Cooking in the Cuisine
25 – 30 June 2027
€3,800 per person · nothing to pay at the end
about €760 a night
Book these dates
L’invitation The invitation
French cooking, in the kitchens where it belongs
Five summer days in the kitchens of a château built in 1741. Begin at the market with the chef, choosing what the day requires. Then cook the classics of the French table in the château kitchen, from a fillet of beef to a ballotine of guinea fowl and trout from the farm beside the château, some of them from the house’s own eighteenth-century cookbook. Spend a morning in the pastry kitchen with the pastry chef, and an afternoon making chocolate or with a visiting artisan. Beyond the kitchen are Mirepoix on market day and the brocantes of the valley, lunch in Foix beneath its castle, the great cave at Lombrives, and lunch in Ax-les-Thermes. There is a tasting of French wines beside the cellar, and dinners at two of the valley’s finest tables. In between come the pool, a glass of rosé, the barbecue on the terrace and a film under the stars. On the last night there is a banquet in the Salon de Musique, for which everyone dresses, and then dancing. It is made for the first-time cook and the accomplished one alike.
In Short
Cooking in the Cuisine, at a Glance
- Length
- 5 nights / 6 days
- Price
- €3,800 per person, sharing a room (about €760 a night): every meal and every glass, the classes, the outings, and the journey from Toulouse
- Experience needed
- None. Most people who come have never done it before
- Where you sleep
- In the château itself, with fresh flowers in every room: bedrooms, not a nearby hotel
- Meals
- A traditional French breakfast, luncheon and dinner each day, with desserts, prepared by the château’s chefs
- Drinks
- A private selection of wines, sparkling wines, apéritifs and spirits with every meal, and the château’s own botanical syrups
- Evenings
- L’apéritif, dinner by candlelight, and on the last night a banquet in the Salon de Musique, dressed for the occasion, then dancing
- Laundry
- Laundry and ironing facilities for guests
- Transfers
- From Toulouse on the first day, and back on the last
- To hold a place
- A deposit. The balance is taken closer to the date
- Not included
- Flights, and anything you buy at the brocantes
En images In pictures
Cooking in the Cuisine, in Pictures
The pastry chef 
In the pastry kitchen, with Bruce 
The chef on the terrace steps 
At the table together 
From the garden to the table 
A tomato tart, from above 
Two galettes on the board 
Tomatoes and peaches on blue-and-white china 
Green beans with nasturtiums 
A tart and tomatoes 
Spring vegetables, plated 
The green dresser, vegetables on the table 
On old ironstone platters 
The chef, before dinner 
From the kitchen 
White asparagus on the grill, in the grounds 
A croquembouche in the garden 
Fruit tarts, carried out to the garden 
Tarts lined up on the sideboard 
Crème brûlée 
Strawberries, a tart and edible flowers 
Dessert 
Market produce 
Bread in the morning 
Cheese and salad on the table 
Fish with herbs on a floral plate 
The kitchen garden 
Raspberries, the village and the mountains below
Dates
Choose Your Stay
Le déroulé des journées The shape of the days
Day by Day
Five Nights at Gudanes
Nothing is required of you. Do everything, or nothing at all.
Le matin
Every morning
Bread and croissants from the village boulangerie, and coffee on the terrace.
L’après-midi
The afternoons
Homemade ice cream by the pool, a book from the library, or a quiet corner of your choosing.
L’apéritif
As the light goes
A Kir Royale, a Lillet tonic, or the château’s own botanical syrups.
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Premier jour
Day 1: L’arrivée Arrival
The transfer from Toulouse, a glass of local sparkling wine as you arrive, and luncheon in the garden. Then your room, and a first walk through the château and grounds. L’apéritif on the terrace, then dinner in the Salon de Printemps.
- Après-midi Local sparkling wine, luncheon in the garden, and the grounds
- Soir L’apéritif on the terrace, then dinner in the Salon de Printemps
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Deuxième jour
Day 2: En cuisine The kitchen
Village bread and the crêpe cart on the terrace. To the market with the chef, then the cooking class, sweet and savoury, with some recipes from the château’s eighteenth-century cookbook. In the afternoon, a visiting artisan or the pool. A barbecue on the terrace, then a French film under the stars.
- Matin The crêpe cart, the market with the chef, then the cooking class
- Après-midi A visiting artisan, or the pool
- Soir A barbecue on the terrace, then a film under the stars
-
Troisième jour
Day 3: Foix Foix and its castle
A morning in the pastry kitchen with the pastry chef. Lunch in Foix, and the castle of the Counts. A tasting of French wines in the medieval kitchen beside the cellar. Dinner at La Maison Lacube, in Les Cabannes.
