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The Long Weekend Open Kitchen Course in France

Make the most of the time you have with a weekend away at Walnut Grove Cookery School. Welcoming secret chefs of all backgrounds, these quick courses are a great option to refine your skills and have a wonderful weekend away! Imagine yourself kneading buttery croissants in a sun-drenched kitchen, overlooking the rolling hills of Pays de Loire. At The Walnut Grove Cookery, nestled in a charming 200-year-old farmhouse just an hour from Paris, you'll awaken your inner chef under the guidance of Chef Eric Duvin.

Meet the instructors

Eric
Read more

Highlights

  • Cooking demonstrations
  • Champagne and canape reception
  • A six-course gourmet dinner, prepared by Chef Duvin
  • Gourmet dinners prepared by the students with chef's assistance on remaining nights
  • 3 nights accommodation including all meals
  • Roundtrip transfers from Gare Laval AKA Laval Station

Skill level

  • Beginner
  • Intermediate
  • Advanced

4 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: French
Group size: Maximum of 6 participants
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Accommodation

Check-in Time:
17:00
Check-out Time:
10:00

The lessons are why you come. The terroir is what you'll taste.

For centuries the land upon which Walnut Grove Cookery School is situated has provided for its inhabitants. Ancestors before us learned how to cultivate these rich soils and how to forage what was already abundant in the field. Today, we cherish this understanding and continue to preserve these traditional land use practices.

Since its inception, Walnut Grove Cookery School has become a natural haven for cooking holidays in France. With fruits and vegetables from our gardens and foraged goods from our surroundings, Chef Duvin has the “raw materials” to provide an array of culinary creations and will teach you his life changing skills every step of the way. 

While you are with us, we encourage you to take part in our organic farm activities. Clip from the herb gardens, feed our resident chickens & goats, learn what we plant and how our hives thrive.  As was the ways of our ancestors, we use what our local environment has to offer. We grow, harvest and eat according to the seasons. Where stock permits, small batch selections of our home grown Copper Pot Kitchen jams & honey are available for on-site purchase. 

Transforming local bounty into lifelong learning. 

Program

The intimate classes, capped at six students, ensure personalized attention as you master classic French dishes and unlock the secrets of Michelin-starred techniques. Forget language barriers – Chef Eric and our recipes speak English fluently.

Beyond the kitchen, immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of French culture with optional excursions to captivating villages, dramatic cliffs, or majestic chateaux.

From gourmet meals savored in the warmth of the farmhouse to exploring hidden gems alongside fellow food enthusiasts, your Walnut Grove experience is an all-inclusive immersion into the very soul of French cuisine and culture. Join us and embark on a transformative culinary adventure where luxury meets learning, and memories simmer for a lifetime.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Friday

  • Arrival at 17.00
  • 17.00 Introductory talk with complimentary champagne and canapés Discussing aims and course structure
  • 18.00 Gourmet dinner

Day 2 - Saturday

  • 08.45 Breakfast; to include fresh croissants, breads and preserves, cereals, orange juice, yogurts, tea and coffee.
  • 09.15 Kitchen. Welcome, explore kitchen/equipment etc.
  • Demonstration / hands-on Basic knife skills; care of knives, safety, sharpening.
  • Pasta dough, tagliatelle, onions soup. Crème brulée, puff pastry.
  • 13.00 Lunch Tagliatelle with a bacon, tomato and onion sauce, fresh bread and green salad, followed by cheese platter
  • 14.00 Demonstration/hands-on Seabass, puff pastry, vol au vent filling (from our garden) poached pear, caramel cages, sugar work
  • 16.00 Finish
  • 17.00 Aperitifs
  • 17.30 Back in the kitchen to finish prep
  • 18.00 Dinner

Day 3 - Sunday

  • 08.45 Breakfast
  • 09.15 Menu Explanation
  • Kitchen: Demonstration / Hands-on
  • Beef bourguignon, Chicken butchery, mise en place for sous vide cooking. Stuffed chicken ballotine, confit drumstick. Sweet pastry
  • 13.00 Lunch Selection of charcuterie, cheese, salads, bread and pickles
  • 14.00 Demonstration / Hands-on: Poached salmon, pickles, lentils dressing. sorbet and ice cream, pomme fondante, caramelised onion purée, Béarnaise mise en place and pear tart.
  • 17.00 Aperitifs and nibbles
  • 17.30 Back in the kitchen to finish prep
  • 18.00 Dinner

Day 4 - Monday

  • 08.45 Breakfast
  • 09.15 Demonstration / hands-on; Gratin Dauphinois, Diplomate cream, strawberry and pistachio tart.
  • Earl grey tea and chocolate ice cream.
  • Souffle mise en place.
  • 13.00 Lunch
  • Departure after lunch

Included excursions

For complete course details including menus and day to day itinerary, please visit: https://www.thewalnutgrove.fr/the-long-weekend-itinerary

Instructors

Eric Duvin

Location

Easy to get to. Hard to leave.

