Holiday itinerary
Set in Umbria, the verdant heart of Italy, this wonderful 3 night/4 day wellbeing and cookery holiday offers an experience like no other with outstanding Italian cuisine, rejuvenating wellbeing and beautiful luxury accommodation in an area of natural beauty.
During your hands on cooking lessons you will gain an excellent insight into the preparation of exquisite regional dishes with your professional and talented chefs. Lessons will take place in a specially-dedicated kitchen where you will have full use of the professional equipment.
Your break will also include a day spa experience with one massage of your choice (45 minutes) available from a selection of classic massage to honey, chocolate or even holistic-ayurvedic massage, one relaxing bathing experience (45 minutes) use of the Turkish bath, Finnish sauna, tepidarium, themed shower and relaxation area.
You will stay in a beautiful luxury villa hotel and spa overlooking Umbria’s patchwork of golden sunflowers and lush green valleys, a true haven of tranquillity beauty. Considered a hidden gem, this is an idyllic setting to escape the crowds and immerse yourself in comfort and the rich flavours of the Italian life.
This is perfect backdrop for Italian cuisine, wellbeing and natural beauty to meet for a sublime cookery and wellbeing holiday with a difference.
Suitability
- Suitable for all levels from complete beginners to experienced foodies
- Your chefs are Italian but speak perfect English
- Minimum age: 18
- Please note that the courses can only be booked by a minimum of 2 persons
Italian Cooking And Wellbeing Holiday Start Days
- This Italian cooking and wellbeing course runs on set dates until Novmember 2015, and re-opens again in April 2016
- All arrivals are on either Sunday or Tuesday for 3 nights / 4 days
- If this course appears ‘on request’ we can usually accommodate your requirements, to check availability, call us on 08445 020445 or email us on with your preferred dates and someone will get back to you very quickly
Cookery And Spa Holiday Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival Day and Welcome Dinner
- Enjoy a welcome drink on arrival at the hotel (check-in anytime after 2pm)
- On your first evening, head to the hotel’s restaurant for a gourmet welcome dinner
Day 2 – Free Time and Cooking Class
- Enjoy a leisurely Italian breakfast before starting your cooking lesson around 10am
- Your cooking lesson will last around 3 hours and will focus on cooking a 4 course menu of typical local dishes
- After the cooking lesson, sit down and enjoy eating the delicious meal you’ve prepared
- The rest of the day and evening is free to explore the local area
Day 3 – Spa and Leisure Day
- After breakfast, you will enjoy a very pleasant relaxation day at the hotel’s Spa
- You will enjoy a relaxing experience with use of the thermal baths, steam bath, Finnish sauna, themed shower (45 min)
- This will be followed by a massage of your choice (60 min)
Day 4 – Cooking Class and Departure Day
- After breakfast you will have your second cooking class at 10.00am
- Your lesson will last around 3 hours and will be followed by a joint meal
- After lunch departure, feeling refreshed and taking with you techniques and recipes and an experience that will last long after the course is over
What Will I Learn?
- Cooking courses concentrate on the cuisine of Umbria and nearby Tuscany: its antipasti, pastas, risottos, gnocchi, gelato, main courses and desserts
- At the start of your stay, your Chef will discuss menus with you to ensure you cover what you’d like to during the course
- The idea of the course is that you’ll learn the techniques and skills to recreate the dishes back home to impress even your most foodie friends
Sample Italian Menus
Dishes vary according to the season and what food is available but may include:
- Pecorino potage with black truffle and swiss chard croutons
- Artichoke tart with corn salad and mint oil
- Ricotta gnudi with cherry tomatoes and pesto sauce
- Cappellacci stuffed with swiss chard and ricotta topped with black truffle
- Umbrian ribolita with bruschettas
- Taglitelle with a tomato and fish sauce, sourced from Lake Trasimeno
- Wild Boar goulash with gratinated polenta and chicory
- Homemade gnocchi served with tomato and pork chop ragout
- Cheek of roast beef in sangiovese
- Umbrian Pork liver with Vino Santo and onions
- Lamb chops with aromatic herbs and shallot sauce
- Dark chocolate cake with pear and mandarin
- Semifreddo 'il bacio'
- Sorbet of Candied Citrus fruits
- Local wines are carefully chosen to accompany each dish
- Dietary requests can be catered for including vegetarians if advised at the time of booking
About Your Chef
- You’ll be taught to cook by one of the hotel’s own chefs who cooks in the evenings in the gourmet dining room so be prepared to learn techniques and skills from an enthusiastic and professional chef
- The Chef is a young guy who has been cooking for the hotel for over 10 years and shares a passion for good food and cooking using local ingredients and loves nothing better than to pass on his knowledge to visitors in a fun and relaxed environment
Your Luxury Accommodation
- An ancient patrician villa and its centuries old farmhouses have been converted into an elegant country hotel offering luxurious accommodation
- The beautiful hotel offers every comfort of a modern and luxurious hotel
- The building’s architecture dates back to 1780, it retains its original characteristics of large fireplaces, murals, antique terracotta flooring and period furniture
- There are a total of 25 guest rooms allocated across 5 buildings either in the main house, the villa, the Limonaia, Casa dei Gelsi or Olivaia
- Part of the property was once an 18th century farm comprised of two buildings, Casa dei Gelsi and Olivaia, both are only 185m from the Villa
- Guests staying in one of these two buildings take their breakfast in the house and have their own swimming pool
- The accommodation offers use of the spa, tennis courts or the two swimming pools for all guests (swimming pools are open from May and are heated)
- For your culinary enjoyment there is a fine dining restaurant with an excellent wine cellar and fulltime sommelier on hand to answer any questions you may have about the local wines
- You’ll spend 3 nights/4 days in an elegantly furnished double room
- The rooms offer a high degree of comfort including period furniture, beautiful traditional fabrics from Montefalco, mini-bar, safe, room entertainment system and digital television with high-resolution flat screens, high speed and wireless internet access, telephone with direct external line along with air conditioning and heating
- Bathrooms have either shower or bathtub, soft bathrobes and slippers, hair dryer, exclusive amenities and magnifying mirrors
- Prices are based on 2 people sharing a private double room with private bathroom
- Check in anytime after 2pm on your arrival day and check out by after lunch on your departure day
The Spa
- The spa has been specifically designed to ensure privacy and personal attention
- Treatments available include massages, aesthetic treatments and exclusive relaxation courses
- The spa is located in the villa's historic Italian garden
- Facilities include thermal baths, a Finnish sauna, Turkish baths, beauty treatment rooms, a hydrotherapy area and a themed shower
- The spa is a recognised partner of Carita Paris, Charme d'Orient and Vinoble uses only natural products
- There is also a new gym available with a personal trainer
Spa Treatments And Massages
- This holiday includes one 60 minute massage that you can choose from a classic relaxing massage, karitè butter massage, magic honey treatment, chocolate treatment, holistic massage or ayurvedic massage
- If you wish to book additional treatments, the spa is open daily and offers a wide choice of treatments
- All other treatments can be booked and paid for locally
Meals
Welcome Dinner
- A gourmet dinner at the restaurant is provided on your arrival day
Breakfast
- Breakfast is included each morning and is full buffet style with a wide choice dishes, coffee, fruits and juices
Lunch
- Lunch is included on the 2 days when you have your cookery lessons as you’ll enjoy the lunch you’ve learned to cook that day, where you taste all the preparations in combination with selected wines
Head to Italy for the perfect backdrop to a wonderfully soothing and rejuvenating cookery and wellbeing holiday with a difference.