Course itinerary
Celebrated for its rich cuisine of truffles, saffron, game, world renowned cheeses and fine wines this lively village in the region of Aveyron is an excellent base for a 6 night/7 day gourmet French cookery holiday.
The state-of-the-art cookery school, set in a delightful French villa, is open to everyone from the absolute novice to the nouvelle cuisine expert. It's all about learning new skills, (including knife skills and presentation skills), exploring taste and being inspired by the local ingredients and flavours.
Your charming and talented host Anne ensures your lessons are fun and entertaining, laughter is never far away nor is practical inspiration as you visit the market, vineyard and a fantastic Michelin star restaurant during your stay. This cookery holiday is assured to inspire your taste buds and have you preparing sumptuous meals for friends, family and special occasions on your return home.
The French villa, featured in a prestigious design magazine, was built in 1850 and has been refurbished with great care over ten years to produce a superb chambre d’hôte, accommodation in the eighteenth century barn, a large swimming pool, two acres of gardens and many terraces to laze in the sun and admire the exceptional views.
Learn to cook in France, enjoy the laid back pace, warm sunshine, fine food and wine taking home memories and recipes to treasure for a lifetime.
Suitability
- Cookery holidays are suitable for all levels from complete beginners to experienced cooks
- Minimum age 16 (under 18’s must be accompanied by an adult)
- Your hosts speaks both French and English
Travelling Solo?
- These cookery holidays make great singles holidays and singles will have their own private room, click on the 'costing and extras' tab to check the single supplement prices
Cooking Holiday Start Days
- All arrivals are on Sunday afternoons on set dates from March – October (excluding July and August)
- Cooking holidays are for 6 nights/7 days
- If you can't find flights from Rodez you can stay an extra night on the Saturday AFTER the course has finished. Price per person per night including breakfast is 45€ and you can select this from the extras section at the time of booking.
- If dates appear ‘on request’ please email us at and we’ll check availability for your preferred day of arrival as quickly as possible
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- Sunday - Arrival and welcome dinner
- Check into your room anytime after 4pm (if you are delayed to arrive later than 8pm please contact your host)
- Rest and relax after your journey, take a walk in the village or along the river, have a swim or simply relax in the gardens
- During apéritifs you will have a chance to chat about your level of experience with your host Anne
- In the evening you will enjoy a delicious meal prepared by your talented host made from fresh local ingredients and accompanied by wine and coffee, a great chance to savour the delicious regional specialities and get to know your fellow guests
Day 2 –4
- Each day will have its own theme, Monday will focus on starters, Tuesday main courses and Wednesday desserts
- After a leisurely French breakfast you will enjoy a demonstration and a Q&A session about the delicious recipes to be cooked
- It will then be your turn to get involved with a practical hands on cooking session
- A light lunch will come next, prepared for you to enjoy with a glass of wine
- In the afternoon you can relax or if you wish you can take one of the optional tours
- Apéritifs are served at 7pm followed by a four course meal with wine
- During the meal your hard work will be rewarded as it will include some of the dishes you have prepared
Day 5 – Thursday – Market and Michelin star restaurant
- After a tasty French breakfast with coffee you will set off for the local market in the beautiful medieval bastide town of Villefranche de Rouergue
- Your market visit will be followed by lunch at a Michelin star restaurant in the stunning town of Belcastel renowned for its hilltop medieval fortress (all included in the price)
- Following your wonderful lunch you will visit an excellent local vineyard
- In the evening you will return to the villa to enjoy a delicious meal in the friendly company of your host and fellow chefs
Day 6 – Friday – Full 3 course cooking lesson and finale meal
- After a leisurely French breakfast you will work together to choose the menu for that evening and learn to cook the whole meal of 3 courses, plus aperitifs and chocolate/desserts to eat with coffee after the meal
- Your hard work will be rewarded with a delicious feast of the food you have prepared with wine for a finale dinner accompanied by your host and fellow cooks
Day 7 – Saturday – Departure day
- After a leisurely breakfast you are asked to check-out of your rooms by 10am ready for departure taking home with you new fantastic new recipes and skills and an insight into French culinary life that will stay with them long after the holiday is over
About Your Chef
- Your host and teacher Anne Dyson has spent over forty years cooking for family, friends and business dignitaries
- Anne is a self-taught cook with over 40 year’s experience
- She has taken many short courses on different branches of cookery and is a very experienced and sympathetic teacher
- A master educator she began her cooking holidays to pass on her skills and love of food whilst sharing her beautiful home in the region of the Aveyron
- Anne is the author of several cookery books and is currently writing a cookery book for children
- Anne believes in using fine quality, seasonal food cooked with love and laughter, the herbs you will use are sourced from outside the kitchen door, the eggs from the resident hens, the bread from the village and the meat from the local butcher, some fruit and vegetables come from the garden, others from the local market
- Everything is fresh, seasonal and regional
What Will I Learn?
