Chef Jacqui’s French & Indigenous Australian Cooking Experience

The best part of this experience is that you do not simply watch a chef cook. You work in Chef Jacqui’s home kitchen, prepare the food yourself, then sit down to eat it while discussing flavor and texture. Her golden retrievers, Sophie and Humphrey, provide the welcome, and the kitchen fills with the smell of lunch before the cooking has properly begun.

I like the small maximum of eight people, which gives you room to ask questions and receive help with knife work, pan frying, ingredient storage, and food presentation. I also like the menu’s French-Australian character: one season may bring scallops, kangaroo steaks with a French twist, and crepes. The main consideration is the fixed five-hour format and home setting, which may feel intimate or lengthy if you prefer a quick demonstration rather than a full meal and cooking session.

Key points to know before booking

• Cook and eat throughout the day: Recipes are prepared one at a time, with food taken to the table as each course is finished.
• Chef Jacqui teaches practical skills: Expect help with knife technique, kitchen organization, pan frying, ingredient storage, equipment, and food styling.
• The menu changes: Dishes may include scallops, kangaroo steaks prepared in a French style, and crepes.
• Your group stays small: The class accepts a maximum of eight people, so you can ask questions without competing with a large crowd.
• Lunch is part of the experience: The price includes canapés, light refreshments, wine, and a three-course gourmet lunch.
• Plan your transport: The class meets at 3/25 Rankin Road in Hastings, and private transportation is not included.

A French cooking class with a Mornington Peninsula welcome

This is a cooking class built around hospitality as much as technique. You arrive at Chef Jacqui’s home in Hastings at 11 am, where Sophie and Humphrey, her beautiful golden retrievers, greet you at the front door. Inside, a set dining table and a kitchen full of fresh produce make the plan clear: this is going to be a long lunch with plenty of hands-on work in between.

I like that the class begins with a real meal in mind, not a string of unrelated practice exercises. You read through the menu and recipes, then prepare food that you will soon eat. That gives each task a purpose. Chopping, seasoning, pan frying, and plating are not abstract lessons. They become part of a finished dish.

The home setting also changes the tone. You are not in a large commercial teaching kitchen, and the maximum group size is eight. That makes this a good choice if you want to ask basic questions, get individual help, or talk through the reasons behind a French cooking method.

The tradeoff is equally clear. A home class has a personal feel, but it is less formal than a cooking school. If you want a polished stage, a large demonstration area, or a quick lesson followed by free time, this may not suit you. The session lasts about five hours, so you should arrive ready to cook, eat, talk, and stay for the full pace of the day.

The 11 am arrival and the table set for lunch

The experience begins at 3/25 Rankin Road, Hastings, Victoria, at 11 am. You make your own way there, since private transportation is not included. The end point is the same home, which keeps the arrangement simple once you arrive.

The first impression is part of the experience. A prepared table, ingredients ready in the kitchen, and the dogs at the door create a relaxed start before any technical work begins. You will also want to arrive hungry. Canapés and light refreshments are included, and the meal builds toward a three-course lunch, with food served as the recipes are completed.

This is not a class where you wait until the end to eat. As each recipe is finished, you move to the table to taste it and talk about the balance of flavors and textures. That rhythm gives you a useful way to understand the food. You can compare a dish’s seasoning and texture while the preparation is still fresh in your mind.

For some people, this is the highlight. For others, constant eating may feel like a lot. The description is honest about the amount of food, so do not schedule this as a light midday activity. It works best as the main event of your day.

Reading the menu before picking up a knife

Once aprons are on, Chef Jacqui goes through the menu and recipes with the group. The menu varies by season and availability, so you should not book expecting one exact set of dishes. Possible examples include scallops, kangaroo steaks given a French treatment, and crepes.

That changing menu is a plus for repeat visitors. It also reflects the point of the class: learning methods you can use with different ingredients, rather than memorizing one fixed meal. If you have a particular food you hope to cook, confirm the menu before booking, since the supplied details do not promise a specific dish on a specific date.

The French angle is paired with Australian produce. Kangaroo, for example, gives the class a local ingredient while the cooking method and flavor balance draw from French ideas. That combination makes the session more useful than a generic French menu. You get a sense of how a classic approach can work outside its usual ingredients.

You may also find the menu helpful if you cook for family or friends at home. Canapés, a main course, dessert, and food styling cover several parts of a meal, rather than focusing on just one recipe.

Knife skills, pan frying, and kitchen organization

The practical teaching is one of the strongest reasons to book. Chef Jacqui covers knife skills, kitchen organization, ingredient use and storage, equipment, pan frying, and food styling. These are the small actions that often decide whether a home-cooked dish feels calm and polished or rushed and uneven.

Knife skills are especially valuable because they affect speed, safety, and the final result. Proper preparation helps ingredients cook at the same rate, and an organized bench means less scrambling once pans are hot. The class also gives you a chance to ask why a certain tool or method is being used, rather than simply copying movement from a distance.

Pan frying is another useful focus. It is a technique you can use with seafood, meat, and vegetables, so the lesson has life beyond the menu. If scallops appear, you may have a chance to work with a delicate ingredient. If kangaroo is served, the French twist gives the class a distinct Australian note. The exact recipes are not guaranteed, but the skills are the part you can take home every time.

Food styling rounds out the session. Presentation is not only about making a plate look attractive. It helps you think about color, shape, portion, and how the diner experiences a dish before taking the first bite.

