French Odyssey Cooking Classes - French Cooking Classes

FRENCH ODYSSEY – JOURNEY THROUGH FRANCE

In France, cooking is a pleasure, the French cook because they want to eat and dine well and they love the cooking process.

Discover this pleasure by taking a culinary journey through France with classic dishes cooked in our small, relaxed, hands-on cooking classes. Cook with like-minded gastronomes!

French Cuisine has given us the classic technical foundations and methods of cookery that have inspired chefs and cooks over the ages. Learn to cook some favourite French dishes that are so intrinsically French.

Dishes such as magret de canard, ocean trout rillettes and pork rillettes, la Bourride, fish soup, with sauce Rouille, blanquette de veau, coq au vin and regional favourites such as Burgundian gougères, Soupe au Pistou, pain d’épices, and pissaladière; Tarte aux poires Normande, clafoutis. Desserts include crème brûlée, cherry clafoutis, meringue roulades, chocolate and crème pâtissière profiteroles and Tarte Tatins, apple, nectarine, plus savoury tomato and onion!

Included also are dishes of la cuisine nouvelle, the cuisine of today with more contemporary dishes. Enjoy the tastes, textures and aromas of simple and sophisticated French fare.

All classes are small, relaxed, friendly, and completely hands-on, giving you the opportunity of maximum learning opportunities. You are welcomed with a tea, coffee, or cool drink plus a cake or biscuit baked in-house in the Cooking on the Bay kitchen.

After the morning’s cooking class, you then dine at the table ‘à la française’ and enjoy the delicious ‘fruits of your labour’ in the Cooking on the Bay dining room. From a choux pastry hors d’oeuvre, followed by a multi-course lunch at the table, accompanied by wine, sometimes a bite of cheese, always one or two desserts, and a coffee.

After you have cooked your way through the menu I carefully prepared for you, you will be a transformed cook!

The menus change with the seasons and include the best local, seasonal, ‘nutri-rich’, healthy, real food in keeping with my Cook Real Food philosophy.

Note: Classes are available on any date of your choice for groups of 6+ – Please contact Tonya for availability

Classes $295 p/p

By the way, there is now a Partners and Friends Class Luncheon available, without the cooking class. This is available for guests of people attending the Cooking on the Bay cooking classes, and who do not want to cook!

Guest arrival time is around 12.30pm; we are usually finished then or nearly finished anyway. Your guest can relax with a glass of wine if we are still finishing off a dish or 2.

The cost for the lunch with wine is $145 per person. Email me to book and pay this Luncheon option.

BOOK CLASSES

To book your classes please select from the dates below

: Duck breast with orange marmalade sauce, and parsnips with almonds

: Beetroot cured salmon gravlax

: Goats’ cheese souffle with mixed greens, walnuts, pear and goats cheese salad

: Lifting the lid – delicious

: Christmas Bûche de Noël

: Crème caramel

: Hazelnut dacquoise with berries

: Blue cheese and walnut ‘terrine’

: Walnut and cheese salad

: Swiss and button mushrooms

: Cauliflower and onion tart

: Bourgundian Pain d’Epice

: Coq au Vin ready for the table

FRENCH CLASS TESTIMONIALS

Karyn Weaver ‘Fantastic experience with a lovely host/teacher. A great ‘French Odyssey’. 7^th February 2026

‘Tonya is a gem! This is a small group class in an intimate setting at Tonya’s lovely home. Tonya is an enthusiastic and passionate cook and teacher and is happy to share her knowledge and experience with attendees. I am a keen home cook and Francophile and I learned a lot. The food was plentiful and delicious. A wonderful way to spend a day!’ Madeleine Boulton, NSW, French Odyssey – Journey through France, Saturday 30 November 2024.

`Thank you, Tonya. Chris and I had a brilliant time and it was such an amazing experience for us both. We have picked up a few tips and will be definitely cooking lots of your recipes in the future. Can’t wait. We have already bought a canelés baking tray, crêpe pan and a sharpening steel.’ Regards Leonie Denby and Chris Dunne. French Odyssey – Journey through France, Saturday 8 February 2025

: Leonie and Chris cooking crepes with Veronica

Jonathan Manickam‘Tonya and Sandra are fantastic hosts, we learned so much and had such a great time. Highly recommend the duck!’

