The Hellenic Odyssey, cooking and baking and desserts teacher

The Hellenic Odyssey

The Hellenic Odyssey

location_on Melbourne

local_activity classes: CookingBaking and Desserts

4.9 (36)
Instagram followers17k

“A project created from the heart, driven by a passion for food and inspired by a love for travel."

At The Hellenic Odyssey we want to share our authentic family recipes and traditional cooking methods and provide you with:
  • A valuable and entertaining experience while learning to cook a new cuisine
  • The ability and confidence to improve on your kitchen skills and cooking techniques
  • Insights into the cultural heritage, values and traditions surrounding the recipes
  • A taste of Greece through the flavours and aromas of Greek food that leaves you wanting to explore more of Greece

The Hellenic Odyssey is not just another cooking school. We are all about the heart and soul of Greek food and the people and stories that make it what it is. Our focus is to share our recipes so that they are kept alive throughout the generations but also to preserve the essence and authenticity of Greek food and cooking.

We want to teach you about that the simple flavours of Greek food that makes it so delicious. We offer a variety of classes every week, both online and in-person for individuals, groups, teams and corporates and for special occasions and celebrations.

For Greeks, food is about the cultivation, harvest and preparation of food that is as close to nature as possible. Every single day, Greek families will come home from work and sit down at the table for a shared home-cooked meal before an afternoon siesta and then back to work for the afternoon shift.

Based on the Greek way of living, we too will prepare, cook and eat together as a group, in a relaxed informal cooking class or demonstration where you can choose your level of participation. You can sit back and just enjoy food being prepared for you that is freshly cooked right before your eyes or you can roll up your sleeves, put on an apron and take part in helping to prepare the dishes.

Classes are an intimate gathering to provide the opportunity to ask questions, to learn and to enjoy the company and the food in a relaxed and informal setting. The recipes are simple, quick and easy but truly delicious.

In our classes, you will learn how to select the ingredients that will provide you with the most authentic Greek flavours so you can replicate this type of cooking in your own kitchen. The aromas will have you feeling like you are in strolling along a cobblestoned laneway passing by a taverna on one of the beautiful idyllic Greek islands.

You will be welcomed into a Greek family home set with olive trees and mandarin trees out the front and a fig tree, orange, lemon tree and vine out the back.

Your host, Kelly, is a passionate home cook with Cretan heritage. She hosts culinary travel tours to Crete and conducts Greek cooking classes and walking food tours in Melbourne. Kelly helps people to learn how to cook delicious and nutritious food, in a fun and interactive environment, so they can gain the kitchen skills needed to become confident cooks.

Kelly looks forward to welcoming you into her home and learning about your food journey while she shares insights into Greek cuisine and the Greek way of life.






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Reviews

(36)


Amanda Sep 2023


The Hellenic Odyssey hosted by Kelly was a wonderful day.
Small classes hosted in Kelly’s home discussing Greece together and cooking delicious local foods.
Everything we cooked together I felt I would easily be able to recreate at home.
Thank you for a mouth watering my delicious day of Greek food!

Greek Feast Cooking Class review by Amanda - Melbourne

Anna Xia Aug 2023

107 ClassBento workshops attended • 105 reviews


Kelly was so organised in running this class. She welcomed all 8 of us to her lovely home. There’s a beautiful long marble kitchen bench from which we learnt how to make a range of Greek specialty dishes that I don’t know how to pronounce let alone spell. They were all delicious highlights being the vine leaves/ dolmades, beans in tomatoes with feta, pumpkin fritters, beef meatballs and filo pastry custard pockets. We shared the feast with a white wine from Crete, which is where Kelly is from. She is passionate about the benefits of Mediterranean diet and the role food plays in culture and bringing people together. We had a fabulous time. Thank you!

Cooking class review by Anna Xia - Melbourne

Manuela Jorg Jul 2023

6 ClassBento workshops attended • 3 reviews


The teacher was very friendly and knowledgeable. We made 6 dishes, which were shared at the end. Recipes were based on common ingredients, therefore they should be easy enough to be replicated.

Teacher's response

Thank you, Manuela! We're delighted to hear that you found our teacher to be friendly and knowledgeable. Making six delicious dishes that were shared at the end sounds like a truly wonderful experience. It's great to know that the recipes were based on common ingredients, making them easily replicable. We hope to see you again soon!

