Holiday itinerary
Set in grounds with olive and fruit trees, vegetable and herb garden, this charming and tastefully restored 150 year old Finca is the setting for your Spanish culinary experience.
Under the guidance of your host Chef Clive who has been a professional Chef specialising in the Mediterranean cuisine for over 20 years, you will immerse yourself in Andalucían life, getting off the tourist trail to discover this beautiful area of Spain.
Combining fun hands-on Spanish cooking lessons that may take place in the wonderful outdoor kitchen during the summer months, with culinary excursions and time to relax, this short cooking holiday promises not just a culinary experience but also a cultural one.
Suitability
- Suitable for all levels
- Please note that if you are travelling solo, you must book a twin/double room with en-suite bathroom for sole occupancy by adding a compulsory single supplement onto your booking during the booking process
- Your hosts are British/Japanese so all cooking classes are taught in English (or Japanese if required)
Start Days
- This holiday runs on any day year round (expect August when the cookery school is closed)
- If you can’t find the date you are looking for, please email with your requirements as new dates can be added and alternative arrival dates can also be arranged on request
- This holiday is based on 2 persons sharing a standard twin/double room, if you would like to upgrade to the suite, please add this on during the booking process
Spanish Cooking Holiday Itinerary
Day 1
- You may check-in to the Finca anytime after 3pm on Sunday afternoon
- Enjoy welcome drinks on arrival
- Early evening you will have an opportunity to take a stroll around the charming whitewashed lakeside village of Iznájar, perched on the rocky outcrop, where you will enjoy a spectacular view of the Lake of Andalucía
- Contemporary Andalucían cuisine and wine will be served by your hosts in the evening
Day 2
- Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before setting off for a morning learning about the famous olive oils from the region
- You will travel through the incredibly beautiful countryside of Sierra Subbetica Natural Park to visit the home of the award winning olive oil ‘Priego de Córdoba’
- Priego de Córdoba gives its name to one of the 31 Spanish olive oil protected denominations of origin (PDOs) approved by an official regulatory body, Priego de Córdoba is also knows as the Baroque Jewel in Andalucía with its unspoilt and glorious Baroque architecture, national monuments and the stunning attractions
- On arrival to the olive mill that has won some of the most prestigious awards in the world, with the guidance of an award-winning professional taster, you will taste different types of olive oil and learn about its uses, qualities and characteristics as well as the process of olive oil production
- You will then have a chance to take a gentle stroll in the narrow passageways of ‘Barrio de la Villa’, or the Arab Quarter, bedecked with a myriad of colourful flowers and visit some of the most important Baroque churches in Spain
-In the afternoon on your return to the Finca,you start your first cooking lesson in the early evening
- Note: Some cooking takes place in the wonderful outdoor kitchen from May-Sep weather permitting
- Once you’ve cooked, you’ll sit down to enjoy a dinner of the delicious dishes you have learned to cook that day accompanied by a glass or two of wine.
Days 3 and 4
- Enjoy breakfast at your leisure and while away your day relaxing or exploring the area, your hosts can help you arrange activities such as horse-riding, golf, cycling, fishing and more if you are looking for something more active
- In the early evening you’ll take part in your hands-on cooking lessons learning how to cook a full menu
- Again, dinner will follow your cooking lesson as you enjoy the food you have prepared accompanied by a glass or two of wine
Day 5 - optional self guided tour of the winery
- After breakfast, your final full day will be revolve around learning about fino wine, if you wish
- The wine tour is optional and if you do not want to take part, you have a whole day at your leisure to spend as you wish!
- The leisurely day begins with a visit and tasting at one of the oldest producers of fino wine founded in the 18th century in Montilla
- Nobel Prize writer Camílo José Cela praised the wine from Montilla in his travel essays as “its quality is as good as its soil, so pure, so gold, so delicate and the taste is superior”
- You’ll return to the Finca after the winery visit
- It's then time for your final cookery class where you'll make another delicous 3 course menu
- Dinner will follow your final cooking lesson as you enjoy the food you have prepared accompanied by a glass or two of wine
Day 6
- After breakfast guests are asked to check-out of their rooms ready for departure taking home with them new cooking skills and an insight into Andalucían life that will stay with them long after the holiday is over
Sample Menu
- Ajo blanco (Chilled almond soup)
- Berenjenas con miel y cilantro (Aubergines with honey and coriander seed)
- Salmonetes con salsa de tomate y albahaca (Red mullet with tomato and basil sauce)
- Solomillos de cerdo en salsa de naranjas (Orange glazed pork tenderloins)
- Peras en miel ferfumado de espliego (Poached pears in lavender fragrant honey)
- Pastel clafoutis de higos (Fig clafoutis)
What Will I Learn?
- The history of Andalucían cuisine
- How to select fresh, seasonal ingredients
- How to cook a full Spanish/Andalucían menu (dishes change each lesson)
- All about olive oil – the tasting, uses, characteristics and production methods
- Tasting fino wines and the production process
- In the summer cooking may take place in the outdoor kitchen (weather permitting) so you'll learn about cooking using wonderful local olive wood and almond wood in the oven to flavour your food
Teaching Method
- Cooking session is done in a relaxing and informative manner and is fun-filled
- Small group tuition to allow individual attention
- Cooking session is hands-on and focuses on the actual cooking and preparing dishes, rather than the preparation work (i.e. peeling and chopping vegetable etc)
- Participants are well-informed in case special any attention is required with the preparation work
- Introduction to the use of Spanish ingredients, cooking method and traditional cooking appliances
- Lots of useful cooking tips, background of ingredients and recipes
Accommodation – Standard Twin/Double Room
- Your 150 year old Finca has just 4 rooms: 3 standard twin/double rooms and 1 suite (to book the suite, please add this extra on during the booking process) and is situated in Iznájar, a small hilltop Moorish village overlooking a romantic lake lies in Parque Natural de las Sierras Subbéticas in the southern part of the province of Córdoba
- You will stay at the Finca for 5 nights/6 days in total
- Tastefully restored to retain the rustic charm, your standard room has twin beds or a double bed, private bathroom and a delightful view
- All prices are based on two persons sharing the twin/double standard rooms with private bathrooms; singles will have to book these rooms for sole occupancy and a compulsory supplement must be added during the booking process as sharing as a solo traveller is not possible on this holiday
- The Finca features a swimming pool, reading room, DVD library and more
- Wi-fi is available although the reception is not very good due to the rural location
- Your hosts have two dogs and a cat, but they are never allowed in the finca
Go learn to cook authentic Andalucía dishes at this idyllic retreat in the heart of Andalucía, Spain, immerse yourself in the culture and share your passion for food with others on this unique learning holiday with a difference.