Monday 20th October, 2025 Team Building with Square Peg.

‘Great food coaching and technical tips. Enjoyable company and conversation..’ Douglas Campbell, French Odyssey – Journey through France, Saturday 8 February 2025.

: Egg whites for the souffles

‘Tonya, thank you for the fantastic French Odyssey cooking class on Saturday. Your place is in such a great location and the kitchen was so well equipped, it made everything run so smoothly. I enjoyed learning lots of new techniques and hints for becoming a better cook.

The food you had us prepare was delicious, and you could tell the whole group enjoyed it very much. Being a great fan of cooking French food made it quite special and I feel as though I have learned a lot ! Thank you again for your sharing your expertise, and it’s an experience I would definitely like to repeat sometime in the future. All much appreciated.

Salut Rob Gardner – PS, I was unable to leave a review with the QR code because I don’t have a google account.’ Saturday 7th February, 2026.

‘Fantastic day! So brilliant to learn many new skills, so many different courses. So educational. Will definitely be cooking many of the dishes at home. Thanks for an amazing day’. Highly recommend! Carolyn Carter – French Odyssey – Journey through France, Saturday 25th October, 2025.

Jethro Cohen – ‘Huge amount of fun with the team, with great food. Really appreciated Tonya’s energy. She really got along with our small group. Amazing team bonding.’ October 20th, 2025.

What a delicious, enjoyable day, thank you Tonya. I learned a great deal about those important little things in preparation that make all the difference! Tonya thank you so much for taking time for all my questions. The menu was fabulous and very filling. The duck was moist and delicious and the dessert was to die for, see you again soon. Ilana and Simon Tisher, September 20th, 2025.

‘An absolutely wonderful day, everything was beautiful. Tonya is an excellent teacher, and all the recipes were very clear and accessible. All the dishes were special and felt like being in France. Bon appétit‘. Georgina Padghan, French Odyssey – Journey through France, Saturday 16ht August, 2025.

‘We had the best time learning French cooking with Tonya. A full day of amazing food and great company.’ David Willett, French Odyssey – Journey through France, Saturday 30 November 2024.

‘It was a wonderful day which I enjoyed enormously. Thanks for all the recipes and photos. I’ve left a review on Facebook. Best wishes. Colin Royse.’ Saturday 7^th February 2026.

‘Thoroughly enjoyed our French cooking class with the amazing Tonya, relaxed atmosphere and fantastic food all throughout, can’t recommend this class enough! Can’t wait to come back for more.’ Saturday 13th December, 2025. John Renehan French Cooking Class

Kim Duong

Very educational and great company, would recommend to those who want to learn more about French cooking! A FRench Odyssey – Journey though France, Saturday 25th Ocotber, 2025.

Eden Wright

Absolutely fantastic cooking class!!! The food was amazing and Tonya was just wonderful – so educational, very helpful and so much fun!
Would recommend this for anyone who wants to learn some simple skills to improve your cooking skills, but also great for anyone who wants to learn a little more about why things cook the way they do.
Huge fan, will recommend to all my friends! A French Odyssey – Journey through France, Saturday 25th October, 2025.

Tonya hosted an amazing day! Food was great, lots of laughs. The team really enjoyed the experience’. Grace DallabonaTeam Builiding for Square Peg Monday 20th October, 2025.

Fiona Battersby French Cooking Class ‘What a delicious, enjoyable day, thank you Tonya. I learnt much about those important little things in preparation that make all the difference! Tonya thank you so much for taking time for all my questions, The menu was fabulous and very filling. The duck was moist and delicious and the dessert was to die for….See you again soon’. Saturday 20th September, 2025.

James Tynan

‘Amazingly tasty food and a really fun experience’. Monday 20th October 2025. Team Building with Square Peg.

‘Amazing experience. Pastry is always a tricky thing for a home cook but Tonya was a great teacher and gave me a lot of confidence in dealing with it’. Naomi B, Masterclass in French Pastry, Sunday 7 September, 2025.

