Holiday itinerary
The charming region of Gascony in south-west France will be the setting of this 3 night/4 day butchery and charcuterie holiday, tucked away in the small village of Gramont you will find the tastefully restored farmhouse and home of this truly unique cookery holiday.
Covering a wide variety of meat butchery skills from basic knife skills to jointing, you will also be preparing your own variety of sausages from scratch along with home-made meat pies, terrines and pâtés. This course is a true culinary extravaganza guaranteed to fuel your passion for well-prepared meat dishes, free flowing wine and great company.
Chef Bernard, Chef David and his wife Vikki will all be on hand to organise every element of your holiday to ensure you return feeling relaxed and refreshed and with some truly unique butchery and charcuterie skills to impress friends and family on your return.
Accommodation is set in a tastefully restored French farmhouse still retraining its rustic charm. Each room has its own private en-suite bathroom, air-conditioning, heating, twin or double bed and access to the south facing terrace. There is also an additional glorious terrace with dining area, hot tub and sun loungers with stunning views over the unspoilt Gascon countryside.
Discover the art of butchery and charcuterie and master knife techniques on this practical, hands-on charcuterie weekend, essential for any meat lover.
Suitability
- Charcuterie and butchery courses are suitable for all levels from complete beginners to experienced cooks
- Minimum age 18
- Your hosts are British and French - all cooking classes are taught in English
- Due to the nature of the course an alternative vegetarian itinerary is not possible so this is not suitable for vegetarians or those who do not eat pork or meat products
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
Charcuterie Course Start Days
- All arrivals are on Sunday afternoons on set dates between November and March
- Charcuterie holidays are for 3 nights/4 days so you check in on Sunday afternoon and leave Wednesday morning
- If dates appear ‘on request’ please email us and we’ll check availability for your preferred day of arrival as quickly as possible
-Please Note: this course only runs in Winter and is not available at other dates.
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
Butchery And Charcuterie Course 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 2pm and enjoy a welcome drink and meet your fellow guests
- Sit down with fellow guests and your hosts and enjoy a delicious 3 course gourmet evening meal prepared by your talented host made from fresh local ingredients and accompanied by wine
Day 2 – Monday – Knife skills, butchery class; jointing and sectioning whole pig
- Enjoy a leisurely French breakfast before heading to either the Auberge kitchen a short walk away or the teaching kitchen in the farmhouse for your first charcuterie lesson
- Today is all about exploring every part of the delicious pig
- This morning you’ll learn the all-important knife skills needed to cut and prepare meat
- You’ll also learn to prepare raised game pie which includes the all-important pastry skills and duck terrine in this morning’s lesson before sitting down to a well-deserved lunch and chance to sample your own work
- After lunch you’ll begin your first butchery lessons and you’ll be taught how to joint and section a whole pig
- During the practical hands-on session, you’ll discuss the different cuts of pork as you butcher the pig into primal cuts
- You will also discuss carcass quality, storage and which cuts are best for sausages, pâtés and terrines, roasts, bacon, hams and more
- In the evening, you’ll sit down to another fantastic meat filled dinner accompanied by local wines with your fellow guest and hosts
Day 3 – Tuesday – Sausiccson and pâté class
- After breakfast, take to the butchers block again for another charcuterie lesson
- Today’s class will teach you all about how to prepare saucisson
- You’ll learn to make Toulouse sausage, Coppa, Rillettes and Ventrench before stopping for lunch and eating the food you have prepared
- After lunch you’ll start your afternoon charcuterie class and will focus on how to make pâté
- Your pâté lesson will cover 5 different types of pâté; champagne, foie, garlic, duck and pat de tête
- Take some time out to relax and enjoy the countryside in the late afternoon before dinner
- Enjoy another delicious farewell dinner with wine and chat with fellow guests on your final night at the farmhouse
Day 4 – Wednesday – Departure day
- After a leisurely breakfast guests are asked to check-out of their rooms by 11am ready for departure taking home with them new charcuterie cooking skills and an insight into French culinary life that will stay with them long after the holiday is over
- 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).
