Cookery Holidays

We continue to offer our one-week cookery holidays abroad to the Dordogne in June 2007 or to Sicily in September 2007.

For a printable version of the cookery holidays that we offer please click here.

Dordogne Cookery Holiday - June 2007

Introduction

We stay in a charming, recently refurbished country house near the small town of Riberac.

Accommodation is half-board with en-suite rooms.

We usually cook in the mornings, leaving time in the afternoon to relax by the pool, or visit any of the fascinating villages and towns nearby.

Sicily Cookery Holiday - September 2007

Introduction

The Sicily holiday provides an ideal way to learn the skills of Italian and Sicilian cookery at 'Azienda Mose' (as seen in the image at the top of the page). Azienda Mose is a beautiful Sicilian country house beside the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento.

For centuries the country home of the Agnello family, now run as an accredited 100 acre organic farm by Chiara Agnello and her mother Elena, Azienda Mose provides us with superb facilities including the use of its produce to form many of the ingredients for the course. These include olives (the oil is sold exclusively to Fortnum & Mason), almonds, pistachios, aubergines, peppers, onions, tomatoes, oranges, and pears to name but a few!

Accommodation

Half board accommodation is provided in recently converted apartments with twin rooms. Each has its own bathroom facilities in the main house, or you may share one of the newly converted apartments in the courtyard.

The evening meal is prepared and served by the 'students', and may be enjoyed either in the period dining room or on the terrace, under the trees, with plenty of local wine.

Sicily Itself

Sicily must be one the most underestimated and unsung treasures of Europe, to many little more that the football on the toe of Italy, home of the Mafia and Mount Etna. Yet as soon as one begins to study this, the largest of the Mediterranean islands, one soon recognises its richness of history and culture; forged from colonisation by most of the great empires of Europe and Africa, who have at some time claimed it as their own.

The Greeks, Romans, Normans, Spanish and French all laid claim leaving behind a legacy of magnificent antiquities for the modern tourist and furthermore enriching Sicilian Cuisine with influences not always associated with that of mainland Italy.

Course Outline

Our 7-day fly-drive holiday provides for half a day's cookery every day. Usually we cook in the morning leaving the afternoon to free to visit places of interest. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience the pleasures of both preparing and savouring local specialities in an authentic setting.

Furthermore, in your free time you could visit the Valley of the Temples, the Archaeological Museum with its superb exhibits (some provided from the Mose estate), Piazza Armerina and its Roman Villa with some of the best mosaics to be seen in Europe, market day at Agrigento, plus of course any (or all) of the many sandy beaches all within easy reach.

All tuition is in English.

Important Information

On receipt of your deposit made out to 'The Murray School of Cookery' we will contact you with details concerning choice of car and payment of the final balance. In view of possible increases in future air fares and/or airport taxes we reserve the right to pass on any such increases.

All prices include half-day tuition fees, ingredients, file of recipes, an apron, and use of cookery equipments, etc.

Holiday/travel insurance: holiday deposits are non-returnable, so you are advised to arrange your own travel insurance.

We operate a non-smoking policy at all of our holiday venues.

We reserve the right to amend prices of holidays. Please check the price with us before completing the booking form. In the event that we have to cancel any holiday we would refund any holiday payments received by us, but no other travel costs incurred by you.