Liam Tomlin Food Studio

It was a sunshiny Saturday morning and I headed out to Franschhoek for a hands on Italian Feast, hosted by Liam Tomlin Food at the Leopards Leap estate. This venue has only been open for a few weeks but its clean lines, fresh design and attention to detail left me feeling energised and inspired.

We were the first group of people to participate in one of these demo’s and from the moment we put our aprons on, Liam and his team were by our sides giving tips on how to make stock, when to taste and how to make dishes glossy by adding in that cube of cold butter. 

We arrived at 9:30 and granted that it was tad early to think about making (and eating) creamy mushroom risotto, gnocchi laced with Parmesan cream, pancetta and asparagus spears and a fresh fruit minestrone, dolloped with vanilla bean ice cream but we were all up for the challenge. (On both accounts)

Liam is a fantastic teacher. His passion and patience come through as he guides the class. His apprentice chefs are young but knowledgeable and watching them flour the worktops with that practiced flick-of-the-wrist is nothing short of poetic.

The Liam Tomlin Food studio will be hosting a combination of visual and participated demo’s show casing various genres of food and techniques. The space has been designed with international standards in mind and each hob boasts a contemporary take on the gas stove, a fully equipped fridge, supply cupboard and a set of thee most exquisitely sharp knives. Think: Master Chef Australia. It’s what dreams are made of, in my opinion.

For news about the upcoming classes visit www.liamtomlinfood.co.za or tweet at @liamtomlinfood or @chefs_warehouse.