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The Experience, Day by Day
Day 1 - Arrival in Paris & Transfer to The Walnut Grove
Your journey begins in Paris, where a private chauffeur will meet you for the transfer to Brittany.
You will arrive in the historic town of Vitré in the afternoon and check in to your 4-star hotel, with time to settle in before the evening begins.
Later in the day, we continue to The Walnut Grove, where the week’s cooking experience takes place.
An apéritif is served on arrival, followed by dinner shared at the house — a relaxed first evening with seasonal dishes, good wine, and time to get to know the group.
Chef Eric will introduce the structure of the week and what to expect from the cooking sessions ahead.
13:00 Transfer from Paris by private chauffeur to your luxury boutique hotel in Vitré
18:00 Champagne welcome at the hotel bar. An informal introduction to the week ahead, the structure of the course, and the techniques you will explore together.
19:00 Dinner at a fine restaurant in Vitré with Chef Eric
Day 2 - Cooking & Christmas Lights
Your first full day is spent at The Walnut Grove in the kitchen.
Working together,
Chef Eric will guide you through a selection of festive dishes, focusing on technique, organisation, and how to prepare for a Christmas table. The approach is practical and hands-on, with time to understand both method and structure.
After a break, the afternoon continues in the kitchen, building on the morning’s work and refining the dishes prepared.
In the late afternoon, we head into Laval, where Christmas light installations are set around the château and through the medieval streets.
There is time to walk and explore before returning.
Dinner is shared at The Walnut Grove, based on the day’s preparations.
From 6:30 Breakfast at the hotel
9:00 Departure for Laval. We visit the market to source our ingredients and explore the medieval part of the town.
13:00 Lunch at The Walnut Grove Cookery School
A relaxed lunch using market produce
14:00 Kitchen session (hands-on and demonstration)
Introduction to the kitchen, equipment, and workflow
Knife skills: care, safety, sharpening
17:00 Aperitifs and nibbles
18:00 Dinner
Menu
Seared scallops, champagne sauce
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Mystery sorbet
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Marinated magret of duck served with an orange sauce
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Cheese
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Chocolate soufflé with Calvados (GF)
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Tea and coffee
Day 3 - Christmas Entertaining
The focus of the day is how to organise and prepare a Christmas table.
The morning session continues in the kitchen, with an emphasis on timing, coordination, and bringing multiple elements together without pressure.
The dishes are designed to be prepared and served in a way that works in
a real home setting.
In the afternoon, attention shifts to the structure of a French apéritif.
You will prepare a selection of simple, well-balanced elements, along with a charcuterie and cheese board, discussing how to build variety, presentation, and
flow when hosting.
The session also covers how to plan ahead, manage service, and create a
relaxed atmosphere when entertaining guests.
Dinner is shared at The Walnut Grove.
From 6:30 Breakfast at the hotel
8:30 Transfer to The Walnut Grove Cookery School
9:15 In the kitchen, hands-on cooking class
12:00 Lunch: Poached salmon, homemade mayonnaise, mixed salad, cheese and fresh bread
13:00 In the kitchen, hands-on cooking class
16:00 Departure for Laval to see the Christmas lights and the artisan market
18:00 Back at The Walnut Grove
Apéritif dînatoire: how to organise and prepare when entertaining guests.
Menu
Lobster bisque
Sea bass tartare with mango and passion fruit
Langoustines with lemon mayonnaise
Flambéed seared scallops
Gougères with Comté Mornay
Duck rillettes, toasted brioche, pickles
Boudin blanc with truffle
Quail fillet with port sauce
Roquefort, pear and walnut on endive
Clementine sorbet
Choux with vanilla and tonka bean
Chocolate truffles with Calvados
Day 4
Saint-Malo & Mont-Saint-Michel
We depart for the coast in the morning, arriving in the historic walled town of Saint-Malo.
There is time to wander through the old town within the ramparts, explore its narrow streets, and take in the atmosphere at your own pace before lunch.
In the afternoon, we continue to Mont-Saint-Michel.
You will have time to explore the island, walk through the village, and experience this remarkable site with a guided visit, while still allowing space to move and discover it at your own rhythm.
At the end of the day, we return to The Walnut Grove, where dinner is shared together at the house.
From 6:30 Breakfast at the hotel
9:00 Departure for Saint-Malo and Mont-Saint-Michel
Culinary Heritage & Regional Context
Today we step outside the kitchen to explore how history, landscape and tradition shape French cuisine.
We leave for the coast in the morning, arriving in the historic walled town of Saint-Malo. There is time to wander through the old town within the ramparts, explore its narrow streets, and take in the atmosphere at your own pace before lunch at Le Chateaubriand.
