“Reserve your apron today!”
7 Day Gourmet French Cuisine - Culinary Course in France, Mayenne, Pays de la Loire
Walnut Grove Cookery School 9 allée de l’Aire 53380 St-Hilaire-du-Maine, France
The Culinary Holiday You've Always Wanted to Take In France
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. Beyond the kitchen, immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of French culture with optional excursions to captivating villages, dramatic cliffs, or majestic chateaux.
Meet the instructors
Eric
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Highlights
- Pastry Master Class with French Patissier
- A visit to Sainte-Suzanne and the market in Laval
- Shopping and exploration in Vitré
- A six-course gourmet dinner prepared by Chef Duvin
- Gourmet dinners prepared by the students with chef's assistance on remaining nights
- 6 nights accommodation
- Daily meals
- Roundtrip transfers from Gare Laval AKA Laval Station
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
6 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: French
Group size: Maximum of 6 participants
Accommodation
Check-in Time:
17:00
Check-out Time:
10:00
Facilities
- Dining area
- Environmentally friendly
- Fireplace
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Lounge
- Multilingual staff
- Smoke-free property
- Terrace
- Free parking
- Free Wi-Fi
- Ironing / ironing board
- Laundry
- Library
- Parking lot
- Wireless internet
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
At Walnut Grove Cookery School, we say the kitchen is where friendships and flavors are formed. Throughout this week long course, you will have the chance to refine your culinary skills, indulge in delectable meals, discover local markets and historical sites, and create lasting memories in the company of like-minded food enthusiasts.
As an exceptional highlight, we will teach you the art of making croissants and macarons, gaining insights into the secrets of French pastry. France is a culture of cuisine. We invite you to dive deeply into each dish with us!
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.
Schedule
Day 1 - Friday
- Arrival at 17:00
- 17.00 Introductory talk - Discussing aims and course structure followed by complimentary champagne and canapés
- 18.00 Dinner 6-course gourmet dinner
Day 2 - Saturday
- 08.45 Breakfast; to include fresh croissants, breads and preserves, orange juice, local apple juice, yogurts, tea and coffee.
- 09.15 Off to Laval’s market for shopping and sightseeing.
- 13.00 Returning to The Walnut Grove, we will break for lunch and feast on our treasures.
- 14.00 Kitchen - We will begin the course and our journey in the kitchen with hands on experience and demonstrations preparing for dinner.
- Welcome, explore kitchen/equipment etc…Refresher basic knife skills; care of knives, safety, sharpening, chop and slice onion, carrot
- Demonstration/hands-on: Salmon tartar, Monkfish prep, mussels prep, fish sauce. Lobster bisque. Soufflé mise en place. Sorbet. Bread / focaccia making duck leg confit
- 17.00 Finish
- 17.30 Aperitifs and nibbles
- 17.45 Back in the kitchen to finish prep
- 18.00 Dinner
Day 3 - Sunday
- 08.45 Breakfast
- 09.15 Menu Explanation
- Demonstration/hands-on: Pasta dough, tortelli, tagliatelle. Cheesecake in a chocolate teardrop, Chocolate and earl grey tea ice cream. Snail bonbons, garlic espuma. béarnaise mise en place, fondant potato, caramelized carrot, onion purée.
- 13.00 Lunch: Tagliatelle with smoked salmon crème fraiche, followed by cheese and homemade bread
- 14.00 Demonstration/hands-on: Chicken butchery: marinated filet, stuffed chicken ballotine, and crispy skin. Quail butchery. Veal blanquette. Chicken stock, (white & brown), veal glace, fish stock. Raisin and port réduction. Duck confit and foie gras terrine
- 17.00 Finish
- 17.30 Aperitifs and nibbles
- 17.45 Back in the kitchen to finish prep
- 18.00 Dinner
Day 4 - Monday
- 08.45 Breakfast
- 09.15 Menu Explanation
- Demonstration/hands-on: Mango dressing, Crème brulée. Sweet pastry, lemon tart, ice lime parfait, honey wafer basket and tuile work. Onion soup. Crêpe mix. Caramel cages. Purée
- 13.00 Lunch: Selection of cheese and charcuterie served with fresh bread, chutney and pickles.
