Holiday itinerary
Tucked away in the peaceful and historic village of Gramont in Gascony, this charming and tastefully restored French farmhouse is the setting for your French cookery short break.
Under the guidance of your English host Chef David and French Chef Bernard who both trained as chefs in France and are acclaimed in the area, you will immerse yourself in French life to discover the gastronomic delights of this beautiful area of South West France.
The aim of the French cooking course is to give you the skills to cook a fabulous dinner party back home to impress even the most experienced foodies. You’ll learn to cook either in the kitchen of local restaurant the Auberge ("French Farmhouse Restaurant") or in the kitchen at the main house.
You'll enjoy three French cooking lessons starting on Sunday where you'll not only learn to cook French specialities but also how to complete a full service for a unique residential French cookery break.
There are also two specialist weekends during the year which guests are welcome to join. The Fabel weekend in June is a yearly tradition when the village becomes a theatre for the Saturday evening and guests enjoy live theatrical shows, al fresco dinner and a flaming torch lit walk.
The grape picking weekend in September is guest’s chance to head into the vineyards and help with the grape harvest – beret wearing compulsory! For more information on both courses please scroll down the page.
Suitability
- Suitable for all from beginners to experienced foodies
- This course is suitable for people aged 17 and over
- Your hosts are British and French so all cooking classes are taught in English and French
Travelling Solo?
- Many solo guests travel on this cookery holiday and the groups are fun and sociable
- Each guest is allocated a private ensuite room and there is NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
Traveling as a pair?
- A discount can be applied for couples or friends cooking and sharing a room
- Please see the costings and extras tab for more details on pricing
- Discount can be applied on the first page of the booking wizard
Non-Cooking Guests
- Non cooking guests are welcome to share a room with a cooking guest and prices for the non-cooking guest will be discounted accordingly, please email or contact us via live chat (click on the ‘start chat’ link at the bottom of this page) or call us for details
French Cooking Short Break Start Days
- The weekend cooking course runs year round
- All arrivals are on Sundays
- Departures are on Wednesdays
- Please note: if you would like to add on the optional transfer service, arrival transfers will have be between 10.30am – 9pm, and departure transfers will have to be between 8.30am - 9pm (leaving from the cookery school).
- Note: If the start day are not suitable for you, we may be able to accommodate you on alternative dates or days of arrival so please call 08445 020 445 or email with your preferred dates and we'll do our best to accommodate you
Special Fabel Weekend (June 2015)
-This special weekend of theatre is a yearly tradition in the village of Gramont
- The weekend follows the same itinerary as below but on the Saturday evening the whole village turns into a theatre
- There are live theatrical productions at different stages throughout the village when the villagers become the players
- The performances are followed by an al fresco dinner at the auberge for 150 guests
-The evening finishes with a flaming torch lit stroll – a truly unique experience and insight into South West French culture!
- Please get in touch with if you would like more information
Special Grape Picking Weekend (September 2015)
-This special weekend is a chance to take part in one of the oldest traditions of grape picking
-The itinerary follows the same format as below but on Saturday morning at 10am guests are invited to head to the fields for a couple of hours to pick the grapes
- After the grape picking, guests head back to the farmhouse for a well-deserved long, lazy lunch that usually lasts the afternoon before beginning dinner preparations
- Please get in touch with if you would like more information
French Cookery Holiday Itinerary
Day 1 – Sunday
- You may check-in to your room anytime after 2pm on Sunday afternoon
- Enjoy welcome aperitifs and canapés on the terrace
- Traditional French cuisine consisting of a delicious 4 course dinner with wine and coffee will be served by your hosts in the evening at 7pm
Day 2 – Monday
8.45-9.45am – Breakfast
- Enjoy a leisurely French breakfast before heading into the kitchen
10am – Kitchen tour & knife skills
- You’ll receive a tour of the kitchen and an explanation of the equipment
- You’ll be loaned your own set of chef’s knives before your first lesson learning how to chop, slice, julien and dice food
11am – Hands on French cooking lessons
- On your first day you’ll learn to cook a traditional gateau pithiviers, an ornately decorated puff pastry dessert with a delicious crème d'amande at the centre as well as chef David's famous pizza gersois (local onions, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and thinly sliced duck breast) and a prepare a pate sucree (the base for the tarte aux pommes you will be preparing the next day)
3pm – Afternoon cooking lesson learning to cook a range of French dishes and desserts
7pm – Enjoy aperitifs and canapés followed by another fantastic dinner with wine and coffee
Day 3 – Tuesday
8.45-9.45am – Breakfast
- Enjoy a leisurely French breakfast before heading into the kitchen
10am – Market visit
Today you’ll be given some money and list of ingredients as you head to the local food market in Fleurance where local farmers and growers sell their produce
12.30pm – enjoy a typical French lunch at a local café in the nearby Roman town of Lectoure
3pm – Afternoon French cooking lessons
This afternoon you’ll learn how to fillet a fish correctly, and prepare a veloute sauce as an accompaniment. This is then followed by a Tarte aux Pommes for dessert where you will learn to practice your pastry and knife skills
8pm – Enjoy aperitifs and canapés followed by the wonderful 4 course dinner you learned to cook
Please note that each day, all guests are invited to help the kitchen plate up the food ready for service to enhance their cooking skills that go from preparation to service
Day 4
- After breakfast guests are asked to check-out of their rooms by 11am ready for departure taking home with them new cooking skills and an insight into French life that will stay with them long after the holiday is over
Sample French Menus
Please note that dishes may change according to the season and availability of fresh produce
- Cassoulet
- Foie gras
- Plaice with fish veloute
- 3 pepper soup
- Ballotine de poulet
- Frangipane fruit tart
- Tarte aux Pommes
- Creme patissiere
- Crepes suzette
What Will I Learn?
- The history of French cuisine from the area
- How to select fresh, seasonal ingredients
- Knife skills
- How to filet a fish
- How to cook a full French menu (please note that dishes change each lesson and the dishes shown are for guidance only and may change due to produce availability)
- Tasting wines from the region and which wines to pair with the food
- How to cook and serve dinner for a dinner party, including the plating up and how best to present the food on the plate
French Cookery Holiday Accommodation
- You'll stay in a beautiful Farmhouse which has just 4 rooms
- There is also a small Gite next to the farmhouse with 1 room and please note that if the Gite is busy, there's a charming B&B very close by although if you are placed here, you will be informed at the time of booking
- Tastefully restored to retain the rustic charm; your room will have a twin or a double bed, private bathroom and a delightful view
- Please note that you'll cook in the kitchen of the main house where your Chef David lives or in the nearby Auberge
- Wi-fi available in the house but not in the guest bedrooms
- Your hosts have a cocker spaniel dog who is allowed in the house but never in the kitchen nor guest bedroom
Go learn to cook authentic French dishes from the Gascony region at this idyllic retreat in the heart of Gascony, France, immerse yourself in the culture and share your passion for food with others on this unique learning holiday.