Overview
Do you fancy a fun, friendly, hands-on cooking holiday where you can soak up the French life and learn to cook the way you've always dreamed?

Well, if you'd love to cook and present dishes like the professionals, enhance your general cooking technique and have a great time, come and join Dordogne Breaks for a wonderful cooking holiday in the Dordogne, France.

You see, according to our English chef Jim Fisher (see below), it's all about building confidence by bringing out what's already within you, so skills you never knew you had will suddenly spring to life!

Dordogne Breaks cooking holidays caters for all skill levels....
The great value cooking courses (see pricing) are designed to cater for all skill levels, from keen amateur to budding professional, so you'll never feel out of place.

When you email, or phone (contact details at the bottom of this page), you can have a chat with the chef about what you want to cook. Then, the course will be tailored to suit you and the other guests by gathering together like-minded foodies on the same course. Simple!

Set in a magnificent converted barn in the Dordogne - the gastronomic heart of France - you'll be cooking some great dishes on your cooking holiday, from France and around the world.

Did you know we also offer art holidays and photography holidays in France?

Pricing
Five day/six night residential cooking holiday (per person, based on two people sharing a room):	£745 / €1,080
One, Two and Three-day non-residential courses (per person, per day) B & B not included:	£120 / €175
Non-cooking friend or partner (five day/six night):	£445 / €645
B&B accommodation (per room, per night):	£35 / €53
Return airport transfers:	£50 / €75
Single occupancy supplement (an en-suite room to yourself):	£245 / €345

The Course:
The course is designed to cover as many aspects of food and cooking as can be fitted into the day or week, which will also include visits to markets and other food-related venues (depending on which course option you go for). Centred around lunch, and most evening meals, a lot of what you learn during the day will be put to the acid test then.

Don't worry, though - you'll still have time to enjoy the area.

So, after a breakfast of steaming coffee and fresh croissants it's off to the kitchen where some of the techniques you'll be putting into practice throughout the morning will be demonstrated. However, most of the cooking will be done by you - it's the best way to learn (and yes, that includes tidying and washing up as you go - it's good kitchen practice!).

Interspersed with tea and coffee breaks you’ll prepare and cook your own lunch, over which you can chat about what's been learnt so far. Then, it's back to the 'grindstone' for more hands-on cooking, again dotted here and there with the odd break.
At the end of the afternoon you can finally pat yourself on the back and have a well-earned rest (or do a bit of sight-seeing, or have a stroll around the area).

Wednesday evening is your time to do with as you please, meaning: the chef won't be around cracking the whip! - so you can go out to any one of the hundred or so restaurants and auberges in the area, or maybe just cook with the other guests, or for yourself and have an early night.

The cooking takes place in the beautifully renovated barn. The first floor has been converted into a stunning light and airy kitchen, with a split-level floor and exposed oak roof trusses. There are contemporary semi-professional stainless steel gas cookers and hobs, stainless steel sinks and modern units and worktops. The kitchen is spacious with well planned demonstration and hands-on preparation areas.

Accommodation
You’ll stay in comfortable centrally heated accommodation on the ground floor of the barn in a variety of single, twin, double and triple en suite bedrooms.

The barn is set well back from the lane that passes it, and is surrounded by extensive lawned grounds.

There is a superb vaulted lounge with unparalleled views of the surrounding countryside. Here, there is a HiFi, wide-screen television and comfortable modern furniture. There is also a private and secluded pool for all to use.

Tutor
Jim Fisher, the chef, has appeared on the BBC’s Masterchef and Food and Drink programmes, and has worked in busy restaurant kitchens with some of the best chefs in the UK including Rick Stein, Alastair Little and Tony Tobin.

Before moving permanently to France with his wife and daughter Jim ran his own catering company, Wine&Dine, specialising in cooking dinner parties for people in the comfort of their own home.

He has a wealth of experience and knowledge of both food and cooking, and is an experienced cookery tutor. His approach is patient, inspirational and very hands-on, and he believes that cooking should be a fun experience for all to share.

Location
Dordogne Breaks is situated in the Dordogne region of south west France near the pretty market village of St Genies. It is 200km east of Bordeaux, 50km west of Brive le Gaillarde, 15km north of beautiful medieval Sarlat and 10km south of Montignac (where you can visit the famous Lascaux cave paintings).

Within a 4km (5min) drive is St Geniès. Every Sunday morning there is a thriving market where you can buy anything from a pair of knickers to a box of Turkish delight, freshly made doughnuts to goose neck stuffed with foie gras.

Here there is a bar, restaurant, shop, butcher, baker, hairdresser, beauty salon, garage and petrol station.

How to Get to Us
Because of the abundance of cheap flights and ferry prices your photography holiday in France represents great value for money.

Although travel to Limoges (our nearest airport), or the train stations at Brive and Souillac is not included in the price, we'll happily pick you up and drop you off at either of these destinations (contact us for details).

If you wish to fly, or take the train, and hire your own transportation, Hertz and Avis car rental outlets are available at both destinations