Course itinerary
The charming region of Dordogne, renowned for its rich cuisine and fine wines, will be the setting of this 5 night gourmet French cooking holiday, tucked away in the rolling hills of rural France you will find the tastefully restored 400 year old stone barn and home of this excellent cookery holiday.
The fun and relaxed atmosphere will have you cooking up a storm in the light and airy state of the art kitchen. Here you will create a wide range of restaurant-standard French dishes from preparation through to final presentation.
Covering a wide variety of preparation skills from filleting fish to meat butchery you will also be preparing your own stocks and sauces from scratch along with home-made breads and ice creams, French patisserie and much more. This cookery holiday is a true culinary extravaganza guaranteed to fuel your passion for good food, free flowing wine and great company.
During this memorable cooking holiday your chef Jim, a finalist on BBC’s Master Chef, and his wife Lucy will both be on hand to organise every element of your holiday to ensure you return feeling relaxed and refreshed with a great collection of new recipes and techniques to try out on your return.
Accommodation is set in a converted stone barn that has been lovingly renovated to provide 9 twin/double guest rooms. Each room has its own individual style along with private en-suite bathroom. The grounds include a swimming pool, beautiful gardens lawns and woodland, an ideal setting to relax and sample delicious local produce.
Get more from your holiday and learn cooking in France, enjoy the warm climate and hospitality, great food and wine, stunning surroundings and take home recipes from this beautiful area to treasure for a lifetime.
Suitability
- Cookery holidays are suitable for all levels from complete beginners to experienced cooks
- Minimum age 8 (under 18’s must be accompanied by an adult)
- Your hosts are British so all cooking classes are taught in English
Travelling Solo?
- These cookery holidays make great singles holidays and singles are welcome to join an existing group
- Solo travellers can either share a room with another participant of the same sex for no extra charge or can pre-book a private single room for a supplement
- To book a private single or shared room, email or contact us via live chat (click on the ‘start chat’ link at the bottom of this page) or call us to check availability
Non-Participating Partners
- For those who wish to join the holiday but not take part in the cooking, please note that this school also runs painting and photography holidays that run consecutively with the cookery holidays so it is possibly for one person to take a cookery course and another to try their hand at photography or painting which are all priced the same as the cookery holidays
- To see our painting and photography courses, click on the 'other courses at this school' link on the right hand side of the page
- To book one person cooking and another taking a painting or photography course, 2 bookings must be made for each of the holidays and we ask you to add a note to the special request box to highlight the fact that you are travelling together, for assistance and advice on booking, please contact us
- Alternatively, 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 see our ‘costings and extras’ tab for prices
- Note: Non-cooking partners must pay extra locally for lunch and dinner as and when required (12 euros for lunch and 17 euros for dinner)
- To book with a non-cooking guest, select the non-cooking partner extra from the 'extras' section during the booking process or email or contact us via live chat (click on the ‘start chat’ link at the bottom of this page) for assistance
Cooking Holiday Start Days
- All arrivals are on Monday afternoons on set dates between April and October
- It may be possible to arrange cookery holidays in the winter months for groups of 4 or more, to check availability, email with your preferred date
- Cooking holidays are for 5 nights/6 days arriving Monday afternoon and leaving the following Saturday morning
- If you wish to stay for extra nights please email to check availability for your preferred duration and we will do our best to accommodate you
- If dates appear ‘on request’ please email us and we’ll check availability for your preferred day of arrival as quickly as possible
Special Themed Weeks
- Nearly 100 years ago, the Titanic began its ill-fated maiden voyage which is one of the most talked about historical events in our history.
