Intimate and immersive Italian gastronomy and cooking retreats in the hills of undiscovered Tuscany, hosted by an experienced chef and pasta maker.
Holidays (2)
7 Day Italian Gastronomy and Cooking Holiday in Tuscany, Grosseto
October 7-13 | September 28-October 4, 2024–2025
from US$ 2,103
4 Day Fresh Pasta Making and Gastronomy Culinary Holiday in Tuscany, Province of Grosseto
May 11-14, 2025
from US$ 1,221
Instructors (1)
Oliver Haenlein
Oli is an experienced chef and pasta maker and Flo is an events organiser from London. They have combined their skills to try to create immersive, behind the scenes cooking and food adventures for those fascinated by Italian gastronomy. Growing up, Oli spent his summers the Italian Maremma region, and after a range of chef work in the UK, he went on to move to Tuscany to further develop his skills and passion for the region's culinary traditions. He has also trained as a 'sfoglino' or artisan pasta maker, and is excited to share his love for and knowledge of Italian food with you.
Reviews (30)
Anonymous
from United States, September 2024
We loved the entire experience and it was exactly as advertised. We so enjoyed our group and cooking and traveling around Tuscany with them. Our hosts were excellent, every detail was in place and beautifully presented. Making pasta and other dishes was great fun. And learning about all the other people who are caring for the environment was most special.
Moniek Lukkes
from Netherlands, June 2024
"Foodie week from heaven"
The entire week with Flo and Oli was brilliant. The combination of cooking, some excursions, and free time was perfectly balanced. All the food we had was delicious and they went above and beyond on the little things like placing a crate full of breakfast items in the apartment before arrival, together with a little goodie bag. The excursions were insightful, fun and light, and we got to use the lovely food products in the cooking courses with Oli. The cooking was also well planned and all so very delicious. Flo and Oli even gave us a little goodbye gift on our last evening <3 It was a lovely week, great group, and of course the best hosts. 12/10 would recommend this to anyone who has a love for food.
Ardavan Hosseini
from Netherlands, June 2024
"Truly magical"
I highly recommend the Cook Eat Discover experience.
The itinerary was handcrafted to perfection, there was no time I felt overwhelmed or felt like there’s nothing to do. Each of the tours were very carefully selected and presented a good view of the life in that area. The apartment was located in a beautiful part of the village and had a stunning view. The workshops were also lovely with clear instructions from Oliver, who is a master at what he does and is very patient. Florence was also a great host. She would ensure that everyone is having a good time and was extremely friendly. She also beautifully designed each dinner table witha certain mood and a chill vibe. I was lucky enough to be in a good group of people who shared the same passion for food and had a lot fun together with them.
Overall, I’m confident that anyone who signs up will have a blast and would want to stay longer, just like me!
Samuel Sandulak
from Canada, October 2023
Flo and Oli were so kind and genuine. The daily trips were so interesting and varied. Riccotaderighi is a hidden gem and the essence of Italian life in the south of Tuscany. We truly learned that Itlian food is about so much more than just ingredients. Flo and Oli shared their passion for ethical food production and allowed us to savour the fine quality of Italian food for their region.
Monica Bast
from Canada, October 2023
"A Magical Experience"
There was an excellent mixture of cooking AND Tuscan ago-experiences.
Stephanie Vogel
from United States, July 2023
"Simply Perfect!"
Ollie & Flo are amazing considerate hosts. They provided just the right balance of being with you, and being there for you. They were attentive and thoughtful and really anticipated all of our needs and laid out a perfect itinerary for our trip. The group size of 8 was small enough to feel intimate but big enough to be able to meet new people and have some great conversations. I learned so many wonderful cooking skills and never once felt intimidated by the classes. A person at any skill level with cooking would fit in perfectly. The instruction was clear and Ollie provided precise feedback and good tips in a warm and friendly way. The farm and vineyard tours were very informative and the hosts for our excursions as well as Francesca and Margarita were very genuine and friendly. I loved how so much thought and care went into connecting with locally sourced and fresh ingredients. This consideration was apparent in everything we ate and drank. The apartements were spotless, the town was quaint and the views from the villa were spectacular. The parting gift was lovely as were all the other special touches. The whole trip from start to finish was beautiful and so well done.
Katherine Mcgee
from United States, June 2023
The cooking, the village, the tours and camaraderie of the group.
Carol Paladino
from United States, June 2023
"Our expectations were greatly exceeded!"
It's hard to choose only one thing. Our hosts were gracious, warm, and very accommodating. The cooking lessons were fun and informative. The family style atmosphere added to the entire experience. We totally enjoyed the daily excursions and tastings.
