Orchards Cooking School and Guest Farm

Cooking at Orchards

Our cooking courses vary in duration from weekend to overnight to evening and are designed for any level of cooking ability. Each course involves a “hands on” approach as well as practical tips and demonstrations.

While many cooking schools focus on the chef and complex cooking methods, our focus is to allow the everyday person to be more experimental and to realize that cooking is an adventure and can be a fun experience.

Our courses include, Thai, Italian, Middle Eastern, New South African, Lebanese, Spanish, Moroccan, Mediterranean, French, etc. etc.

We keep our classes small to allow for a hands on class. Each session lasts approx. 3 hours and includes a 3-5 course meal. Weekend courses are made up of 3 sessions.

Cooking Course Dates

The set courses for 2007 are as follows :

  • JANUARY : Spanish & Moorish Cuisine
  • FEBRUARY : Italian
  • MARCH : Mediterranean
  • APRIL : Thai & Vietnamese
  • MAY : Moroccan & North African Cuisine
  • JUNE : Curries & Eastern Delights
  • JULY : South African
  • AUGUST : French Cuisine
  • SEPTEMBER : Greece
  • OCTOBER : The Middle East
  • NOVEMBER : Thai

We offer evening, overnight and weekend couses. To view rates, click here.

Please call or email us for exact dates of the courses. We can arrange other dates to suit you if you if you are a group of 4 or more persons.

Weekend Itinerary

Friday :

Afternoon : Arrival

Evening : Practical involvement in the preparation for Dinner; Dinner

Saturday :

Morning : Breakfast; Visit to an olive farm; Practical involvement in the preparations for lunch; Lunch

Afternoon : Visit to some local award winning wine cellars or free time to relax or explore the valley

Evening : Practical involvement in the preparation for Dinner; Dinner

Sunday :

Morning : Breakfast; Free time; Departure

The Cook

The school is run by John Haddad, formally of Peasants Pizza and Pasta in Cape Town. He has many years experience in restaurants and will be able to pass on some of his knowledge to you. John is Lebanese and learnt to be passionate about food at his grandmothers knee. He began his career during his school years, working weekends and holidays in a local restaurant in Welkom where he grew up. After leaving school he did a 3 yr. diploma at the hotel school in Braamfontien. From there he worked his way up to owning his own very successful chain of Pizza restaurants in Cape Town. In 2002 he sold up and bought a farm in the beautiful Tulbagh valley, wanting to spend more time with his family. It is here on Odessa Farm that Orchards Cooking School was born. In this little piece of Paradise he can cook, spend time with the family and grow his wine and olives.