- To commemorate this monumental event, join us for a decadent Titanic themed holiday where you will live in Edwardian splendour, dine in luxury on the same sumptous delicacies that were served on that fateful expedition, cook lavish and exquisite dishes, and learn how to throw your own Titanic Dinner Party, as you find yourself transported back to the early 1900’s aboard the mighty Titanic
- This Titanic themed course will run on Monday 19 March 2012 and Monday 9 April 2012
- Please email us at if you are interested in joining the Titanic dining experience, and we will be happy to provide you with more information on the course including a detailed menu of what you will be cooking and eating on this fabulous Titanic themed holiday
Cooking Holiday Itinerary
The itinerary is for guidance only and is subject to change depending on the group’s needs and wishes but is typically as follows:
Day 1- Monday - Arrival and welcome dinner
- Check into your room anytime after 4pm and enjoy a welcome drink before taking your time to explore the house, gardens, pool and local area
- Whilst enjoying aperitifs on the terrace there will be a short introduction to the workshops and a chance to chat about your level of experience with your tutors
- At the beginning of the evening you will enjoy an Aperitif followed by a delicious 3 course gourmet evening meal prepared by your talented host made from fresh local ingredients and accompanied by wine
Day 2 – Tuesday - Cooking lesson and free time
- Enjoy a leisurely French breakfast before heading to the kitchen for your first cookery lesson
- Today you’ll prepare, cook and present your own two course evening meal with main course and dessert
- The first day will be relaxed and fun helping you to get to grips with knife skills before cooking dinner to give you a sense of cooking meals in real time that you can recreate back home for family or friends
- In between cooking you’ll have a break for a light lunch and then take some well-earned free time in the afternoon to relax by the pool
- Around 7-8pm, enjoy aperitifs followed by the delicious dinner you learned to cook that day
Day 3 – Wednesday – Sarlat market, cooking and sugar skills
- After breakfast, head out to Sarlat’s wonderful medieval market where you’ll be introduced to
- The Syrup - producer of local spirits, liquors, truffles and chocolates
- Messieur le Foie Gras - producer of the finest foie gras and duck paté
- The best patisseries in the Dordogne
- Local Dordogne honey and chocolate coated walnuts
- After your culinary tastings in Sarlat, enjoy watching market life go by over a coffee and croissant in a local café
- Around mid morning you’ll return to the house to start your second cooking lesson where you’ll learn to cook a delicious lunch
- After lunch, it’s time to indulge your sweet tooth and to start working on your sugar skills as you learn to make caramel and after a demonstration, you’ll get to work on making your own spun sugar decorations, cages and springs
- After all that cooking, take some time out to relax before dinner out in the local town (Note: dinner tonight is an extra cost)
- This evening’s dinner plans are flexible and you might decide to go for a great value five course dinner at Chef Jim’s favourite local restaurant, or a gourmet saunter around one of the area’s prolific night markets (a local village affair where you’ll find stalls selling hot and cold local dishes and wine which you can consume in the village square on trestle tables cheek by jowl with the locals), whatever you choose to eat for dinner this evening, the culinary delights of the local area won’t disappoint
Day 4 – Thursday – Cooking day
- After breakfast you’ll hit the kitchen for a fun packed day of cooking
- The morning will be spent learning to cook lunch which you’ll enjoy together with the group
- The afternoon will focus on cooking an exciting main course for your dinner this evening
- Enjoy dinner together with the group as well as tasting a selection of local patisseries
Day 5 – Friday – Cooking day
- As your last full day, after breakfast you’ll concentrate on putting all of your skills together from the past few days to prepare a two course evening meal
- The group will be split into two and under the guidance of your Chef and his fellow cook Liz (Liz helps out in the kitchen throughout the week), you’ll start to plan, prepare, cook and present to restaurant standards your chosen course
- The evening is dedicated to a farewell dinner enjoying the fruits of your labour together with your hosts and your fellow cooks
Day 6 – Saturday – Departure day
- After a leisurely breakfast guests are asked to check-out of their rooms by 10am ready for departure taking home with them new restaurant standard cooking skills and an insight into French culinary life that will stay with them long after the holiday is over
About Your Chef
- Your British hosts are Jim and his wife Lucy
- Jim is your Chef and has many years-experience working for Rick Stein, Alastair Little and Tony Tobin
- Jim was also a BBC Master Chef semi-finalist before moving out to France in 2000 to set up his cookery school
- Jim’s style of teaching is relaxed and fun and he aims to teach you to prepare a fantastic dinner for up to 12 people with maximum pre-preparation and minimum work on the day of the dinner party
- Given Jim’s restaurant background, there’s also a strong emphasis on presenting food to restaurant standards to impress your friends
- Jim will teach you how to cook with confidence passing on his cooking expertise as well as taking you on a culinary journey of local French dishes and ingredients
- Overall, Jim’s philosophy is that meals should be made with the finest ingredients, beautifully presented and relatively simple to prepare using the right techniques but above all that cooking should be fun
What Will I Learn?
