LGW Video logoWhy we started Little Green Workshops

Hi there, Gavin here.  I’ve been blogging over at The Greening of Gavin and Little Green Cheese for just over 7 years.  During that time many readers have asked Kim and I how or where they could get the materials and equipment or how to acquire the skills to make some of the things that I wrote about on the blog each month.

Things like cheese, soap, soy candles, and preserves to name a few.

So firstly, we registered a business and then started teaching workshops at our local community centre to help others the learn the skills for basic cheese making, soap making, and soy candles.  You can find further information on the workshops menu above.

This served the local community well, and some keen people even travelled up to 100 km to attend them.

However, we soon realised at the end of each class that the students wanted to know where to purchase the materials to make more of the item they just learnt to make.  So, we started selling workshop related goods at the end of each class.

Others soon learnt about our workshops and told us that courses were too far away for them to travel.  Additionally we discovered that the equipment to create the final product was not always readily available outside of Australian capital cities.

So this led us to expand our website and add an on-line shop so that others who couldn’t travel to our classes could teach themselves using kits with comprehensive instructions, top up supplies, and course-ware (books & DVDs).

In November 2014, the shop opened for the first time, and what happened next blew us away!

People actually bought our products and have given us great feedback about them, and are coming back a second and third time when their kit ingredients run out.  This made us so happy that we’ve been able to serve others keen to learn these skills for themselves.

So that’s our story of how we started our business, Little Green Workshops.

Now allow us to introduce ourselves

Kim

Kim WebberDuring 2011, I had a brilliant idea to begin to teach the skills that Gavin and I were learning.  Many of our friends and family wanted to know how to make sustainable products, so I knew that others may be keen to learn as well.  With early success, we have taught workshops all over Melbourne.  I enjoy meeting new people, and teaching workshop participants green skills that they can take away with them and make at their own homes.

I am an Artist and have been teaching since 2011, and hold a Diploma in Illustrating Children’s Books (London Art College).

Gavin

Hi everyone.  Way back in September 2006, I had a green awakening of sorts, and began to make bigGavin Webber changes to my, and subsequently, my family’s lifestyle.  I have chronicled our journey via my blog “The Greening of Gavin” for over six years.  With over 2 million page views, it’s an achievement that I am very proud of.

As for green teaching, I love it!  I really enjoy helping others to learn new sustainable living skills, and watch them take home a successful cheese or block of soap after a workshop.  It makes my day.

I have been teaching since 1992 and hold a Certificate IV in Vocational Training and a Diploma of Carbon Management.


For more information about products and future workshops dates or enquiries, please contact Kim via our contact page.

We proudly support our local community learning centres.  All public courses can be booked by calling the Community house listed on the course pages, and letting the staff know which course you wish to attend.  They take all student details and handle payments for each workshop.

10 thoughts on “About

  1. Anna Fontana says:

    Hello Gavin and Kim, I’ve been cheese making for awhile with my own goat milk and love the peace and satisfaction a finished cheese provides me. Your tutorials are by far the best I’ve watched, easily understood, not overly long and well videoed. For the past four days I’ve tried to watch them all and have made your cloth wrapped cheddar and now your bloomy goat cheese (I’ve never been able to get the bloom right ugh). And this morning I ordered some of your products which you will even send to me in Canada. Thanks you guys and Merry Christmas!

  2. Josh Edgerton says:

    Mr. Gavin, You are amazing to watch on youtube. As a college student at LSU, I love to relax and watch your french cheese lessons. I hope to one day be a pro like you. Thanks again.

  3. Kevin Promnick says:

    Hey Gavin
    Due to time differences and work constraints, I am unable to connect on the live stream but watch it as soon as it comes on youtube, however are you prepared to address questions on the live stream if we ask them a few days earlier. eg On your videos when you are stirring the curds, your curds seem to be a lot creamier than mine. Is this due to the fat content of the milk (our full cream milk is 3.25%) Also your matured cheese seems to be a lot more yellow than mine, is this also due to fat content as in some of your cheeses you do not use Annato but it still comes out slightly yellow?

  4. Mandy says:

    I’m South African; now playing at homesteading in Massachusetts by way of Alaska and Asia. I’ve been reading David Asher’s book, “The Art of Natural Cheesemaking” in an effort to free myself of store-bought cultures and additives, given my milk is raw and readily available. What I love now, is that I’m able to return to your videos and adjust by using Asher’s techniques to make all your lovely cheeses. Using your system of ripening boxes has helped me get my unruly cheese cave under control at last and I just ordered some of your fabulous Aussie cheese molds, because the ones I find here are not as versatile or varied. Even shipping internationally, your prices are great. So a big thank you, from one Antipodean to another.

    • Gavin says:

      Congratulations on going totally “raw” with your cheese making. It is something I aspire to, but getting raw milk in my neck of the woods is very difficult and illegal (unfortunately). Thanks so much for your order, we will get that packed on Monday for you!

  5. Carol Avant says:

    I wish I lived closer to you folks – I’d definitely be signing up for a workshop or two! That’s not possible since I live in Central Florida, US, and I’m on a pretty limited income. However, I can keep learning from your videos and buy the occasional book! Thank’s for being here, and another big thank’s for sharing. Know you have a big fan here in the ‘States.

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