‘Thank you very much Tonya for a wonderful class in a beautiful venue and for sharing all those photos. Will definitely be making some dishes in the future for family and friends. It was also a pleasure to meet everyone and share so many delicious dishes and conversations. Take care everyone, make the best of every day and hope food, family and friends nourish you for many years to come.’ Jacqui O’Connor, French Odyssey – Journey through France, Saturday 16th August 2025.

FRENCH DESSERT CLASS TESTIMONIALS

Sandra Bray

‘Well chosen variety of items to make using different techniques. Wonderful host (and helper) in a beautiful setting with the perfect number of fellow bakers. A very lovely day.’ Sunday 8^th February, 2026

‘Great session, learnt a lot and had a good time!’ Emmett Brew, French Bistro Desserts Cooking Class onSunday 14th December 2025.

‘Very good class learnt a lot couldn’t recommend it more.’ Liam Frost French Bistro Desserts Cooking Class

Sunday 14th December 2025.

Julie Falcone French Bistro Desserts Cooking Class;

‘What a fantastic way to spend a Sunday. We made a number of scrumptious desserts and got to take some home. Tonya is a kind and patient teacher with a wealth of knowledge and experience. The location was divine and the class size was perfect for one to one learning in a fun and friendly environment. Thank you, I will be back again.’

French Bistro Desserts Cooking Class Sunday 21st September 2025.

Cameron MacDonald, ‘A lovely time spent learning to cook French deserts.
Tonya is a well versed chef with up to date skills which she is ready to pass on to her students.’
Highly recommended

French Bistro Desserts Cooking Class Sunday 20th July 2025.

‘What a great experience- Tonya is so professional, the kitchen and dining room are well set out, everything was prepared down to the finest details (think measured ingredients and equipment for each dish!). Tonya’s experience and skill shone throughout the day, and all the dishes on the menu made it to our luncheon table. We had a lovely group of students, and we had so much fun together; all of us learnt new techniques and ideas to improve and enhance our own cooking. The program was well structured, and the kitchen supported by assistant Janette who looked after us so well. Highly recommend this most enjoyable day out.’ Gerry Phillips, Hamptom, Vic.

French Bistro Desserts Cooking Class Sunday 20th July 2025.

‘I thoroughly enjoyed my cooking class with Tonya! She is very knowledgeable and gave us all very clear instructions. We broke into 4 groups of 2 to make 2 desserts each but also got to see our peers working on their respective desserts so we were able to gain a lot of insight into all the dishes. The finished results were awesome and I gained some confidence to make my own at home and even get creative and put my on twist on things. Amy Das, French Bistro Desserts Cooking Class Sunday 1st December, 2024

‘Great fun. Informative, delicious, great company and excellent tuition. Tonya and Sandra made us feel welcomed.’ Pam Giumarra – French Bistro Desserts Saturday 13th July, 2024.

‘Such nice weather for a super nice French desserts extravaganza. We were served a coronation quiche with some greens just so we ate something as a basis for the waves of dessert offerings to come. Apple tart tatin with Crème Anglaise ice cream, profiteroles filled with crème pâtissière and chocolate sauce, passionfruit soufflé, basque cheesecake and speculoos which are French cinnamon short bread biscuits. Many thanks to Tonya and her assistant Sandra for a wonderful day. You’d be surprised at your own baking and cooking ability. A nice drop of rosé or sparkling certainly livened the atmosphere.’ Anna Xia, Victoria. Sunday 29 October, 2023.

: Passionfruit soufflés

: Anna is becoming a great cook

: Tart Tatin straight from the oven

: Basque cheesecake – wow!

Fiona Bennett – Google review – ‘Such a nice day, I’m so full I’m going to burst!’ Sunday 23rd June 2024

: the Creme Caramel – they loved

: Fiona making the roulade with daughter Sarah

‘Hi Tonya…I also made chocolate soufflés last night for my family. It was a slightly different recipe, cooked for 25 minutes, but same principles. They were amazing and so simple! Another cooking “mt Everest” conquered. I have promised them a creme caramel next time – just didn’t have time for that yesterday. Thanks again, Karen’ Cheltenham, Victoria, July 11th 2021.