- Your week will build on your cooking skills with the aim of giving you the techniques needed to be able to cook a fantastic dinner party in a relaxed and confident way
- You will learn to be a more confident cook and more able to enjoy preparing sumptuous meals for entertaining friends, family or even special occasions
- One of the things you’ll learn is advance preparation to enjoy time with your own guests
- Knife skills and presentation skills are included in the programme
- The aim is to have fun while you cook so enjoyment and laughter are never far away
Sample Menus
Dishes vary according to the season and what food is available but may include:
- Rillette de Saumon
- Mushroom soup with scallops
- Tomato and parmesan tarts
- Magret with green peppercorn sauce
- Quail with thyme and juniper berries
- Salmon with sorrel sauce
- Gateau moka aux amandes
- Wine custards
- Profiteroles aux chocolat
- Please note that if you do have special dietary requirements (including vegetarians), some food replacements may not be readily available in France so this must be discussed with us before booking
The Accommodation
- You will be coming to stay in a stunning French property made up of a four floor 19th Century villa and a wonderful renovated barn known as la Grange, situated across the pool from the villa
- The property is set in a picturesque and lively village full of well stocked bakers, grocers, butchers in the heart of the Aveyron department
- Accommodation is based in one of la Grange’s 4 twin/double bedrooms sharing 2 shower rooms
- This architect designed and renovated barn is set over 2 floors with a dramatic gallery
- The whole of the ground floor has a large open plan sitting and dining area
- The second floor mezzanine has a spacious and well equipped TV/family/games room
- The lovingly renovated 4 floor villa property dates back to the mid 1800s and is run as a beautiful chambre d’hôte
- A luxurious suite or one of two en-suite bedrooms in the chambre d’hôte can be booked for a supplement (subject to availability - please email or call +44(0)845 625 0445 to check availability for the upgrade)
- Two acres of lovely gardens and grounds will ensure complete peace and quiet during your stay
- All rooms are beautifully decorated and classic in style with good quality linen and towels
- There are wonderful areas around the two acre property such as the shady terrace for outdoor dining or the covered BBQ area next to the gite
- The swimming pool has its own peaceful and relaxing deck where the view is rolling green hills for as far as the eye can see
- The stunning accommodation has been featured in a prestigious design magazine
- The stylish purpose built cookery school on the ground floor of the villa is fully equipped with all tools to satisfy even the most serious of cooks
- The kitchen’s French doors open out to the garden, swimming pool and rose framed terrace where you can pick the fresh herbs for your culinary creations
- Accommodation is included for 6 nights / 7 days
- Check in anytime after 4pm on day 1 and check out by 10am on day 7
Meals
- All breakfasts are included
- A light lunch on days 2, 3, 4 and 6 is provided at the accommodation
- On Thursday lunch you will enjoy a fantastic meal at a local 1 Michelin star restaurant
- You will enjoy a 3/4 course dinner every evening with aperitifs, wine coffee and water
- If you have dietary requests these must be communicated to us at the time of booking
Visit markets, vineyards and restaurants, buy fresh, seasonal food and learn the secrets of cooking food confidently for large groups, on this fun and relaxed French cookery holiday with a difference.