John Kenny
from United States, October 2022
"Tree house paradise "
This experience with Oli,Flo and Francesca exceeded our expectations.Unforgettable time spent with these hostesses. They knocked it out of the park!! The culinary classes were first class and the tours were both informative and most enjoyable!! Thank you Oliver,Florence and Francesca !!!
Peggy Cummins
from United States, October 2022
"Great fun with friends and new friends!"
I went on this trip with four friends and we were joined by another couple from the U.S. who just fit in perfectly with our group. Some of our group were avid cooks, others (myself included) were not as much into cooking.
Oli's lessons were great for all levels and I actually feel like I could make homemade pasta now. Whether you are someone who loves to cook, or more like me and not a great cook, you will enjoy Oli's lessons and the amazing meals shared at the end of the day.
Flo and Oli provided special little touches such as the basket of food items in our rooms to ensure we had breakfast each day - fresh eggs and fruit, yogurt with homemade fruit compote, breads and homemade jams - everything was delicious!
The "discover" part of the trip is also great - we loved the winery and olive oil tours, fishing, the buffalo cheese farm and spending a little time in Montacino. Truly a great way to experience Tuscany!
Lalita Ghosh Selby
from United States, October 2022
"The experience far exceeded my expectations!"
Everything! Oli and Flo were amazing teachers and hosts. The excursions and visits to other farms and wineries were exceptional. I cannot say enough about this program and would highly recommend it to everyone. I intend on going back.
Teri Khamis
from United States, October 2022
"Italian cooking"
Everything about this experience was amazing and well done! So organized. Oliver and Flo were wonderful ! ❤️
Christel Joergensen
from Denmark, July 2022
"Perfection "
Host couple very welcoming and sweet. Cooking classes and Food extraordinary good. Course activities well planned, beautiful location.
I can’t recommend this course enough!
Terri Griffiths
from United Kingdom, July 2022
"Simply Amazing. A fabulous experience."
This was a wonderful experience and some. Helpful and knowledgeable host and hostess, perfect weather, accommodation felt authentic Italian with everything you need supplied. My balcony view across the rolling Tuscany hills was a dream to wake to each morning. The day trips were fascinating and educational. And the cooking lessons were kept simple and fun. With a wealth of delicious food! With a needed amount of time to rest or sunbath each day. 0I also adored that it was focused on organic farms and trips with eco warriors. Just loved it. I'd recommend it to
anyone and everyone. Just has to be experienced. Thank you Flo and Oli!
Abby Taylor
from United States, June 2022
"An incredible experience "
It was magic. Everything was thoughtfully curated and planned - perfect ratio of learning and cooking to relaxing and enjoying everything, plus enough down time by yourself as to not be overwhelming. The food was excellent, the scenery was breathtaking, and the fun was plentiful!
Flo’s background in event planning was evident and every last detail was perfection. The homemade touches on things like her organic bug sprays and lip balm, to her homemade jams and popovers just made everything feel special.
Oli’s mastery of pasta, while expected, was evident but at no point was he condescending or frustrated with our obvious lack of experience ;)
Mandy Wilcox
from United Kingdom, May 2022
"My first solo adventure"
From the moment I arrived with Cook Eat Discover it was the beginning of a fabulous week with Oli & Flo. The villa apartment was beautiful, we were provided with the loveliest welcome hamper and handmade gifts. I choose this course as it had a great balance of cooking and tours. Flo & Oli went over and beyond everyday to look after us. This was my first solo adventure after becoming widow in Aug 2019 so I was very anxious about the trip. The warmth, care and hospitality I received was absolutely incredible from both Flo and Oli and I was totally blown away by the whole experience. It was inspiring to be able to make Italian recipes and I've learnt lots from my experience. Oli is a great teacher and makes everything so relaxed and enjoyable. As my first solo experience I think this will be hard to beat, I will definitely going back for another week and I've made new wonderful friends for life. This would have been my 50th birthday present from my husband, and as a Widow it was the perfect holiday for making new friends, healing, finding you again and most of all the most perfect, magical trip I could have asked for. I can't thank Oli and Flo enough for their fantastic week at Cook Eat Discover.
Joni Samuels
from United States, October 2021
"A life altering experience"
Everything! We received excellent service, facilities and tours. We were made to feel special and our every need was satisfied. The week was well worth the money and I would recommend it to anyone that likes travel, Italy, cooking and learning.