In the afternoon, we continue to Mont-Saint-Michel, where monastic life influenced bread culture, broths and seasonal cooking. A guided visit introduces you to this remarkable site, with time afterwards to walk through the village and discover the island at your own rhythm.
We return in the early evening to The Walnut Grove, where dinner is shared together at the house.
19:00 Dinner
Menu
Œuf cocotte with Brittany smoked trout
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Mystery sorbet
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Bœuf bourguignon with pommes vapeur
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Cheese board
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Crêpes flambées normandes with apple and Calvados,
salted butter caramel sauce
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Tea and coffee
Day 5 - From The Walnut Grove to Paris
The morning is free to enjoy Vitré, often referred to as the “thousand-year town,” known for its well-preserved medieval streets and château.
You may wish to walk through the centre, explore at your own pace, or simply take some time before the next part of the journey.
In the afternoon, we depart for Paris by private chauffeur.
On arrival, you will check in to your 5-star hotel and have time to settle in.
In the evening, we head out together for a walk to the Eiffel Tower, followed by dinner at La Fontaine de Mars.
From 6:30 to 10:00
Breakfast at the hotel
Morning Free to relax and explore Vitré, often called the “thousand-year-old town” and known for its well-preserved medieval streets and château. You may wish to walk through the centre, explore at your own pace, or simply take some time before the next part of the journey.
13:00 Departure for Paris by private chauffeur. On arrival, you will check in to your 5-star hotel and have time to settle in.
Evening We head out together for a walk to the Eiffel Tower, followed by dinner at La Fontaine de Mars.
Day 6 - Paris Gastronomy & Chef’s Addresses
The day begins with a visit to Dehillerin, one of Paris’s most historic kitchenware shops, where professional chefs have been coming for generations.
Chef Eric will guide you through the shop, sharing how to choose equipment and how these tools are used in a working kitchen.
We continue on foot through the area, including Saint-Eustache Church and other specialist suppliers used by professional chefs.
Lunch is at Le Pied de Cochon, a long-standing Paris institution known for its traditional French cuisine.
The afternoon is left free to explore at your own pace.
The evening is free.
Morning The day begins with a visit to E. Dehillerin, one of Paris’s most historic kitchenware shops, where professional chefs have been coming for generations. Chef Eric will guide you through the shop, explaining how to choose equipment and how these tools are used in a working kitchen.
We continue on foot through the neighbourhood, taking in the church of Saint-Eustache and other specialist suppliers used by professional chefs.
Lunch Au Pied de Cochon, a long-standing Paris institution known for its traditional French cuisine.
Afternoon and evening
Free to explore at your own pace.
Optional Apéritif cocktails at Barge 166, the world’s first floating cellar, by Maison Ferrand
Day 7 - Paris, Food & Final Evening
The morning is dedicated to exploring La Grande Épicerie de Paris, a benchmark of French food culture, offering an exceptional range of artisanal produce, cheeses, charcuterie, and fine ingredients.
Lunch is at Les Antiquaires, a lively Paris bistro known for its generous, straightforward cooking and classic atmosphere.
In the afternoon, we meet again for a walk along Avenue Montaigne and the Champs-Élysées, where the Christmas lights bring a refined and festive atmosphere to the city.
Dinner is at Le Grand Véfour, one of Paris’s most historic dining rooms.
This final evening holds personal significance for Chef Eric, connected to his family’s culinary heritage, bringing the experience to a meaningful close.
Morning A visit to La Grande Épicerie de Paris, a benchmark of French food culture, offering an exceptional range of artisanal produce, cheeses, charcuterie and fine ingredients.
12:30 Lunch – Les Antiquaires, a lively Paris bistro known for its generous, straightforward cooking and classic atmosphere.
15:00 Visit to La Galerie Dior, followed by a walk along Avenue Montaigne and the Champs-Élysées, where the Christmas lights bring a refined and festive atmosphere to the city.
Dinner Le Laurent, one of Paris’s most historic dining rooms.
Day 8 - Departure
Breakfast at the hotel.
Check-out and departures.
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.
Booking Information
Price
€11,500
Per person, based on double occupancy
Single Supplement: €1,000
Dates
December 4 – 11, 2026
December 3 - 10, 2027
Availability
Spots are limited, limited to 6 guests
Information & Conditions
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A 30% deposit is required at the time of booking
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The remaining balance is due no later than 60 days prior to the start of the trip
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We reserve the right to introduce changes due to force majeure or unforeseen circumstances, while always aiming to confirm similar properties, vehicles, and experiences
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CFAR (Cancel For Any Reason) travel insurance is highly recommended for all participants