Holiday itinerary
Arguably one of the best culinary regions in Italy, Puglia produces more wine and olive oil than any other region of Italy. It is also the country’s third largest producer of organic foods and you will learn to cook a variety of local Italian dishes using organic ingredients sourced from the surrounding area on this incredible 6 night/7 day luxury Italian cookery holiday.
With over 300 days of sunshine every year, Puglia is the perfect place to soak up the sun and relax with new friends. Enjoy lazy afternoons sampling local wines on the terrace at the Masseria overlooking the rolling olive groves and Mediterranean sea beyond.
You will stay in the luxurious 5* Masseria Montenapoleone hotel during your stay, a beautiful fortified farmhouse surrounded by oleander bushes, bugainvillea and of course olive trees.
The Masseria has been lovingly renovated and refurbished to perfectly combine nature and luxury, maintaining many original features including beautiful vaulted ceilings and stone walls whilst boasting luxury facilities and amenities to ensure maximum comfort during your stay.
Each bedroom has a private en-suite bathroom and has been beautifully decorated in a rustic yet luxurious style, with white walls and the stone features. All rooms have a private balcony overlooking the beautiful gardens stretching into the distance, and there is a large circular stone swimming pool and two spas with sun loungers which is the perfect place to soak up the afternoon sun.
Surrounded by acres of private land, the Masseria boasts its own organic farm which you are encouraged to explore during your stay and pick fruits to eat at your leisure. The Masseria produce their own fresh organic produce from this land including almonds, tomatoes, figs, prickly pears and grapes, so it really is a wonderful place to explore and learn first-hand about Italian food.
Fun and informal cookery lessons will take place in one of the three professional kitchens of the Masseria and a combination of local cooks and professional chefs from the Masseria will teach you how to create authentic and delicious Italian recipes in the airy kitchen. You will learn how to prepare and cook a wide range of breads, pastas, risottos and of course many sumptuous deserts.
Food will be locally sourced from the Masseria's own organic farmland and the surrounding farmers in the area, so you really will gain a fantastic knowledge of where the ingredients you are cooking have come from. All of the food is organic and of the highest quality, and you will have the chance to visit the suppliers during some of the daily excursions, which include a visit to the local fishing village where the seafood is sourced. No Italian meal is complete without a glass of Vino and a trip to wine museum will provide a fascinating insight into the grape production of the region and the opportunity to sample and purchase your favourite bottles.
Culinary tours and excursions between lessons are a great way to discover the real Puglia and see just what the area has to offer and of course sample the renowned culinary variety available in the region.
This luxury Italian cookery holiday will ignite your passion for cooking with fresh ingredients and great company, and teach you easy recipes you can take home with you and recreate with friends for years to come.
Suitability
- Cookery holidays are suitable for all levels from complete beginners to experienced cooks
- Minimum age 18
- Your hosts are Italian and speak a little English so all cooking classes are taught in Italian with an English translator on hand at all times both during the cooking classes and on the excursions
- Please note that this holiday runs for a minimum of 2 people, if you are a solo traveller interested in joining the holidays please contact .
Travelling Solo?