- 14.00 Hands-on – Master-class with a Traditional French Patissier making croissants and macarons
- 17.00 Finish
- 17.30 Aperitifs and nibbles
- 17.45 Back in the kitchen to finish prep
- 18.00 Dinner
Day 5 - Tuesday
- 09:00 Brunch
- Demonstration/hands-on:
- Eggs Benedict: Poached egg, smoked salmon, bacon, hollandaise sauce, Ham and cheese
- Fresh bread, orange and apple juice, yogurt
- Tea and coffee
- 10.00 We’re off to visit Sainte-Suzanne, medieval town, one of the most beautiful village in France.
- 17.30 Aperitifs and nibbles
- 17.45 Back in the kitchen to finish prep
- 18.00 Dinner
Day 6- Wednesday
- 08.45 Breakfast
- 09.15 Menu Explanation
- Demonstration/hands-on: Fish prep, vegetables. 65°c egg, Béchamel sauce and croque monsieur.
- Choux pastry, diplomate cream, St Honoré
- 13.00 Lunch: Croque Monsieur/ Madame and green salad.
- 14.00 Excursion and shopping in Vitré, medieval town and chateau
- 17.30 Aperitifs and nibbles
- 17.45 Back in the kitchen to finish prep
- 18.00 Dinner
- -Day 7 - Thursday
- 09.00 Breakfast
- Departure before 10.00
Dinner menu
Day 1:
- Seared foie gras, spicy fig chutney
- Caramelized scallops, cauliflower medley scented with truffle
- Sorbet
- Roasted duck breast aux cerises, crispy potato terrine
- Cheese
- Raspberry and lime bavarois, honeycomb and meringue
- Tea and coffee
Day 2 (depending on market and season)
- Two salmon tartare, roasted buckwheat and Espelette pepper
- Sorbet
- Monkfish tail served with a mussel and saffron sauce
- Cheese
- Grand Marnier soufflé with lemon verbena sorbet
- Tea and coffee
Day 3
- Foie gras tortelli, pea purée and truffle foam
- Smoked snail bonbons, garlic espuma
- Sorbet
- Quail and chicken medley, caramelised onion purée, raisin and port réduction
- Cheese
- Coffee and baileys cheesecake in a chocolate teardrop, Chocolate and earl grey tea ice cream
- Tea and coffee
Day 4
- Scallop carpaccio, mango dressing and Timut pepper
- Chorizo and saffron crème brulée
- Sorbet
- Veal blanquette with a Dijon mustard potato purée
- Cheese
- Lemon meringue tart served with an iced lime parfait
- Tea and coffee
Day 5
- Lobster bisque
- Sorbet
- Beef filet tournedos Rossini, truffle jus
- Cheese
- Crêpes Suzette flambées
- Tea and coffee
Day 6
- Duck confit and foie gras terrine
- 65°c egg, truffle and fleur de sel
- Sorbet
- Seared seabass, with a grapefruit beurre blanc
- Cheese
- Saint Honoré
- Tea and coffee
Included excursions
- A Visit to the Market in Laval (Round-trip Transfers Included)*A Visit to Sainte-Suzanne, one of the most beautiful villages in France (Round-trip Transfers Included)
- Shopping & exploration in Vitré, the "1000 Year Old City" (Round Trip Transfers Included)
Instructors
Eric Duvin
Eric spent 24 years in England, working as a freelance and private chef. His impressive clientele includes His Grace the 11th Duke of Beaufort, the German Ambassador as well as Her Majesty the Queen of Jordan. From intimate meals to elaborate celebrations, Eric has been leading luxury dining experiences for an array of guests for more than 2 decades. Now, Eric brings that same expertise and commitment to excellence to his work teaching others. His style of teaching is professional, yet supportive. He spends a lot of time in the kitchen so it has got to be friendly and fun.
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 in the price, including the following:
- 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
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
- 6 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
CDG
Charles de Gaulle Airport (Roissy Airport)
269 km
Transfer not provided
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.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.
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