Despi O'Connor Jul 2023


Kelly was amazing! The instruction was fabulous and Kelly involved everyone in the prac. And the food was magnificent.

Greek Feast Cooking Class review by Despi O'Connor - Melbourne

Teacher's response

Thank you, Despi, for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that Kelly was amazing and her instructions were fabulous. It's great to know that she involved everyone in the prac. We're also delighted that you enjoyed the magnificent food. We hope to see you again soon!

Alex Sefertzis Mar 2023


Had a great time with Kelly as our teacher and picked up some great tips on how to better cook some vegetarian meals. Definitely going to buy some of that special reserve olive oil from Cobram Estate! Highly recommended class.

Greek Cuisine Cooking Class review by Alex Sefertzis - Melbourne

Masha Kats Dec 2022


Today we had an absolutely fantastic experience. Kelly was very welcoming to us and we felt very at home in her house. We learned a lot about the Greek style of cooking and Kelly shared her knowledge as well as experience with us. The food we prepared was delicious (and we took so much with us:). Once again we thank Kelly for this unforgettable day!

Tamsin Wilson Dec 2022


A fantastic experience. Really friendly, warm environment and delicious food. Easy to cook and recipes that we will continue to use. Thank you to Kelly for such an enjoyable, fun morning.

Cooking class review by Tamsin Wilson - Melbourne

Emma Brown Dec 2022


Great cooking class, learnt how to make lots of cretian dishes, sweet and savoury, took home the recipes so you can try it at home too, got to eat all the dishes at the end of the class, very tasty and easy to follow. Would recommend.

Cooking class review by Emma Brown - Melbourne

Jenny Chan Nov 2022

83 ClassBento workshops attended • 81 reviews


A cooking experience rich with insights of Greek traditions and culture.
Our friendly teacher carefully guided us through each preparation stage whilst engaging our participation. Enthusiastic attendees made this a fun class.

Greek Cuisine Cooking Class review by Jenny Chan - Melbourne

Kellie Steel Mar 2022

2 ClassBento workshops attended


Great Class! Teacher Kelly was really patient and understanding! We had a private class everything went smoothly - Kelly was more than accommodating due to the fact we were in a flood zone having the push back the date.

Emma Morris Mar 2022

116 ClassBento workshops attended • 83 reviews


This was a fantastic experience! All the participants were friendly and the facilitator was exceptionally accepting of my limitations.
We had a great time! The biscuits were the best part

Cooking class review by Emma Morris - Melbourne

Felicity Vanderstadt Feb 2022

3 ClassBento workshops attended


The venue for the Hellenic Odyssey is in an unassuming suburban street which makes you feel like you’re learning/cooking in someone’s home… which you are!
Kelly was very welcoming and everything was prepped beautifully.
We cooked a wide range of different Greek dishes, then sat down and ate the fruits of our labour!
Delicious
Would definitely recommend!

Lauren Alla Sep 2021


Such a fun class All the little tips and hacks made it a seamless cooking experience. My dish turned out amazing (even if I do say so myself!).
Kelly was lovely and I would definitely return for more classes!

Baking and Desserts class review by Lauren Alla

Sara Haddo Sep 2021


Kelly, was fantastic. The class was very well organised. She was super clear with her instructions and was extremely patient given the large class size. I would absolutely do another one of her virtual classes. I highly recommend her class.

Karen Jorgensen Sep 2021

20 ClassBento workshops attended • 17 reviews


Everyone really enjoyed the cooking class and Kelly was great
She also sent through the recording for a couple of people who couldn't cook on the day

Jacinta Simcox Sep 2021

4 ClassBento workshops attended • 3 reviews


Great. Simple instructions and open to some chatting between participants. A yummy treat I'm pleased to have learned how to make.

Hilla Shachar Sep 2021


We absolutely loved our introduction to Greek Cuisine today!
Informative, fun and delicious!
Thank you, Kelly!

Jacinta Simcox Sep 2021

4 ClassBento workshops attended • 3 reviews


Learnt the assembly of the filo which was easy and clearly demonstrated. Hope to repeat recipe many times. Thanks Kelly

Julie Fehlberg Aug 2021

3 ClassBento workshops attended


This was such an enjoyable class, and we thoroughly enjoyed the food after the class! Kelly was a great teacher and patiently answered any questions. Thank you for a great morning!

