City of Greater Bendigo welcomes Swedish visitor for UNESCO City of Gastronomy bid

The Castlemaine school was the first stop in Australia for Mr Hartman, who had traveled to central Victoria to help the City of Greater Bendigo with its bid to become a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

The journey was part of his work in regional development for his city Ostersund, the world's third city to be listed as an UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

Read more: Bendigo's bit to become a city of gastronomy likely decided in 2019

Ostersund is known for its natural beauty, winters, outdoor sports and good wild food, he said.

He'd only been in the country a few hours, but Mr Hartman said he could sense the energy and the ambition driving the application.

"I see a lot of assets and I see a lot of ambition. So you guys have what it needs, but this you have to understand how it works," Mr Hartman said.

"It's leveling up."

For Jane Grylls it was amazing to have Mr Hartman visit the school's Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program. As kitchen specialist in the program, she teaches the kids at Winters Flat Primary to cook.

She was even a bit nervous, Ms Grylls joked.

A pumpkin, couscous and fetta salad, Argentinian flat breads and sticky date pudding with preserved pear were among the five courses the children made for their lunch.

Cooking is something she believes is an essential life skill for the children.

Through the program they learn to connect with the seasons, grow their own food and revive the conviviality of sitting down at a beautiful table with their families and friends.

"No matter if you're rich or poor, if you know how to eat well and grow your own food, there's an essential richness that you have in yourself and that you pass on to other people that you love and that you come in contact with," Ms Grylls said.

"It's quite amazing to see how these kids are going to be the next heroes of food. At such a young age they have amazing skills. I get terrific feedback from themselves ... and their parents.

"That experience when you taste your first garden pea, or you taste your first peach from a tree, like a lot of those experiences happen here, and I just think that's incredible."

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