Spice up your holiday with a cooking class

By Mary Whittaker Mar 07, 2008

If you love to cook, but the glut of cookery programmes on our screens leave you uninspired and you just can’t find time to become a budding Masterchef, then why not book a cooking holiday? The good news is that whatever your favourite cuisine, there’s a holiday out there to suit you. 

For example, a stay at the Anna Tasca Lanza school on the Regaleali estate in central Sicily will equip you to rustle up “awesomely tasty” traditional Sicilian dishes, says Jeremy Lazell in The Sunday Times. The charismatic Ms Lanza and her daughter Fabrizia combine cookery lessons using the estate’s produce with trips to local markets. Lodgings are in a 19th-century farmhouse with views of the Madonie Hills and the estate’s vineyards, and wine flows freely throughout your stay. Five nights full-board at Regaleali, including four days’ cookery and wine-tasting, cost £1,895 with Bellini Travel. 

Further afield, The Guardian recommends Village Ways’ new five-day walking tours of the ancient Kumaon region in the Himalayan foothills. Staying at villages along the way, you can help with the harvest of fruit, vegetables and spices and learn to cook traditional Indian fare. The 12-night Ways and Culture holiday tour costs from £678, including rail transfers from Delhi. Return flights to Delhi with Virgin Atlantic cost from £473 return. 

If the prospect of a full week or more in the kitchen doesn’t appeal, then a weekend in Edinburgh at a Culinary Masterclass at The Bonham Hotel could be just the ticket. As well as the opportunity to learn from head chef Michel Bouyer, a “big plus point” is the chance to stay in a classic townhouse just a ten minute walk from Princes Street, says Sophie Butler in The Daily Telegraph.

The masterclass comprises a trip to the farmers’ market to choose ingredients, lunch at Bonham’s, a wine-tasting session – including tips on how to select the best wine to accompany your chosen menu – and, of course, a cookery lesson with Bouyer. Not only does he school you in the art of good ingredients and presentation, says Butler, but he also teaches you “never to be afraid to serve purple potatoes”. The Bonham’s masterclass costs £288 per person, including two nights’ half board and Sunday lunch, based on two people sharing a room.

Published in Travel | More articles by Mary Whittaker

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