Indigiearth Masterclass with Sharon Winsor: Native Seafood Paella at Sydney Fish Market

At the Sydney Fish Market on Blackwattle Bay in Glebe, New South Wales, Indigiearth Masterclass with Sharon Winsor offers more than a cooking lesson — it’s a hands-on cultural conversation anchored in seafood. In a three-hour session at the Sydney Seafood School, Sharon Winsor, an Indigenous food ambassador, guides small groups through a paella built on prawns, squid and mussels while explaining native harvesting practices and the cultural significance of seafood to Aboriginal communities.

The class begins on the market floor and moves into a state-of-the-art teaching kitchen where each participant claims a fully equipped cooking island. Workbenches are shared by three to six people, a lively configuration that encourages questions, technique swaps and the steady rhythm of communal cooking. You’ll learn to handle delicate shellfish, time rice to the correct doneness, and balance smoky heat, citrus and native herbs to create a dish that tastes of both harbour and country.

What makes this masterclass unique is the pairing of urban harbour context with Indigenous food knowledge. Blackwattle Bay’s working wharves and the rows of seafood stalls set the scene: glistening prawns, clean halibut fillets and towers of mussels beside the water where seabirds wheel. Sharon’s instruction threads recipes with stories about sustainable harvesting, seasonal cues and the relationships between people and tide — a reminder that plate-based skills are also place-based knowledge.

Practical details are straightforward: the session runs about 180 minutes, is wheelchair accessible, and suits participants 12 and up (under-15s must be accompanied by adults). The Sydney Seafood School supplies aprons, utensils, a recipe booklet and a dining room where you sit down to enjoy your creation. Wear enclosed shoes, and consider bringing a container for leftovers to avoid single-use plastics.

This experience is a standout for travelers interested in culinary craft, responsible sourcing and Indigenous perspectives. It’s a way to take home a recipe and an orientation: how native ingredients and sustainable harvesting shape modern Australian seafood dishes. Booking is handled through the Fish Market’s scheduling system; groups of seven or more should contact [email protected].

Whether you’re a confident home cook or a curious visitor, the masterclass offers immediate, tactile learning in a city waterfront setting. You’ll leave with a fuller understanding of Sydney’s seafood culture, practical skills for preparing shellfish, and a recipe that carries the flavour of Blackwattle Bay and the knowledge of its traditional custodians.

Arrive early to explore the market stalls before check-in; trains and buses serve nearby Bay Street and Pyrmont Bridge Road, and paid parking sits close by. Bring curiosity, an appetite and an open mind—this is a class where technique meets cultural context, and the most valuable takeaway is a practical respect for seafood ecosystems and Indigenous culinary practice.