- Your week will build on your cooking skills taking you from knife skills with the aim of giving you the skills and techniques needed to be able to cook a fantastic dinner party for up to 12 people in a relaxed and confident way
- You’ll start with pre preparation, ingredient selection and the all-important knife skills
- You’ll cover pastry work learning to cook a variety of French pastries
- Bread making
- Learn butchery skills choosing and understanding the different cuts of meat
- Fish and seafood cooking which includes filleting a fish
- During your holiday you’ll prepare different cakes, desserts and patisserie which include making your own ice cream and pastries
- Sugar skills which include making caramel and forming sugar cages and spun sugar decorations
- Techniques for sautés and roasts
- Skills to produce the most flavoursome stocks and sauces including mayonnaise
- The style of food will not only include classic French dishes but also Mediterranean, Italian, Spanish classic and regional dishes
- Jim also focuses on helping you to master the art of stylish and contemporary food presentation skills to restaurant standards
Sample Menus
Dishes vary according to the season and what food is available but may include:
- warm salad of boudin noir, asparagus and a soft poached egg
- orange and walnut salad with chorizo and feta
- garlic and almond soup with griddled garlic bread
- mozzarella and red peppers with toasted chillies
- fougasse (Provençal flat bread flavoured with rosemary and thyme)
- roquette and almond pesto
- classic French omelette
- pan-fried duck magret
- grilled sea bass with a vanilla vinaigrette
- slow roasted belly pork with the best crackling
- panna cotta
- crème brûlée
- chocolate cups with biscuit d'amande
- brioche bread & butter pudding with crème anglaise
- black pepper ice cream with fresh seasonal strawberries
- basil ice cream with brûléed lemon tart
- tarte au citron
- tarte tatin with toffee ice cream
- Please note that if you do have dietary requirements (including vegetarians), some food replacements may not be readily available in France so this must be discussed before booking
The Accommodation
- Your accommodation is set just 4km from the pretty village of in the small village of St Geniès in the Dordogne region of France
- You’ll stay in a converted stone barn set just off a quiet lane in lovely grounds ensuring complete peace and quiet during your stay
- There are a total of 9 twin/double guest rooms all with private bathroom (2 of which can take up to 3 beds)
- If you are travelling solo, stay in a twin/double room for sole occupancy for a small supplement or share a room with another solo traveller of the same sex (subject to availability)
- Some rooms are decorated in a rustic style, others in a contemporary style
- Rooms all have private bathrooms with power shower
- The rooms are all on the ground floor so remain a comfortable temperature during the hotter months
- There is a lovely secluded swimming pool in the grounds for guests use
- The house is surrounded by wonderful gardens where you can eat outside or relax on the sun loungers or by the pool
- The semi-professional kitchen is the main attraction with exposed oak beams; this light and airy room has plenty of space for up to 12 participants and is packed with all the latest kitchen gadgets and equipment
- Accommodation is included for 5 nights / 6 days
- Check in anytime after 4pm on day 1 and check out by 10am on day 6
Meals
- All breakfasts are included
- A light lunch on days 2-5 is provided at the barn
- You will enjoy a 3 course dinner on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday with aperitif, wine and water
- On Wednesday evening, you are free to take dinner wherever you choose (extra cost)
- If you have dietary requests these must be communicated to us at the time of booking
Free Time In France
- This French cookery holiday is packed with culinary delights but in your free time you may want to explore the local area
- The local village St Geniès boasts a great baker and patisserie as well as a good local café, excellent butcher and even a hair dresser and a wander through this typically French village will take you past the 12th century chapel replete with original frecos, the 400 year old stone roofed church with its fairy-tale turrets and a pretty duck pond
- Your hosts will give you lots of information on what activities are on offer in the local area such as the local markets, wine tasting, walking and more
- It is recommended to have a car to fully explore the area and you may find you wish to stay on for a few nights to get the most out of your trip!
Visit Sarlat market, buy fresh, seasonal food and learn the secrets of cooking food to restaurant standards whilst keeping cool, calm and collected on this fun and relaxed French cookery holiday with a difference.