- These cookery holidays make great singles holidays as there is a really social atmosphere with group dinners, lessons and organised excursions
- There are no single supplements on this holiday and you will be allocated your own private single room for no additional cost, making this cooking holiday a fantastic option for solo travellers
- Please note: this course will run for a minimum of 2 people, and solo travellers are very welcome to join an existing group
Organic Italian Cooking Holiday Start Days
- Arrivals are on set dates throughout the year, typically Mondays and ending on a Sunday
- Cooking holidays are for 6 nights/7 days
- If you wish to stay for extra nights please email to check availability for your preferred duration and we will do our best to accommodate you
- If dates appear ‘on request’ please email us and we’ll check availability for your preferred day of arrival as quickly as possible
- If you'd like to arrive on a date which isn't listed, this holiday can be arranged for groups on different dates (subject to availability) so just email us to check
Organic Italian Cookery 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- Arrival and welcome dinner
- You will be met at Bari or Brindisi airport for your transfer to the beautiful 5* Masseria Montenapoleone which will be your base for the next 6 nights
- Get to know the other guests over welcome drinks and dinner in a speciality restaurant upon arrival, followed an introductory talk outlining the program and local area, and inspiring you to set foot into the professional kitchen tomorrow
Day 2 – Visit to Alberobello, wine museum and tasting, first cooking lesson, dinner
- Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the Masseria
- You will have an excursion to Alberobello in the morning, a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its fascinating ‘Trulli’ – the quaint dome shaped houses unique to Puglia
- Puglia is the sixth biggest wine-making region in the world so you will head to the local wine museum for a guided tour and an opportunity to taste the local primitivo wines and see just what makes them so popular
- Enjoy a light lunch
- Your first cooking lesson will take place in the afternoon
- After the lesson you will eat your freshly cooked dishes for dinner
Day 3 – Mozarella and ricotta sampling, visit to Fasano, second cooking lesson and dinner
- After breakfast you will go to Casaficio Cisternino to discover how and also participate in a hands-on demonstration of how mozzarella cheese is made by a local chef
- You will then have a tour of Fasano's historical centre, which dates back from 1,000 years old
- Take some time to meander around the narrow streets past churches, ancient palaces and the ruins of the town’s walls and towers and be enthralled by it’s fascinating past
- Enjoy a light lunch
- After lunch it's time for your second cooking lesson
- After the lesson you will eat the delicious meal you will have prepared
Day 4 – Third cooking lesson, visit to Martina Franca and meat sampling, dinner
- After breakfast it’s time to return to the professional kitchen for your third hands-on cooking lesson to make your delicious lunch
- Relax with the group over your freshly prepared lunch
- After lunch has been digested you will travel to Martina Franca, the beautiful old city surrounded by stone walls, to sample delicious cured meats, including the famous Capocollo
- A group dinner will be served at a local speciality restaurant serving a variety of local specialities and good wines
Day 5 – Free time, fourth cooking lesson, dinner
- You will have free time this morning to spend as you wish – take a taxi to the local attractions which your hosts will be happy to provide you with information or simply relax on the sunny terrace after a lie-in and take a swim in the beautiful swimming pool at the Masseria
- You will be collected late afternoon for your fourth cookery lesson, which you will enjoy with a glass of wine over dinner later this evening at the Masseria
Day 6 – Ostuni visit and olive oil sampling, fifth cookery lesson, dinner
- Today after breakfast you will visit the old town of Ostuni
- It's time to go to the olificio to sample Puglia's renown olive oil
- A light lunch with a glass of wine will be served this afternoon, leaving space for the food you’ll be cooking for dinner
- On your return to the Masseria it's time for your last cooking lesson
- After the lesson you will eat the delicious meal you will have prepared
Day 7 – Departure day
- Enjoy your last leisurely breakfast
- It’s then time to bid Puglia farewell as you are transferred to the airport, taking with you your newfound culinary skills, new friends, and memories to last you a lifetime
About Your Cooks
- You will be taught to cook either by local experienced cook or the resident chef at the Masseria
- We source local cooks whose traditional cooking techniques have been passed down through the generations
- Their knowledge of good food and traditional recipes is endless.
- Expect lots of fun and laughter in the kitchen, as the Chefs share their experience and passion in this traditional cooking environment
- Please note that Cooks speak Italian and a little English but a translator will be on hand to translate anything you don’t understand to English at all times throughout the week
Where Will I Cook?
- Your cookery lessons will take place in the professional kitchen of Masseria Montenapoleone, a beautiful Masseria in the heart of Puglia
- The traditional 5* farmhouse is decorated in a rustic and authentic style and is the perfect setting for your organic cookery classes as well as your accommodation
- The Masseria has a large organic farm which is where many of the ingredients you cook with during your lessons will be sourced from
- There is a lovely swimming pool at the Masseria which you are free to use in your spare time to refresh and relax
What Will I Learn?
