Learn to cook the way you’ve always dreamed! Hands-on in the Dordogne

Under the patient guidance of an experienced chef, cook and present dishes like the professionals, enhance your general cooking technique and have a great time in the Dordogne, France. We build confidence by bringing out what's already within you, so skills you never knew you had will suddenly spring to life! All skill levels catered for from keen amateur to budding professional.

The course is tailored to suit you and the other guests by gathering together like-minded foodies on the same course. Simple! Visits to markets and other food-related venues are included depending on which course option you go for). Each morning, after a breakfast of steaming coffee and fresh croissants, it's off to the kitchen where most of the cooking will be done by you - it's the best way to learn. At the end of the afternoon, 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).

The cooking takes place in the beautifully renovated barn. Here you'll find:

# Contemporary semi-professional stainless steel gas cookers and hobs
# Stainless steel sinks
# Modern units and worktops
# Equipment and ingredients you'll find in your own home
# Spacious kitchen with well planned demonstration and hands-on preparation areas

The chef, Jim Fisher, has appeared on the BBC’s Masterchef and Food and Drink programmes. He's 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.

Courses run from Monday to Saturday and include: # Expert hands-on tuition with British chef # All courses conducted in English # All cooking ingredients, equipment and aprons # A continental breakfast each day # Lunch each day # Dinner(Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday) # Tea, coffee and wine # An evening meal on the day of your arrival # En suite centrally-heated accommodation # Recipe pack containing all the dishes cooked during your stay # Entrance fees to places visited # Private and secluded pool (seasonal) # Internet and Email # Single occupancy supplement (five day/five night - for an en-suite room all to yourself) is an additional 195 euros

You’ll stay on-site in a magnificent converted barn: # 9 single, twin, double and triple en suite bedrooms. # Central heating # Ground floor bedrooms that are cool in summer & warm in winter # Lounge & dining area # Free Internet # Wide screen TV with English language satelite reception # DVD player & extensive DVD collection # HiFi # Comfortable modern furniture # Dining table seats up to 18 # Swimming pool: 10m x 5m x 1.8 m (deep) private and secluded pool

Cookinfrance is situated in the Dordogne region of south west France near the beautiful medieval market town of Sarlat. 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 the market at St Geniès with: # Market # Bar # Restaurant # Shop # Butcher # Baker # Hairdresser # Beauty salon # Garage and petrol station

Return transfers are provided on request. Hertz, Europcar and Avis car rental outlets available at all destinations. Nearest airports are:

# Brive la Gaillarde (30m by car)
# Limoges (1hr 45m by car)
# Bergerac (1hr 45m by car)

The nearest train stations are:
# Brive la Gaillarde (45m by car)
# Souillac (30m by car)
# Sarlat (30m by car)