- Matin In the pastry kitchen, with the pastry chef
- Après-midi Lunch in Foix, and the castle of the Counts
- Soir A wine tasting beside the cellar, then dinner at La Maison Lacube
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Quatrième jour
Day 4: Chiner The brocantes
Market day at Mirepoix beneath its medieval arcades, and the brocantes of the valley. Ariège cheeses from the market. Dinner at Maison Beaucoup, in Les Cabannes.
- Matin Market day at Mirepoix
- Après-midi The brocantes, then Ariège cheeses from the market
- Soir Dinner at Maison Beaucoup
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Cinquième jour
Day 5: La vallée The valley, and the last night
The great cave at Lombrives in the morning, then lunch in Ax-les-Thermes. Chocolate-making, or the pool. L’apéritif, then the last-night banquet in the Salon de Musique, dressed for the occasion, and dancing late into the night.
- Matin The great cave at Lombrives
- Après-midi Lunch in Ax-les-Thermes, then chocolate-making or the pool
- Soir The banquet in the Salon de Musique, then dancing
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Sixième jour
Day 6: Le départ Departure
A last breakfast, and the transfer to Toulouse at eleven: to the airport, the station or the centre of the city.
- Matin A last breakfast, and back to Toulouse at eleven
Les divertissements Also on the programme
The Château’s Own Entertainments
All included, and every one of them optional. The classes, tastings and evenings are for retreat guests: they are not part of a nightly stay.
- Le ciné-clubFrench filmsUnder the stars, with popcorn
- Le barbecueA barbecue on the terraceWeather permitting
- La dégustationA wine tastingBeside the cellar
- Les fromagesAriège cheesesFrom the market
- L’apéritifKir Royale and Lillet tonicWith the château’s own botanical syrups
- La pâtisserieIn the pastry kitchenWith the pastry chef
- Le chocolatChocolate-makingWith the château’s chefs
- Les crêpesThe crêpe cartOn the terrace, one morning
- Le tournoiThe table tennis tournamentFor anyone with a competitive streak
- La pétanquePétanque on the lawnThe game of the south of France
- Le tennisTennis and pickleballRacquets provided
- Les jeuxBoard games and cardsIn the lounge, after dinner
A typical shape. The order of the days is set for each retreat and sent to you before you arrive; outdoor plans follow the season and the weather. Itineraries are subject to change.
Pour qui ? Who for?
Who Comes
Is It for You?
If you love old houses, good food and the French way of taking time over things, yes. Nobody needs to know how; the experience is made for curiosity, not expertise.
Couples, friends travelling together and those who come alone are all equally at home. The group is small, the days are unhurried, and no other guests share the château.
Included
What Is Included
One price for all of it: a night's stay is a room and breakfast, a retreat is everything below.
- Every meal, prepared by the château’s chefs: a traditional French breakfast, luncheon, dinner and desserts, from local and seasonal produce
- A private selection of wines, sparkling wines, apéritifs and spirits with every meal, soft drinks, and the château’s own botanical syrups
- Your room in the château, with three bathrooms on the ground floor shared between the group
- The classes and the outings: the kitchen, the brocantes, morning yoga, the river or the mountains, and a barbecue on the terrace, all optional
- Everything on the itinerary, materials included
- On the last night, a banquet in the Salon de Musique, dressed for the occasion, then dancing
- Dinners at Maison Beaucoup and at La Maison Lacube, in Les Cabannes
- A tour of the château and its restoration
- The transfers from central Toulouse, there and back
- Free time with the pool, the tennis court, the gardens, table tennis, the lounge and the terraces
Prices are per person, sharing a room.
Guest Quarters
Les Chambres
The three bathrooms on the ground floor are shared between the retreat's guests; each room has lamps and power points. Prices are per person, sharing a room. Coming alone, you can share a room with another guest travelling solo, or have a room to yourself for €1,900 more; tell us when you register.
Reserving
How It Works
A 10% deposit reserves your place; the balance is due thirty days before the stay, or in full if you are booking within thirty days of it.
Your place is confirmed as you register, and held from that moment. You will receive a reference code and a link to manage your registration and payment.
Hold your place
Your place is confirmed as you register, and held from that moment.
Monument Historique · Classé A Class I Historic Monument, restored under French heritage law since 2013