Located just 80 minutes west of Paris, by train, you'll come to Walnut Grove for the cookery lessons, and leave with a taste of the terroir.  

From the celebrated coasts of Normandie and Bretagne, to wine tasting in The Loire Valley, we invite you to make Walnut Grove Cookery School a part of the perfect gastronomic holiday ... in France. 

Here, renting a car is not required.  Every course we confirm includes complimentary transfers to & from Gare Laval / Laval Station.  Every cultural excursion we create also includes roundtrip transportation.  

Rest assured, your journey to The Walnut Grove will be easy to get to....and hard to leave.

Food

All meals are included:

  • A welcome champagne and canape reception
  • A six-course gourmet dinner prepared by Chef Duvin
  • Remaining nights: Gourmet dinners prepared by the students with chef's assistance

Menu

Day 1 dinner

  • Caramelised scallops, cauliflower purée scented with truffle
  • Sorbet
  • Beef filet tournedos Rossini
  • Cheese
  • Chilli and coconut ice cream in a brandy snap basket
  • Tea and coffee

Day 2 dinner

  • French onion soup with cheese croutons
  • Sorbet
  • Seabass filet in fig leaves milk served with a homemade Vol au vent
  • Cheese
  • Lemon verbena Crème brulée
  • Tea and coffee

Day 3 dinner

  • Olive oil poached salmon, pickled cucumber and lentils dressing
  • Sorbet
  • Medley of chicken (chicken 4 ways), caramelised onion purée, béarnaise sauce
  • Cheese
  • Pear and almond tart, rum and vanilla ice cream
  • Tea and coffee

Day 4 lunch

  • Cheese Soufflé
  • Sorbet
  • Beef Bourguignon, Gratin Dauphinois
  • Cheese
  • Strawberry and pistachio tart
  • Chocolate and Earl grey tea ice cream
  • Tea and coffee

The following meals are included:

  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Drinks

The following drinks are included:

  • Water
  • Coffee
  • Tea

The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:

  • Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation

Things to do (optional)

While mastering French culinary techniques remains integral, we now invite you to delve deeper. Within a convenient radius of our scenic haven, a kaleidoscope of cultural treasures awaits.

Arrive a bit early, or linger a bit longer, now your holiday can become an intersection of cuisine and culture - for us it's the only way to understand France.

What's included

  • 3 nights luxurious guest accommodations
  • All course instruction and equipment
  • All meals
  • A welcome champagne and canape reception
  • A six-course gourmet dinner prepared by Chef Duvin
  • Remaining nights: Gourmet dinners prepared by the students with chef's assistance
  • Roundtrip transfers from Gare Laval AKA Laval Station (if you are taking a train)
  • On-site parking if you are driving to/from The Walnut Grove Cookery School.
  • Wi-Fi

What's not included

  • Any alcohol or gifts that you purchase on-site are items
  • Any laundry services (clothing) that you request during your stay
  • Your airfare and ground transfers to/from Gare Laval Train Station

How to get there

Recommended Airports

Arrival by airplane

If you are arriving at Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), you have two options for arriving to The Walnut Grove Cookery School. One can rent a car tor take a train.

Arrival by train:

We are located just 80 minutes west of Paris by train. We recommend booking a train that departs from the airport and arrives at our station. Our station is Laval Station. Depending on the website you use to book your train ticket, it may be listed as Gare Laval. Rest assured, that is ours. We provide roundtrip transfers to/from Laval Station to ensure your journey here is easy to plan and enjoy. Please be reminded check-in is at 5pm.

Arrival by car

If you choose to rent a car directly from CDG Airport, the drive to Saint Hilaire du Maine is a pleasant one. It should take approximately 3.5 hours. We offer complimentary parking on-site and will warmly welcome you upon arrival. Please be reminded check-in is at 5pm.

Cancellation Policy

  • A reservation requires a deposit of 30% of the total price.
  • The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
  • The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
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