Hands on

Roll up your sleeves and tie on an apron as Sydney chefs and artisan producers show you how it's done.

This year featured expert instruction in everything from ice cream, sushi and cheesemaking to oyster shucking and sharpening knives.

A popular new event was CIRA's Cucina Italiana in western Sydney: top Italian chefs spreading the word about affordable, authentic Italian cooking. Their classes at Casula and Kingswood TAFEs were a sell-out.