MasterClasses are suitable for more advanced cooks – these are generally demonstration only and showcase more complex techniques and unusual ingredients.

Our classes train you to cook from scratch – we want to give you the confidence to replicate whole meals at home. 

We teach you more than a regular cooking school, which may teach only one or two techniques per class and may prepare ingredients for you.  In each class at Kitchengym, you will:

  • Choose and weigh/measure your ingredients
  • Prepare your ingredients (peeling, slicing, chopping, mixing – you do it all, with help as required)
  • Cook the whole meal, from start to finish; and
  • Clean up and sanitise at the end (don’t worry, we will teach you how to ‘work clean’ – and we have a commercial dishwasher to make clean up easier).
  1. You can become a regular member or a youth member, then book a class as a member which means you will only pay for the ingredient pack (the price for these depends on what we are cooking but are usually between about $8 and $12 for standard classes).
  2. You can buy a one pass class or redeem a 10 class pass, or redeem a voucher. You will also pay for the ingredient pack – which is supplied separately and you will be prompted to add one when booking the pass/redeeming the voucher..
  3. If you are booking for a friend:
    1. For Dates and Mates and MasterClasses, you can just make a booking and put their name in the comments (a separate booking will be needed).
    2. For other classes, they can buy a one class pass or redeem one of the passes from a 10 class pass. They can also redeem a voucher.   Again, ingredients packs are purchased separately – you will be prompted to add one when booking the class/redeeming the voucher.
  4. Cut off times are:
    1. For Monday and Tuesday classes – 7pm Saturday night
    2. For Friday classes – 7pm Tuesday night
    3. For Saturday and Sunday classes – 7pm Thursday night
  5. If you miss a cut off time, text us on 0432 106 795 and we will try to fit you in.
  6.  

We want cooking to be accessible – so we are much less expensive than other cooking schools.

You can:

  1. Become a Weekly Member – you pay a weekly subscription fee to attend as many classes as you like, and just buy your ingredients for each class. This means you can attend as many classes as you like, and just pay for ingredients.  Weekly Memberships have a minimum 4 month term and a $198 (including GST) joining fee (which covers your induction, an apron and initial knife skills and kitchen safety training):

    i. Youth Weekly Membership at $38.50 including GST for those aged 14-26 years of age; and
    ii. Weekly Memberships at $49.50 including GST for those over 26 years of age.

  2. Buy individual class passes – single passes or 10 passes (10 classes for the price of 8). You will need to separately purchase an ingredients pack for each class.
  3. Buy a voucher which can be applied to either a Weekly Membership (Foundation or standard), to buy one class passes or to buy a 10 class pass (10 classes for the price of 8).

(*The above fees are subject to change from time to time at our discretion, subject to the Terms and Conditions.

Absolutely.  Gift cards up to the value of $1000 (GST incl) can be purchased via this website.  They can be used for either Weekly Memberships or class passes, and are valid for 3 years from the date of purchase.  They are subject to our Terms and Conditions. 

We are in Wilston Village at 1 MacGregor Street – down the driveway between Merge Japanese and the Wilston Village Bar.  We are a 6 minute walk from Wilston station (exit on the walkway to the MacGregor Street side ie away from Newmarket Road, and walk 400 m along MacGregor St, we are on the left across from Alcove Café) .  Wilston Village is also well serviced by buses.

You can find a map here.

On street parking is available in the surrounding streets.  No on-site parking is available – the car park behind KitchenGym is strictly off limits and your car will be towed by the Body Corporate if you park there.

Our hands-on classes are capped at 12-14 participants – except for the demo-only MasterClasses which are capped at 24 participants.

Portion sizes are generally as follows (with some variations for particular classes)

  • Standard classes, Intermediate classes and Mates and Date – each person makes one main meal portion of food per class.
  • Double Meal Prep classes – each person prepares 2 meals to finish cooking at home, each of either 2 or 4 portions (you choose how many portions when you book).

Absolutely – it’s the best way to monitor your improvement.  After class, you are free to either take your food home with you (you will need to bring a food container and a chiller bag – we provide an insulated bag to members for this purpose but Woolies or Coles insulated bags are fine), or to eat with other members at our communal dining table or at your station (for the comfort of all members, we ask that you tidy up and run your dishes through the machine when you have finished).

We teach techniques, not recipes – because techniques are the building blocks of great cooking.  All our chefs are either trade qualified or Le Cordon Bleu trained, and we teach the way we were taught – using a ‘see it, do it’ model.

This means that for most classes our chef instructors use ‘running demos’ where they show you the skill and then you copy it – with assistance from your instructor as needed.    We will give you an ingredients list and a method for each class, but you do not have to use it.

Our chefs will explain patiently and walk you through each class.   And if your dish doesn’t work out, that is OK – we run most classes multiple times each term so you can always come and try again!  Failure is part of learning.

On Friday nights, you can bring a friend or a date who isn’t a member along to our classes – you just pay for the ingredients pack for both of you.  These are longer, slower paced classes and allow time for you to have some fun and a chat while you cook.

A place where you can learn new techniques or learn how to treat unusual ingredients.  Our MasterClasses are all demonstration only classes.  A professional or guest chef will show you how to cook a dish using novel techniques and ingredients, and you can taste, smell and see what they make up close.

The Intermediate classes are a rolling schedule of progressively taught French techniques and methods.  Beginning with stocks and sauces, we progress through the fundamentals of French cuisine.  These classes are faster paced than our standard classes, and require students to have a moderate level of knife skills (speed and precision) and to be able to work reasonably quickly and cleanly.

