You’ve eaten at their restaurants and cooked from their books – now you can join top chefs somewhere altogether more relaxed. A new kind of culinary retreat is on the rise, with fewer rigid schedules and more shared meals, hands-on sessions and time to unwind
Near Spain’s southernmost tip, Iris Zahara is the Andalusian retreat of celebrated chef José Pizarro and his partner Peter Meades. With sweeping sea views and direct access to Playa de los Alemanes, it’s an ideal base from which to explore the region’s coastline, cuisine and culture. The food – curated by José himself – is at the heart of every stay. Expect breakfast spreads of jamón Ibérico, pan con tomate and tortilla de patatas, with the option to book a private chef for long, leisurely alfresco lunches or bespoke dinners. On select dates, José himself hosts, giving guests a rare chance to cook, eat and unwind with the Spanish restaurateur. Designed by architect Alfonso Alzugaray, the five-bedroom villa blends crisp Bauhaus lines with sun-soaked terraces, an infinity pool and a glass-fronted salon that frames the Atlantic. Stays range from individual room bookings to full villa rentals, with optional add-ons – from vineyard tours to sunset barbecues and cookery classes – available.
Rooms from £215 per night (room only); full villa from £5,100. josepizarro.com
Perched between Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea is Rocca delle Tre Contrade – a dusky pink 19th-century villa that has quietly become a notable culinary hub, drawing world-renowned guest chefs such as Claire Ptak, Skye Gyngell and Merlin Labron-Johnson. While each one of them brings their own unique perspective, one constant is Dora Maugeri, the villa’s beloved in-house cook – a soulful nonna whose generosity, passion and Sicilian flair underpin each stay. Her daily feasts – featuring the likes of crisp arancini and delicate cannoli – lend the retreat a sense of enduring authenticity, and her relentless enthusiasm means that a few of her own classes often creep into the course schedule. Aside from the time participants spend in the impeccably (and enviably) appointed villa kitchen, days often include outings such as vineyard tastings, foraging walks through Rocca delle Tre Contrade’s beautiful surrounds or Catania street-food tours. But the itinerary is far from rigid: there’s always time for a game on the clay tennis court, or an aperitivo on the terrace to toast a day well spent.
From £3,500 for 7 nights, including transfers, food and drink, plus culinary workshops. thethinkingtraveller.com
Sourdough expert Dr Vanessa Kimbell is taking her renowned Sourdough School on the road – swapping her Dr Vanessa Kimbell’s classes nurture slow craft on Monte Amiata’s ancient slopes Victorian home in Northamptonshire for the sun-warmed courtyards of Castello di Potentino, a remote and magical estate set among vineyards and olive groves in southern Tuscany. Rooted in the principles of the Mediterranean diet and its connection to longevity, the week is part hands-on baking, part food philosophy. Guests will create sourdough starters from local grapes, bake focaccia made with the castle’s own olive oil, and shape boules made with stoneground flour milled just down the road. There will also be daily bread-making sessions, plus classes in pasta- and cheesemaking, as well as wine tastings and talks from an in-house GP on gut health and nutrition. This is a focused, hands-on week designed to equip guests with practical baking skills and a deeper appreciation for the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet.
From £,1499 course only; rooms from £130 per night. thesourdoughschool.com
Led by plant-based chef Bettina Campolucci Bordi, this restorative week on Bali’s wild west coast is rooted in nourishment – for body, mind and soul. Set above the sacred Balian River (long believed to have cleansing powers), the retreat offers barefoot luxury in a serene, little developed pocket of the island. Days begin with sunrise yoga and black rice coconut bowls topped with caramelised banana and fresh coconut cream. From there, the pace remains gentle – guests rotate through various workshops in fermenting, foraging and ceramics, balanced with poolside lounging and one-on-one healing sessions with Bettina and her trusted local team of experts. Accommodation spans ten open-plan rooms set among tropical gardens, each with a daybed and open-air shower. Guests have access to a private stretch of river and are a two-minute stroll from the beach’s black volcanic sands.
Courses from £2,250, including accommodation, food and drink and workshops. bettinaskitchen.com
Secluded Andros guesthouse Mèlisses offers a modern take on Med living: seasonal, slow and interpreted through the impeccable gaze of Allegra Pomilio. The Italian-born creative director has spent decades immersed in Hellenic culture and tradition, and the result is exquisite: morning dips in the Aegean, followed by breakfasts at linen-draped tables laden with fresh fruit and oven-warm pastries. Set on a headland in the island’s west (the northernmost part of the Greek Cyclades), the house’s soft lines almost disappear into the hillside. Every room opens on to sea views, with fiery sunsets over Ghiaros island from the infinity pool. Workshops are led by Allegra and a handpicked cast of chefs, stylists and storytellers. Her courses are released with little fanfare and sell out fast. Little surprise, when each retreat offers a new lens on the island, bestowing guests with a shared passion and culminating in golden-hour feasts that stretch long into the night.