About Your Chefs And Hosts
- Your British hosts are Chef David and Vikki who are also aided by French Chef Bernard
- David and Bernard are your Chefs and both have many years’ experience teaching cookery skills
- Chef David will lead you in preparing the cooked dishes, whilst Chef Bernard will teach the butchery and pastry skills (for the game pie)
- Both David and Bernard want you to enjoy the experience so teaching is relaxed and fun but they hope to give you some useful skills that you can utilise back home
- Meanwhile Vikki is on hand back at the farmhouse taking care of anything you’d need to make your stay as comfortable as possible
- David and Vikki live in part of the farmhouse so are always around should you need anything
- They aim to provide a fun, sociable atmosphere and join groups at meal times creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a friend’s dinner party
What Will I Learn?
- This course is perfect for those looking to focus on butchery and charcuterie skills
- You will primarily focus on the delicious pig but you will also cover additional meats such as game and duck during the two days of lessons
- Your butchery and charcuterie course is all about the hands-on skills you’ll need to prepare a variety of meats taking your dish from butchery to plate
- You’ll start with essential knife skills needed to cut the meat, before moving on to the butchery classes and how to joint the animal
- You will also learn about the different cuts of meat and how to choose them
- Once the basic charcuterie skills are covered, you’ll move on to preparing the meat for delicious dishes ready to serve up to friends and family
- You will also learn about carcass quality, storage and which cuts are best for sausages, pâtés and terrines, roasts, bacon, hams and more
- You’ll cover pastry work learning to cook savoury meat pastry dishes which include game pie
- How to make sausages including; saucisson, rillettes, ventrench, coppa – all to the highest quality standards
- You’ll also make 5 different types of pâtés learning about the importance of ingredients
Sample Menus
- Duck terrine
- Raised game pie
- Saucisson; rilletes, ventrench, coppa
- 5 different types of pâtés; champagne, foie, garlic, duck and pâtés de tête
- All accompanied by delicious wines from the Gascony region and around
The Farmhouse Accommodation
- Your accommodation is set in the peaceful rural village of Gramont in the region of Gascony
- Accommodation is included for 3 nights / 4 days
- Check in anytime after 2pm on day 1 and check out by 11am on day 4
- You'll stay in a beautiful Farmhouse which has just 4 well-appointed guest rooms
- The house has its own private garden and large terrace to enjoy the views of the surrounding countryside
- 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 spacious room will have a twin or a double bed, private bathroom, access to the south facing terrace and a delightful view
- Prices are based on 1 person in their own private room with en-suite bathroom (no single supplement for a private room)
- If two people travel together and share a room, a discount is offered (see the costing and extras tab for details)
- Please note that you'll cook in the kitchen of the main house where your Chef David lives or in the nearby Auberge which is a 2 minute walk away from the farmhouse
- There is a lovely hot-tub and spacious terrace with sun loungers in which to relax and gaze out over the unspoilt countryside
- When the weather permits, there is a lovely outdoor dining area which is backed by a wonderful old ruin where silent black and white films are screened in the evenings for a dining experience with a difference
- 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
Meals
- All breakfasts are included
- Lunch on days 2 and 3 is provided at the farmhouse or Auberge
- You will enjoy a 4 course dinner on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday with free flowing wine and water
- The menu will be made up of the dishes you have learnt to cook, as well as other seasonal French dishes
- Unfortunately, special dietary requests cannot be catered for on this course
Free Time In Gascony
- This charcuterie cookery holiday is packed with great tuition, food and company but should you want to explore the local area, the farmhouse provides an excellent base to explore the heart of Gascony
- The village of Gramont is very small and provides lovely country walks
- There is a honey museum in town as well as a pretty chateau to visit
- The towns of Lectoure, Condom, Agen, and Toulouse are all driving distance away
-The historical town of Lectoure has one of the most outstanding examples of a Roman spa in France; visit here a relaxing body massage or revitalising facial
- There are also a variety of French food markets within driving distance as well as the town of Condom as well as the home of Armagnac
Learn the essential charcuterie skills for ‘nose to tail’ dining in this truly unique butchery and charcuterie cooking holiday whilst relaxing at this idyllic retreat in the heart of Gascony, France, and immerse yourself in the culture and share your passion for food with others on this unique cookery holiday with a difference.