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French
Cooking Holiday
Some things can only be learned by hand.
The Walnut Grove Cookery School is an immersive, small-group French cooking retreat set in a 19th-century farmhouse in the heart of western France.
Each week, six guests gather to cook the way French chefs have always cooked — with patience, with reason, and with complete attention to what is happening in the pan.
This is not a holiday with a cooking class attached. Every morning begins in the kitchen. Across the week you will cook daily alongside Chef Eric, learning the foundations of French cuisine — from knife skills and kitchen organisation to stocks, sauces, butchery, and pastry — always with an emphasis on why techniques work and how to apply them confidently at home.
You will leave with more than recipes. You will leave with clarity, confidence, and a deeper understanding of French cuisine.
Forty years of classical French cooking. Six guests. One week. No shortcuts.
A Unique Experience
Before anything goes into the pan, it has to be chosen.
One morning, the group visits the local market together — a lesson in seasonality, in quality, in what French cooks have always known before they reach the kitchen.
You work at the stove alongside Chef Eric — some techniques demonstrated first, then yours to practice.
Classical French method, learned the way it was always meant to be: by doing it yourself.
The plate is the final decision.
You will learn to read a dish — its balance, its temperature, its honesty — and to present it with the precision of a professional kitchen.
Every evening, the kitchen becomes a table.
Guests gather over a glass of wine, sharing the day's work around the table.
A natural end to a full day.
BEYOND THE KITCHEN
FRENCH CULTURAL EXCURSION
While culinary technique remains at the heart of your stay, France has more to offer beyond the kitchen.
Mont-Saint-Michel, Saint-Malo, Dinan, Villedieu-les-Poêles — the coast and its medieval towns are within easy reach. Artisan producers, local markets, the quiet roads of the bocage.
And for those who wish to go further, the Loire Valley awaits.
Extend your time in France with a curated cultural excursion.
Selected excursions are included depending on your retreat dates — ask us for details.
Your Journey
6 Guests Max
Personal instruction
Farmhouse Kitchen
Authentic rustic setting
Daily Cooking
In the kitchen every morning
Market Visit
Cook with local ingredients
Meet
Chef Eric
Eric Duvin began his culinary training in France at fifteen.
What followed was forty years in professional kitchens —
classical French training, private chef service at Badminton House, seat of the Duke of Beaufort, and the German Ambassador's residence in London, and a career built entirely on technique, precision, and the belief that cooking is something worth understanding properly.
At The Walnut Grove, the kitchen begins in the garden. Herbs, vegetables, the rhythm of the season —
these are not decoration.
They are the starting point.
Eric teaches the way he learned — by doing, by explaining, and by insisting that every guest leaves with something real.
My experience at Walnut Grove with Chef Eric was AMAZING!! I learned so much in a short amount of time and will be using the skills he taught us for years to come. Chef Eric’s curriculum was thoughtful, detailed, and the perfect mix of cooking, excursions / exploration, and relaxation. I will be recommending his class to everyone!! He was communicative and made arrival / departure so easy for me too!! And my classmates were lovely and we’ll be longtime friends!
Aliya S.
I spent five days in Chef Eric's kitchen with my three companions and had the best time ever. I learnt fabulous new cooking skills and, more importantly, learnt how to manage and create complex dishes. Chef Eric also took us to see the area around his cookery school and spent time explaining the beauty of the northern part of the Loire district.
I would happily spend another week there.
Bruno M.
Having always wanted to learn more about French cuisine from a French chef, Walnut Grove Cookery School did not disappoint. The range of food we prepared everyday and the hands on nature of the training has given me the confidence to try the recipes at home, to the delight of my family. Thank Eric, your team and Mac the dog for providing a wonderful experience that I will never forget.
Robyn P.
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