From kitchen bench to three-course lunch

The class moves back and forth between cooking and eating. When a recipe is ready, you leave the kitchen for the table, taste the result, and discuss how the dish works. Then you return to prepare the next course.

I find this structure more useful than waiting for a final feast. Flavors are easier to understand when you have just handled the ingredients. You can connect a seasoning choice to the final taste, or see how texture changes after cooking. Questions also come naturally because the food is right in front of you.

The meal includes canapés, light refreshments, and a three-course gourmet lunch. Wine is part of the relaxed food-and-conversation setting described for the day, so the experience has a social side as well as an instructional one. You can take photographs and ask as many questions as you like, which matters in a small group where the class can respond to individual interests.

The food-focused format does mean this is not a quiet, private meal. You are participating, discussing, and learning throughout. Couples and friends who enjoy cooking together will likely appreciate that shared pace. Someone looking only for a restaurant lunch should choose a restaurant instead.

Why the small group matters

With no more than eight participants, the class avoids the distance that can develop in a large cooking demonstration. You can ask about a knife angle, a pan-frying decision, how to store an ingredient, or which piece of equipment is worth using at home.

A small group also makes it easier to see how recipes are assembled. You are not relying only on a chef’s hands moving quickly at the front of a room. The home kitchen setting puts the work closer to you, and the class is designed for participation.

That personal attention is particularly helpful if your cooking background is mixed. Beginners can ask straightforward questions without needing to keep up with a large class. More experienced home cooks can focus on French flavor balance, presentation, or adapting Australian ingredients.

The size has a possible downside: the experience depends on being comfortable around other people. You will be cooking and eating as a group for several hours. If you prefer a private lesson, ask about private bookings before you reserve. Dinner classes can also be arranged, and private dates may be available, but those options should be confirmed directly with Chef Jacqui’s French Cooking Classes.

The value of $168.55 for about five hours

At $168.55 per person, this costs more than a standard restaurant lunch and less than the price of treating the day as a private chef lesson for a couple. The value comes from the combination of instruction, food, drinks, and time with a classically trained chef.

You are not paying only for a meal. The price includes a three-course lunch, canapés, light refreshments, cooking instruction, and a small class environment. If you use the knife, pan-frying, organization, storage, and styling tips later at home, the practical value continues after the day ends.

The price is easier to justify if you already enjoy cooking or want a memorable food activity on the Mornington Peninsula. It is also well suited to a couple’s outing, a special gift, or a small group of friends who would rather make lunch than simply order it.

The value is less clear if you do not enjoy kitchen work. Five hours is a substantial block of time, and the format includes repeated preparation, eating, and discussion. You should book this because you want the full process, not because you only want to sample French food.

The experience is booked, on average, about 50 days ahead. That suggests you should plan early, especially if your dates are fixed. Confirmation is provided at booking, and a mobile ticket is available.

Who will enjoy Chef Jacqui’s kitchen most

I would recommend this class to home cooks who want practical guidance rather than a passive demonstration. It suits you if you like learning by doing, asking questions, and sitting down to eat what you have helped prepare.

It also works well for couples. You can share the kitchen tasks, compare notes, and enjoy a long lunch together. Friends who like food, wine, and conversation will find plenty to talk about, while people interested in Australian ingredients will appreciate the possibility of kangaroo alongside French techniques.

Families and mixed-skill groups may also benefit from the small class size, though the supplied information does not specify a minimum age. If you need age guidance, dietary details, or confirmation about a specific menu, ask before booking.

You should think twice if you have limited time in the Mornington Peninsula, dislike group activities, or want a guaranteed dish. The menu varies, transportation is your responsibility, and the class takes most of the day from late morning into the afternoon.

Booking, cancellation, and practical details

The meeting point is In House Dining with Chef Jacqui, 3/25 Rankin Road, Hastings VIC 3915, Australia. The activity starts at 11 am and finishes back at the same location after about five hours.

Private transportation is not included. Plan how you will reach Hastings and return after lunch, especially since the experience includes wine. The supplied information confirms that service animals are allowed.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time. Cancellations or changes made within 24 hours are not accepted for a refund. The class also requires a minimum number of participants, so if that minimum is not reached, you will be offered another date or experience, or a full refund.

Should you book this French and Indigenous Australian cooking experience?

Book it if you want a warm, personal cooking day where you learn useful techniques and eat a substantial lunch. The combination of Chef Jacqui’s instruction, a maximum of eight people, changing French-Australian menus, and the relaxed home setting gives the experience a clear sense of place.

I would especially choose it for a couple or small group that enjoys both cooking and conversation. The strongest value is in the skills you can repeat at home, not just the meal served that day.

Skip it if you want a short activity, a guaranteed menu, or transport included from another Mornington Peninsula location. For everyone else, the five-hour format, generous food, and personal teaching make the $168.55 price reasonable, provided you arrive hungry and ready to take part.

FAQ

Where does the cooking class take place?

The class takes place at In House Dining with Chef Jacqui, 3/25 Rankin Road, Hastings VIC 3915, Australia.

What time does the experience start?

The class starts at 11 am.

How long does the cooking experience last?

The experience lasts approximately five hours.

How many people can join the class?

The class has a maximum of eight participants.

Is lunch included?

Yes. The experience includes a three-course gourmet lunch, canapés, and light refreshments.

What dishes might be prepared?

The menu changes, but possible dishes include scallops, kangaroo steaks prepared with a French twist, and crepes.

Is transportation included?

No. Private transportation is not included, and you need to make your own way to the Hastings meeting point.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can receive a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Changes or cancellations within 24 hours are not accepted for a refund.