Abslolutely! You can bring a friend, family member or date for free to our Dates and Mates classes (you just need to buy their ingredients) and to our bimonthly MasterClasses.  Otherwise, they can purchase a class pass (or become a member of course!)

Our classes are suitable for children 14 and over.  You can bring a 14+ family member for free to our Dates and Mates classes (just buy their ingredients) and to our bimonthly MasterClasses.  Otherwise, they can purchase a one class pass (or become a member of course!).  We don’t offer parent and child classes at this stage.    We don’t offer babysitting or any specialist supervision of children.  You can bring a non-walking baby in a pram, subject to space being available and provided you are happy to put their pram in the adjoining room (it has an open doorway).   Babies cannot be held or worn in slings etc while you are participating in a class, for safety reasons.

If you want to practice at home, you will really need only basic equipment – a knife, a cutting board, a mixing bowl, a couple of spoons and a pan or oven depending on the recipe. We have deliberately stocked KitchenGym with equipment that can be very inexpensively purchased – and if that is not something you can afford please let us know and we will work something out.  A few other things would help – such as measuring cups and spoons, a kitchen scale, an extra mixing bowl or two, a spatula and a grater.  Again, these can be purchased quite cheaply – and are not essential. 

If you want to try out some fancier equipment then we have KitchenLibrary – an equipment and cookbook library where you can borrow a blender, a mixmaster or cake decorating equipment (to name just a few items), or a cookbook or two if you want extra inspiration!  See the FAQ below for more information about KitchenLibrary.

Please wear covered, non-slip shoes.  Please tie long hair back.  Aprons are provided for use in the classes. 

Please bring along two containers for your food for standard classes.  For meal prep classes please review the method for that class in advance and bring along appropriate containers for taking food home to cook.

Absolutely!  We use a 2, 2, 2 focus model – each week, we focus on 2 ingredients, 2 cuisines and 2 techniques.  This is designed to keep things interesting and to challenge without overwhelming. 

Not every class does everything, but if you attend 4 to 6 classes a month you are sure to improve your skill across that month’s focus categories.  Knife skills and kitchen safety are always a focus and are on the schedule at least every second week – and they are compulsory for new students for everyone’s safety. 

We run our classes in rolling 4 week blocks (with a new 2, 2, 2 focus every week) and usually run 16 to 20 classes a week.  The 4 week blocks are repeated at least twice across either an 8 or 12 week term to allow for consolidation of knowledge, before a completely new set of classes starts. 

After a year of regular attendance you will have cooked with a huge number of new ingredients and at least a couple of dozen new techniques and should be cooking confidently in our intermediate classes.

Our standard class runs for 1.5 hours, which is enough time for you to select your ingredients, watch a demonstration of techniques, cook and clean up.   Several times a week we offer 2.5 hour classes, which either contain more dishes (two full meals for either 2 or 4, in the case of our meal prep classes) or more complex techniques, or which just offer a little bit more time to perfect your skills while spending time with friends.

It doesn’t matter!  We teach you to cook – and part of cooking is making mistakes.  This is why it is good to learn in class – rather than at home when a mistake may mean no dinner!  We will talk you through the mistake and how to avoid it next time.   If there is enough time left in the class and we have spare ingredients (which is not guaranteed), then we will help you remake the dish.   And you can always either practice at home or come back and try again – we run most classes 3 or 4 times a week and each week of classes is repeated 3 times across each 8 or 12 week term.

The KitchenLibrary is a library of kitchen equipment and cookbooks which members can use for $1 per item borrowed (with a security deposit for some of the higher value items).   It is designed to let you try out new equipment as you become more confident, without having to spend a lot of money to acquire something you might only use once.  The items available include:  a sous vide machine, a 1200W mixer, a TM31 Thermomix, blenders, a rice cooker, a slow cooker, baking pans, cake decorating equipment, a pasta roller, and over 150 cookbooks of varying levels of complexity.

Each class has a vegetarian option.  Some classes are low gluten – as far possible in a kitchen where gluten is prepared and used.   We do not otherwise cater specifically to allergies although classes where peanuts are used are marked on the schedule.  If you have queries about any specific class, please call us.

We can usually also provide vegan options to order – just give us a call or send an email if you’re keen and we will work it out (we will need 2 days notice please).

Unfortunately the angle of our entry stairs makes using a wheelchair ramp a challenge and our toilet cannot accommodate a wheelchair unfortunately. 

If you have already booked, you can cancel without penalty as follows:

  1. For Monday and Tuesday classes – 7pm Saturday night
  2. For Friday classes – 7pm Tuesday night
  3. For Saturday and Sunday classes – 7pm Thursday night

If after this time you find you cannot attend, then you are welcome to send another member along (either a youth member or a standard member).  You can also send a non-member along in your place if they redeem a pass (either a single or from a 10 class pass).  If the same class is being run again that day or the following day, then space permitting you can reschedule to a later class by texting us.

Other cancellation policies (for unused vouchers and class passes) are available in the Terms and Conditions.

WE DON'T TEACH RECIPES. WE DO TEACH techniques

How?  2 ways:

By providing the building blocks for understanding how to make good food.
 
By teaching skills that makes cooking faster and less stressful.
 
So train with us, and learn how to cook for yourself and the people you love.
 

You’ll have your own bench and equipment, and we provide aprons and towels.  Our private individual classes are one-on-one so you have our undivided attention.

Ingredient packs are provided by our sister kitchen, La Providora.  You just need closed in, non-slip shoes, a container to take your food home, and a notepad and pen.

Vegetarian options are available, and our personal training sessions cater for specific dietary requirements and allergies.

We also offer private classes either at our school or in your home.  Contact us for more information.

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