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French
Cooking Holiday
The Walnut Grove Cookery School is an immersive, small-group French cooking retreat designed for passionate home cooks who want real understanding, confidence, and lasting skils.
Set in our 19th-century farmhouse cookery school in the French countryside, each retreat is limited to six guests and built around hands-on instruction, clear guidance, and classical French technique.
Across the week, you’ll 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 cooking.
This isn’t a "cooking holiday". It is a culinary transformation.
A Unique Experience
Fresh local ingredients
Learn classical techniques
Create beautiful French dishes
Wine, conversation, and shared meals
BEYOND THE KITCHEN
FRENCH CULTURAL EXCURSION
While culinary technique remains at the heart of your stay, we invite you to discover more of France beyond the kitchen.
Extend your experience through curated cultural excursions, from Le Mont-Saint-Michel, Saint-Malo, and Dinan to artisan towns, countryside traditions, and bespoke journeys through the Loire Valley.
Each outing is designed to bring you closer to the history, beauty, and character of the region.
Your Journey
6 Guests Max
Personal instruction
Farmhouse Kitchen
Authentic rustic setting
Hands-On Cooking
Learn techniques daily
Market Visits
Cook with local ingredients
Meet
Chef Eric
Chef Eric Duvin is a classically trained French chef with decades of experience in Michelin-level kitchens and private service for royalty and dignitaries. Today, he shares his expertise through immersive, hands-on cooking experiences at The Walnut Grove Cookery School, where he teaches the foundations of French cuisine with a focus on technique, seasonality, and confidence in the kitchen.
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.