Carol Fry Aug 2021


Kelly was AMAZING. We had a really diverse group dial in today; from the anxious but willing participant through to the confident in the kitchen chef; and Kelly made the experience fun for everyone. I wouldn't hesitate recommending The Hellenic Odyssey, our group of 8 absolutely loved the 90 minute class. Kelly was engaging, fun and made sure nobody was left behind! Thanks so much Kelly x

Make Spanakopita at Home review by Carol Fry

Danielle Graber Aug 2021

2 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews


Kelly was charming, very patient and very knowledgeable. I haven't even eaten the food yet (it's still cooking), but the whole house smells divine and I can't wait to dig in! Thank you!

Karen Jorgensen Mar 2021

20 ClassBento workshops attended • 17 reviews


The feedback from the group has been very positive and they all loved the dips and they also really liked Kelly as she was very good at explaining what and how to do it all.
One carer who had to leave because her daughter had collapsed at school and had to leave the workshop said Kelly was every understanding and empathetic.
We would all definitely recommend this workshop and the dips were delicious.

Phu Mar 2021


The teacher was friendly, the class went smoothly with no issues and food tasted nice.

Greek Feast Cooking Class review by Phu  - Melbourne

Jenny Nguyen Mar 2021

27 ClassBento workshops attended • 24 reviews


Kelly was a fantastic teacher, she was very welcoming and answered all our questions. The recipes were easy to follow and the food delicious. Would recommend :)

Cooking class review by Jenny Nguyen - Melbourne

Kathy Willey Mar 2021


Everything about the Greek cooking class was enjoyable. Kelly was delightful, knowledgeable and so helpful. The venue was perfect and sitting to enjoy what we’d cooked for lunch the highlight. Highly recommend it.

Natalie Vella Feb 2021


Great class!
Very well organised.
Had a lot of fun and enjoyed the experience.
Well done Kelly

How to Make Greek Baklava review by Natalie Vella

Brea Kunstler Jan 2021

7 ClassBento workshops attended • 6 reviews


So much love for Kelly's classes! Amazing instruction, easy and enjoyable to follow along. So simple to find the ingredients too. Can't wait for the next one!

Cheryle Baird Jan 2021


Kelly was lovely and very easy to follow, I would be happy to do another class with her

Holley Yu Jan 2021


My husband and I had a wonderful time. We learnt a lot about Greek cooking and the food that all of us prepared together was fabulous

It is a very well prepared and organised class and Kelly is a great teacher - warm, friendly, encouraging and supportive.

It always fascinates me how food brings people together so quickly.
I highly recommend this class, it’s beyond our expectations for sure :-)

Holley

Vanessa Hewitt Jan 2021

4 ClassBento workshops attended • 6 reviews


Great class insightful teacher and terrific food. Happy to recommend for those who want to learn how to cook authentic Greek Cretan cuisine.

Breanne Kunstler Dec 2020

7 ClassBento workshops attended • 6 reviews


Loved this class! It was nice and small. Kelly was a lovely and patient instructor and tailored the recipe to my needs. Thanks!

Li Qiu Dec 2020

38 ClassBento workshops attended


My mum and dad (who usually doesn’t have beef) like them very much! Great taste! Thank you, Kelly!

Talei Bentley Dec 2020


What a fantastic class! Kelly was an excellent teacher who led us clearly and expertly through the class. The food was delicious & we’ve been recommending it all of our friends and family ever since.

Catherine Dorrestyn Dec 2020

2 ClassBento workshops attended


Kelly is a wonderful teacher, her calm and lovely demeanour resonates throughout the whole cooking class/session. The food was delicious and easily prepared with Kelly’s direction. I never felt rushed or hurried and had plenty of time to enjoy the process of making all the food. Kelly made it all seem so easy.

Janine McLean Oct 2020


Informative and patient as a teacher . Would have liked a picture of what I was aiming for with the supply list so I could visualize what I was making. Fun and the custard is delicious on its own so Thankyou

Baking and Desserts class review by Janine McLean

Jamal Nobandi Sep 2020

4 ClassBento workshops attended


Kelly was a wonderful host - she was patient and informative! We learnt many new skills and the food was fresh and delicious! Would highly recommend to anyone that is new to cooking Greek cuisine.

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