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October 29 – November 3, 2027
November 5 - November 10, 2027
La Menarderie | Cognac, France
€12,000
Five nights in the French countryside. The flavors of the Charente. The pleasure of gathering around a beautiful table.
An intimate culinary escape where French cooking, regional discoveries and the art of slow living come together in an extraordinary 18th-century home.
"A Place to Slow Down. A Kitchen to Discover."
There is a particular kind of magic that happens when beautiful food, a thoughtfully set table and curious people come together with nowhere else they need to be.
This autumn, Chef Eric Duvin of Walnut Grove Cookery School and Wendy Harrop invite you to La Menarderie, Wendy’s enchanting 18th-century home among the vineyards of Cognac, for five delicious nights devoted to French cuisine, culture and the art of gathering.
Here, mornings begin in a welcoming country kitchen, afternoons unfold through markets and vineyard landscapes, and evenings bring everyone back around a table designed to be savored.
It is an invitation to learn with your hands, discover the flavors of a remarkable region and experience the simple pleasure of living a little more slowly.
A Taste of the Charente
From the land, the river and the vineyards.
Every great culinary experience begins with a sense of place.
Our kitchen will be rooted firmly in the Charente, a region whose ingredients tell the story of its landscape and traditions.
Échiré butter. Charentais goat cheeses. Walnuts. Fish from the Gironde estuary. Seasonal vegetables. Pineau des Charentes.
And Cognac, of course.
Poured into glasses, flambéed in a hot pan, folded into sauces and caramel, soaked into fruit and transformed into a glorious hot soufflé.
Under Chef Eric’s passionate guidance, you will discover how these exceptional ingredients become part of the French culinary tradition, learning not only how to prepare beautiful food, but how to understand and appreciate it.
Your Hands in the Kitchen. French Cooking at Heart.
This is not a demonstration-style cooking holiday where you simply watch a chef prepare beautiful food.
You will be part of the process.
With Chef Eric beside you, you will build your skills from the foundations of French cooking to the techniques that bring a dish to life.
The Foundations
Learn knife skills, bread making and the rhythm of a well-organized French kitchen. Develop an understanding of the fundamentals that make cooking more intuitive, enjoyable and confident.
The Wood-Fired Oven
Light La Menarderie’s wood-fired oven and discover the pleasure of cooking with fire. Bake flatbreads in the flames, shape loaves against hot stone and prepare a slow braise as the heat gradually falls throughout the day.
Classic French Techniques
Explore roasting, braising, poaching and fish cookery. Learn how heat, timing and technique transform ingredients, and discover the principles behind elegant pan sauces and a classic beurre blanc.
Sauces, Flambage & Finishing Touches
Master the foundations of pan sauces, discover the delicate balance of crème anglaise and experience the drama of flambage as Cognac meets a hot pan.
The Grand Finale: A Hot Cognac Soufflé
Delicate, golden and wonderfully theatrical, a soufflé is one of those classic French dishes that feels like a little triumph every time.
With Chef Eric guiding you through the process, you will learn the techniques behind this much-loved dessert and bring your own hot Cognac soufflé to the table.
Beyond the Kitchen
The experience continues beyond the walls of La Menarderie.
Discover this distinctive corner of France through its markets, vineyards and the people who preserve its culinary traditions.
Meet the people, places and traditions of Cognac.
Shop as the French do, selecting what looks best that day and allowing the season to guide your choices.
Choose fresh fish, seasonal vegetables and local cheeses before returning to La Menarderie to turn your discoveries into dinner.
A Morning at the Market
Visit an organic Cognac house during the heart of distillation season and discover the craftsmanship behind this celebrated regional spirit.
Experience a tasting beside the stills, explore the traditions of Cognac production and deepen your appreciation of an ingredient that belongs as naturally in the kitchen as it does in the glass.
These are the moments that bring a region to life: the flavors you discover, the people you meet and the stories that stay with you long after you leave.
Among the Vines and Stills
At La Menarderie, the table has always been about more than what is served upon it.
It is where the day's discoveries become stories, where a meal becomes an occasion and where conversations continue long after the plates have been cleared.
Wendy’s 18th-century home provides the setting for this particular kind of magic.
Expect vintage linens, candlelight, natural elements gathered from the property and tables thoughtfully arranged to make you pause before you even take your seat.
Menus are worth lingering over. Bottles are opened. Stories are exchanged. And every evening offers another opportunity to gather, connect and enjoy the pleasures of French country living.
There will be time to learn and time to wander. Time for discovery and time for stillness. Attention will be paid to the smallest details, while the days themselves will have room to breathe.
This is French country living as Wendy loves it most: intentional, beautiful, generous and delicious.
Arrival — Welcome to La Menarderie
Begin your stay by settling into your French country surroundings.
As evening falls, gather for Champagne at La Menarderie, followed by a welcome dinner prepared by Chef Eric. Meet your fellow guests, enjoy your first taste of the region and ease into the rhythm of the days ahead.
Tonight, there is nothing for you to do but arrive, settle in and enjoy.
The Wood-Fired Oven
Spend the day exploring the art of cooking with fire.
Make bread from scratch, bake flatbreads and loaves, and discover roasting and slow braising as the oven’s heat gradually changes. Under Chef Eric’s guidance, learn to work with the oven and appreciate the time and care that traditional cooking demands.
Cognac & Classic French Technique
Venture among the vines and stills for a visit and tasting at an organic Cognac house during distillation season.
Back at La Menarderie, return to the kitchen for an afternoon of poaching, pan sauces, flambage and crème anglaise. Discover how classic techniques bring balance, refinement and character to French dishes.
The Market & The Art of Fish Cookery
Begin the morning at a local market, selecting seasonal fish, vegetables and cheeses.
Back home, devote the afternoon to fish cookery and the elegance of a classic beurre blanc. Learn to work with fresh ingredients and understand how technique can allow their natural qualities to shine.
Your French Farewell Dinner
Bring the week's discoveries together for one final culinary celebration.
Prepare the farewell dinner with Chef Eric, from seared scallops with Pineau butter to duck magret with Cognac and green peppercorn sauce.
Then comes the grand finale: a hot Cognac soufflé.
Gather around the table for your final dinner at La Menarderie, followed by coffee, Cognac truffles and a tasting of VS, VSOP and XO.
A wonderful opportunity to celebrate everything you have learned, the people you have met and the confidence you have gained in the kitchen.
Departure — Au Revoir, Cognac
Leave La Menarderie with new skills, treasured memories and inspiration to bring into your own kitchen.
Take home the flavors of the Charente, the pleasure of meals shared and the satisfaction of knowing that French cooking has become a little more familiar.
OCTOBER 29 – NOVEMBER 3, 2027
NOVEMBER 5 - NOVEMBER 10, 2027
€12,000
A Little More France in Your Life
Five nights. A small gathering. One very special corner of France.
Join Wendy Harrop and Chef Eric Duvin at La Menarderie for an intimate culinary adventure shaped by exceptional food, regional discoveries and the pleasure of gathering.
LA MENARDERIE · COGNAC, FRANCE
Come for the cooking. Stay for the discoveries.