Five Day French Cooking Holiday

On the Tuesday morning we will start your French cooking holiday with a visit to the vibrant market in the nearby town of Civray. At the market we will choose fresh produce for the week ahead where Mark can offer you advice on what to look for when choosing meat, fish and vegetables. You will then be given some free time to soak up the atmosphere of market, relax with a coffee at a pavement café and do a little shopping. For the history and art lovers among you we highly recommend a visit to the stunning 12th century church of Saint Nicolas which has beautiful frescos and carvings.

On returning to Les Ruches there will be an informal chat about kitchen and knife safety to ensure everyone's wellbeing in the kitchen before the more fun business of cooking can commence. During your French cooking holiday we will be cooking a wide variety of food from down to earth country fare, the lighter Mediterranean influenced Provençal cuisine and a little Haute Cuisine which is guaranteed to impress your friends. The course will include food presentation, sauce-making, preparing and cooking fish and meat, sausage-making, delicious pastries and classic French puddings. By popular demand we will also be incorporating Pasta and Pizza-making into the itinary for your French cooking holiday. Here are a few mouth-watering examples of what you can expect to be making during your stay... for more examples please see the links Welcome and Our Chef

Each day on your French cooking holiday we will be preparing lunch and a three course evening meal with an additional cheese course. We will be having two hour breaks at a convenient time during the day to give you a chance to relax a little and enjoy your surroundings. You will also have a free afternoon on Thursday to explore the surrounding countryside or perhaps visit the charming old town of Poitiers.

As part of the course we will also be tasting wine from our local cave and matching wine to each meal we produce. The rest of the week will include excursions such as visiting a goats cheese producer, a walnut oil press and a meal out on us at a local French restaurant. Weather permitting we will also be picnicking in the glorious French countryside with some of the delicious food that we have prepared.

During the week, if you wish, we will supply you with the appropriate clothing and visit the bees for a fascinating insight into their world and the world of beekeeping.

On the final day of the Five Day French Cooking Holiday we will be sausage making and you will get the chance to make a French sausage or, if preferred, design your very own sausage to try at the farewell barbecue on the Saturday evening. We are always open to suggestions for any additions to the Five Day Cooking Holiday in France so please let us know if you want to include anything specific and we will do our best to accommodate it into your French cooking holiday.