- Your week will build on your cooking skills with the aim of teaching you how to create simple and authentic Italian recipes that you can take back home with you and easily recreate
- You’ll learn how to make many three course meals which are perfect for dinner parties
- You’ll learn where the food you will be cooking with has come from through a number of visits and excursions
- Wine tasting skills at a local wine museum
- You’ll make a variety of pasta dishes from scratch
- Focaccia bread making
- Fish and seafood cooking
- During your holiday you’ll prepare traditional desserts and tarts
- The style of food will be classic Italian dishes as well as local delicacies to Puglia
- Explore the Masseria’s organic farm and watch the harvesting of the delicious olives, tomatoes, fruits and much more
Sample Menus
Dishes vary according to the season and what food is available from the Masseria’s farmland and local producers but may include:
- Orchiette (small ear shaped pasta with Ragu sauce)
- Braciola (stuffed meat slices)
- Tiramisu
- Cavatelli al Frutti di Mare
- Frittura mista di pesce (mixed fried fish)
- Torta al limone (lemon tart)
- Lasagne al forno
- Polpettone di Carni (stuffed meat loaf)
- Crostata alla Ricotta (Italian baked cheesecake)
- Fave Cicorie (broad bean puree with chicory)
- Parmigiana (baked layered dish with aubergine, tomato and cheese) - Torta al cioccolato (chocolate tart)
- Papardelle ai porcini e speck (pasta with ham and mushrooms)
- Risotto agli asparagi (asparagus risotto)
- Focaccia alla cipolla (Focaccia with onions)
- Cartellate (crisp pastry spirals, deep fried then drizzled with honey).
- Please note that if you do have dietary requirements (including vegetarians), this must be mentioned in ‘special requests’ at the time of booking and your hosts will try their best to accommodate this
The 5* Masseria Montenapoleone Accommodation
- You’ll stay in a beautiful rustic 5* Masseria hotel in the heart of Puglia for 6 nights/7 days
- The Masseria Montenapoleone is a traditional converted farmhouse
- Lovingly renovated and refurbished to combine rustic farm life, luxury and relaxation, the Masseria maintains many original features such as cave-shaped rooms and stone walls
- Each bedroom has its own private ensuite and private balcony overlooking beautiful gardens
- There are 15 lovely bedrooms in the Masseria
- If you are travelling solo, stay in your own private single room with en-suite bathroom for no additional supplement
- Rooms are decorated in a rustic style with stone features and whitewashed walls with modern amenities
- The Masseria has numerous dining areas and a sunny terrace which is perfect for eating outside or simply relaxing and absorbing the beautiful views
- The accommodation is surrounded by oleander bushes, bugainvillea and olive trees
- There is a large circular stone swimming pool with a pool side bar to relax and unwind
- 2 on site small spas where spa treatments can be booked for an extra cost upon arrival
- The Masseria boasts a private farm where they produce their own produce including almonds, tomatoes, figs, prickly pears and grapes, which you will use in your cookery classes
- There are no single supplements for solo travellers, who will be allocated a private single room
- Accommodation is included for 7 nights / 8 days
- Check in is at 4pm and check out is at midday but can be flexible to accommodate later flights
Meals
- Breakfast is included daily
- 5 lunches on days 2, 3, 4, 6 are provided and may be the dishes you’ve learned to cook during cooking lessons or are lunches taken out during your many excursions
- On day 5 you will need to budget for your own lunch (extra cost)
- Dinner is included each night with the group and wine and soft drinks are included
- You will enjoy all of the dishes you cook during your cookery lessons through the week for either lunch or dinner as well as meals in local restaurants
- If you have dietary requests please can these be communicated to us at the time of booking
Free Time In Italy
- This organic Italian cookery holiday is crammed full with culinary excursions and cookery lessons, but you will have sufficient time to explore the local area
- Your hosts will give you lots of information on what activities are on offer in the area such as the local markets, walks, sights and more or you may just wish to explore the farmland where you’ll stay to chat with the local farmer to find out more about how they make such delicious produce
Discover Italian cooking at its best through a range of hands-on cookery lessons, stunning luxury 5* accommodation, delicious food and wine, gastronomic excursions, and fantastic company on this organic Italian cookery holiday with a difference