: Passionfruit soufflés

: Almond macarons

: Crème caramel

Jade W

‘Spent a fabulous day making French bistro desserts with Tonya at Cooking by the Bay. We were provided with detailed, easy to follow recipes to make delicious desserts. We were able to sample them after a lovely light lunch, and had plenty left over to take home. Would highly recommend this experience!’ Sunday 21st September 2025.

Sarah Britz for Barb Dysart, NZ

French Bistro Desserts Cooking Class Sunday 20th July, 2025.

‘ Tonya structured the course very well to enable everyone to have a go at different parts of the dessert prep. It was relaxed and informative. Great day finished by a lovely lunch. Kia Ora Tonya, Thank you for your lovely email Tonya. I really enjoyed my day and it was lovely working with you and Jeanette. It will be a special memory from my time in Melbourne. Kind regards, Barb.

“Tonya, thanks so much for a wonderful day yesterday. A beautifully planned session as usual. It was lovely working with Helen and Sophie as they were both so nice. The cake was magnificent and Angela is about to devour a slice when she picks Ashley up. Could I please have the recipe for the Chocolate cake which Ashley and I have just polished off this afternoon……delicious! Many thanks.” Sue Black, Brighton. April 2019.

‘Lovely meeting you Tonya and thank you for all the additional notes and tips. Lovely meeting you too Lai Peng, Sharon, Karen, Nik & Deborah, I had a very enjoyable morning of cooking, chatting and laughing. My family thoroughly enjoyed the leftovers I brought home. I have attached a few photos I took on the day. Juliana, 10th July 2021.

‘Hi Tonya, Thanks for the photos, was such a fun day, enjoyed it very much. Much appreciated too the gluten-free and being able to eat almost everything. The seed crackers I enjoy eating so great to have the recipe. Look forward to checking out what you are making and the hints you give, hope to get to another of your classes one day. You have a lovely gift to share with others, Thank you and happy cooking to you too.’ Sharon Teresa, Bellarine Peninsular, Victoria, July 11th 2021.

: Hazelnut dacquoise with berries

: Crème caramel

: Making sugar syrup

Dear Tonya, Thank you so much for a wonderful day in your home learning to improve my cooking skills. It was a wonderful experience and you obviously put enormous thought and effort into your sessions. You make the potentially difficult look easy. After all, you have the ‘know-how’, and I have come away from today’s class with renewed enthusiasm and confidence to ‘have a go’ at cooking tasks I have previously avoided due to lack of confidence. Perhaps I now know how to at least try my hand with the recipes (and puff pastry!!) we tried today? Thank you! Best wishes, Michael’. Michael Holmes, Burwood, Vic. French Desserts, Saturday 13th May, 2023

‘Hi Tonya, Thank you so much for the lovely experience of cooking those delicious French desserts. I’m looking forward to making them for the family! Kindest regards and thank you again, Nasima Heron.’ French Bistrot Classics – Desserts. March, 2022.

: Langues du chat

: Orange Trio

: Strawberry meringue roulade

‘Hi, Tonya – Thank you again for the wonderful morning and afternoon. I thoroughly enjoyed myself…Everything was just beautiful.’ Barb L, East Bentleigh, French Bistro Classics – Desserts. April 2022.

: Special Nut Tarte aux Mendiants

: Brandy syrup poached pear clafoutis – the highlight for some

: Barb making the tarte

French Bistro Desserts Cooking Class Sunday 17th August, 2025.

250817 Katie Rees – French Bistro Desserts Cooking Class
‘Amazing class in an amazing location! Our teacher Tonya was super organised and so knowledgeable. We learnt some fantastic French dessert techniques and used these to make delicious desserts. We had a small but super friendly, engaged and encouraging group. I will definitely be signing up for more classes!’

‘A lovely Sunday spent cooking many delicious desserts with Tonya. Learned a lot, had a few laughs and shared a lovely lunch with the attendees. Great booklet provided with detailed recipes and tips to recreate them at home. Highly recommend.’ Diana Mott, French Bistro Desserts Saturday 21st September, 2025.

‘A fabulous class. Tonya is a wealth of wisdom. The cooking, class members, teaching, desserts, and lunch were all fabulous. Do yourself a favour an attend a class.’ Kerry Kemmell French Bistro Desserts Saturday 13th July, 2024.