Most Easter plans involve a lukewarm roast and a supermarket hot cross bun, but we think your long weekend deserves a lot more spark. At Vanilla Zulu, we help you ditch the routine and turn your holiday into a hands-on celebration, starting with the first sizzle of the pan. In this guide to hosting a long weekend that people actually talk about, we cover:

• Why hands-on cooking classes are the ultimate group bonding activities for your crew.
• Mastering the Good Friday seafood tradition with Spanish Tapas and the art of 'culinary bling.'
• Setting up build-your-own bao bun and dessert painting stations in your own home.
• Using our professional toolkits to bring our kitchen vibe to your dining table.
• Finding all the answers in our Easter FAQ – starting at Bilby awareness through to travel tips and our onsite Gin Bar.

The four-day long weekend is finally on the horizon. Most Australians know the drill: autumn camping, backyard cricket and hunting for chocolate Bilbies during big family gatherings.

But often, the food falls into a dull trap of basic roasts and supermarket buns. If you want to host a weekend that people remember, you need to trade the routine for something vibrant.

You can become an expert in our kitchen alongside your friends and family through a hands-on cooking class. This is one of the best group bonding activities to get everyone involved. The real excitement happens when you take those new skills and professional tools home. You can recreate these build-your-own meal classes in your own home as a new Easter Tradition.

Unforgettably Good Friday Seafood Feast With Spanish Tapas & Paella

In Australia, our Easter doesn't look like the spring-themed northern hemisphere. We've swapped the bunny for the bilby and we deal with cooler autumn tones and an outdoor lifestyle. 

Since Good Friday traditions focus on seafood, mastering our Spanish Tapas & Paella session is a MUST for any host. This three-hour interactive workshop turns you and your team into experts as you prepare a four-course feast. You learn to handle ingredients like a professional. 

We move through a range of dishes, starting with fragrant Toro's Ears saffron water biscuit bark and ending with spiced butterbean puree with chorizo gravel and potato croquettes. Our chefs share the specific secrets behind the Perfect Paella, including how to incorporate the seafood that defines the traditional Good Friday feast. 

We teach you "culinary bling" plating and styling techniques so your long weekend spread is an absolute cracker. You leave with a range of versatile dishes that you can recreate at home to wow your family and guests.

Try These Build-Your-Own Meal Ideas For Your Next Gathering

The build-your-own meal trend is becoming incredibly popular because it allows every person to get involved in the final result. You can transfer the skills learned in our Asian Street Food or Desserts & Pastries classes to create interactive stations at home.

• Set up a home interactive bao bun station as a fun social activity for your guests. This turns your dinner into a session where everyone wraps their own fresh spring rolls at the table.
• You can also take what you learned home to set up a dessert-decorating station where you use coulis and chocolate to add a professional flair. This is a great way to let the kids lead their own Easter adventure.

Bring Our Professional Kitchen Vibe Home With These Toolkits

Many of our guests find that the best part of the day is taking that new confidence back to their own kitchen. Our toolkits provide a fully prepared foundation for your upcoming build-your-own meal activities at home, using the same gear our chefs use. 

Cook Something Special This Easter

We just love Easter! Or really any reason to enjoy group bonding activities. We truly believe food is meant to be shared – that is how we connect with the people we love. 

Join the Vanilla Zulu team for a fun, interactive cooking experience where you will learn new techniques, prepare incredible food and leave with recipes you can recreate during Easter at home.

FAQS

Why are Bilbies associated with Easter in Australia?

We love our native wildlife and want to help raise awareness about the endangered Bilby. In 1991, groups like the Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia began promoting the Easter Bilby to highlight the environmental damage caused by European wild rabbits. 

By choosing chocolate Bilbies instead of bunnies, you support the cause of native plants and animals. The slogan "Bilbies not Bunnies" is a powerful reminder that our original inhabitants need help to survive. With fewer than 10,000 greater bilbies left in the wild, human intervention is the only way to make sure the plight of bilbies and other native species improves.

What should you cook during Good Friday?

Seafood is the traditional choice because fish are cold-blooded animals. Many people choose to abstain from eating meat or flesh on Good Friday, and since fish is not considered meat in this tradition, it has become the primary food for the day. Our Spanish Tapas & Paella classes show you how to master these seafood traditions with professional flair.

Does Vanilla Zulu have a bar open during the cooking class?

Yes! Vanilla Zulu has a fully licensed bar featuring gorgeous Gin Cocktails, plus a great selection of beers, wines, ciders and soft drinks for purchase. The bar is open 30 minutes before your cooking class starts, so come in early and settle in with a refreshment before we hit the workstations.