Jennifer Mcnulty
from Brunei, October 2021
"Cook Eat Discover Cooking Classes"
Flo and Oli have created a wonderful week long cooking class where you learn to cook Italian food and learn about the Italian culture through daily excursions. Oli is extremely knowledgable when it come to cooking Italian food and Flo is just the sweetest and a lovely hostess. They do a great job not only teaching cooking lessons but also adding in excursions to the local sights and farms that a typical travel itinerary might not allow time for. I highly recommend this cooking class for those who want to learn Italian cooking and would also like to see beautiful Tuscany!
Jennifer Morgan
from United Kingdom, October 2021
It was a truly once in a lifetime, magical and restorative experience. Oli and Flo are both amazing and so genuinely passionate and knowlegable about the region; its produce, history and the people. They created a warm, relaxed, stylish atmosphere where you felt truly special. In every detail we were thought about in advance and cared for way beyond our expectations. One example was having delicious appetisers and Prosecco whilst watching the sunset overlooking the valley-just stunning! From the excellent teaching, bespoke gifts, to engineering quality gastronomic experiences for us...so much generosity! An incredible experience that Im recommending to everyone I know!
Hugh Jones
from Cyprus, September 2021
"Fun, informative and creative "
Great locations and activities with focus on biodiversity
Nantha Moodley
from Netherlands, September 2020
"MAGICAL CULINARY EXPERIENCE- BIG WOW "
This was out of a magical dream and an experience my wife and I will talk about forever. We have traveled to 70 countries and this stands out in our top 3. The location in South Tuscany is medieval and in the country where the air , food and surroundings ooze with freshness. Oli and Flo are amazing foodies and hosts. The program is great with wine tastings, buffalo mozzarella making, honey farms, interesting villages and above all, the fantastic daily cooking classes. Many of my myths around some Italian dishes have been allayed. Delicious outcomes that makes one proud. We actually feel a sense of self actualization after this wonderful experience. Oli and Flo have a rustic kitchen on a small holding that really adds to the ambience.
Julia Hurrell
from United Kingdom, November 2019
"Tuscany delight "
From start to finish was an absolutely fabulous experience. Oli and Flo could not do enough. Nothing was too much trouble and everyone on this holiday had an amazing time from the fishing trip to the buffalo and organic rice farms to the organic vineyards. All the people we met where passionate about their products and knowledgeable. I learnt a lot. Would definitely go again and recommend to others.
Mark Mckenzie
from United States, October 2019
"Fabulous Foodie Week in the Maremma in Southwest Tuscany"
Everything about what Cook Eat Discover have put together was meticulously planned and every detail accounted for. The instruction was fantastic and the food was amazing. All the trips to farms and vineyards were awesome. After getting home and thinking about the week, I could not think of one thing that I didn't like and could not think of anything that could really be improved.
Diane Cooper
from United States, July 2019
"Best. Trip. Ever."
Incredible hosts, exceptionally well planned, wonderful overall.
Barbara Smith
from United States, June 2019
"Amazing! "
Olie and Flo exceeded my expectations with efficient communications, logistics, organization, food quality, cooking instruction, beautiful settings and gracious hospitality.
Anonymous
from United States, June 2019
"Tuscany gourmet cooking "
Friendly relaxed atmosphere, beautiful scenery, a new surprise everyday, excellent food, great selection of touring
Melissa Asante
from United Kingdom, June 2019
"A Very Delicious Honeymoon! "
We booked this trip/experience for our honeymoon and it did not disappoint!
Staying in the beautiful village of Roccatederighi, we experienced a wonderful gastronomical delight. Oli and Flo are the perfect hosts and made us feel very welcome and relaxed. Oli is an exceptional cook and I really couldn't sing his praises more highly. He is certainly a chef you would want to learn from. Flo's ability to make every setting even more picturesque than the beautiful surroundings is a wonder in itself. The full 7-day itinerary was great and did not leave any time to be bored! Our fellow travellers were a pleasure and even though we were on our honeymoon we enjoyed their company as well as having some time to ourselves. A beautiful place, with wonderful food, an exceptional host and a very talented chef! I could not recommend this highly enough!
Hannah Russell
from United States, May 2019
"Cook Eat discover Experience"
There were numerous touches that went above and beyond, from handmade local soaps and toiletries, to homemade iced teas during excursions. Flo and Oli were incredibly welcoming and hospitable, the cooking courses were well organized and easy to follow without being overly simple, and the food was incredible. I could not have asked for a better experience connecting with local artisanal producers. The setting is a dream.
Johanna Perez
from United States, May 2019
"One of the best vacation I have ever had"
Everything was awesome! From the meeting at the train station to sadly saying goodbye to the wonderful hosts that you can ever have. From the food, the cooking lessons, the peaceful village, the rustic apartment, all the tours and the attentive hosts, everything was delightful. I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. Thank you so much Oli and Flo for such an unforgettable experience!