From £2,100 (4-day course; option to extend from £210 per night). melissesandros.com
Cast away to Eilean Shona: a car-free island off Scotland’s stunning west coast – all mossy woods, white sand beaches and rolling, heather-clad hills. This is a true Neverland – the wild setting that inspired JM Barrie’s Peter Pan. Long known for stirring the imaginations of artists and dreamers, the island now hosts a different kind of magic: fire-cooked feasts, foraging adventures and long-table dinners led by some of the UK’s top chefs. From 8–12 October 2026, seafood maestro Nathan Outlaw joins host Valentine Warner and bartender James Randall for a four-night culinary escape. Expect sea fishing, guided hikes, fermentation workshops and beach picnics, followed by suppers of just-landed langoustine. Guests stay in one of eight boutique cottages, styled with the blend of designer flourishes and barefoot comfort you’d expect from current owner Vanessa Branson. Set across more than 500 hectares of pristine moorland, the island is reached by boat and offers total disconnection – bar the odd red squirrel or sea eagle.
From £4,750, including all transfers, meals, drinks pairings and expert-led workshops. kitcheninthewild.org
More creative house party than formal workshop, weeks spent at Villa Pia are a celebration of slow living, artistic energy and good company. Guests are encouraged to treat the house as their own, with cappuccinos and Aperol on tap and housekeeping staff to make your bed made for you each day. What’s not to love?
Your home-from-home is a blue shuttered, 15th-century country manor perched in the hilltop village of Lippiano, where Umbria meets Tuscany. Once the summer residence of a Florentine family, it’s been converted into a welcoming guesthouse with 17 bedrooms spread across the main house, stables and barn – all set within terraced gardens, with Apennine views beyond.
Founded by photographer Charlotte Bland and designer Ros Badger, the retreats are rooted in the pair’s long-standing friendship and shared creative spirit. Courses are varied, but the Food Writing Retreat (11–18 October) with tutors Felicity Cloake, Mark Diacono and Molly Wizenberg, is a great example of the kind of names this retreat attracts. Despite the calibre of the tutors, no prior experience is needed – just bring curiosity, a good appetite and a desire to slow down and reconnect.
Courses from £2,195, including all food and drink except lunch and dinner on the excursion day. blandbadger.com
Run by east London bakery e5 Bakehouse – which has gained a cult following since its 2010 launch – this relaxed foodie getaway takes place in a remote mountain outpost in the Alpujarras. It promises to be a week of slow fermenting and even slower living, where guests – in groups made up of no more than ten – follow the rhythm of the dough rather than the demands of the clock.
Baking sessions are led by e5’s expert tutors, covering everything from rye and ciabatta-style buns to pastries made using heritage grains and local almonds. Lessons are broken up with sun-soaked walks, coffee breaks and communal meals – served in the retreat’s tiny, yet hugely accomplished, in-house restaurant. Nine characterful rooms are spread throughout a cluster of converted village houses, with sweeping views across the wildlife-rich hills to the distant sea. This is bread making as it should be: seasonal, slow and full of Spanish soul.
From £1,350, including accommodation, all meals and tuition. laschimeneas.com
Fresh from their restaurant winning a Michelin star in its first year – a first for a British vegan venue – brother-and sister duo Kirk and Keeley Haworth have opened the doors to their Plates Farm & Retreat in France.
It’s been a landmark 18 months for the Blackburn-born Kirk: his rippled berry sponge and wild pine oil won him the title of Great British Menu’s Champion of Champions (2024), and his deft touch with non-dairy laminated pastry, coconut charcoal and yeasted béchamel saw his first bricks-and-mortar restaurant, Plates London, open to critical acclaim.
Now those enchanted by his artistry with lion’s mane mushroom, mugwort and mallow can experience the chef’s craft at source. The setting – a working farm in the Gers Valley, between Bordeaux and Toulouse – is where Kirk’s plant-based philosophy (honed after a Lyme disease diagnosis in 2016) comes to life. The converted barn kitchen forms the heart of proceedings, where guests can cook alongside the team following foraging expeditions and market trips to Lectoure. For those inclined to take on more of an appreciative role than a participatory one, there’s a pool, a reading terrace – and local wines – close at hand. From £2,000 (4-day retreat), including b&b accommodation, plus 2 evening meals. plates-london.com
Join Lerato Umah-Shaylor – leading voice in contemporary African cooking, author of Africana, and The Kitchen Cabinet podcast regular – for a vibrant journey through East Africa. Her varied itineraries guide small groups (no more than ten guests) along routes designed to help her share her deep love for the African continent and its rich, diverse cuisines. This autumn sees two departures for a retreat that involves travelling from the markets of Zanzibar to Kenya’s vibrant capital. The group will learn about the fragrant dishes of the Spice Islands, before moving on to the cardamom-scented chai and hand-rolled chapatis that shape Nairobi’s cuisine. The itinerary includes market visits, lessons in home kitchens and a day at a working tea farm. Keep an eye out for upcoming trips taking in Senegal and South Africa. From £3,990 for a 7-night African cuisine itinerary. leratofoods.com
