Vegan Cooking Retreat, South West France

Medieval Village & Vegan Cooking Retreat–Taste, Confidence & Creative Vegan Cuisine

Join our immersive vegan cooking retreat in the heart of South West France and transform the way you cook, eat and experience plant-based food. Blending hands-on vegan cooking workshops with an authentic French cultural experience, you’ll learn to create nutritious and flavourful dishes from scratch—without the need for processed ingredients or complicated recipes.

Through guided cooking demonstrations, tasting sessions and relaxed discussions, you’ll gain confidence to veganise your favourite meals and explore new culinary possibilities. From crafting creamy vegan cheeses and sauces to mastering chocolate desserts and seitan, every session inspires creativity and connection.

Beyond the kitchen, enjoy a truffle hunting excursion and vibrant French market visits in spectacular medieval villages, and evenings full of laughter, conversation and shared meals surrounded by stunning Occitanie countryside charm.

Perfect for beginners and food lovers alike, this small-group retreat combines delicious cooking with relaxation, community and an authentic taste of French rural life. Sophie and Lee, your English-speaking, vegan hosts, ensure a welcoming, expertly organised experience in the heart of Occitanie.



Who is this Retreat for?
Designed for curious cooks, creative food lovers and anyone eager to explore a plant-based way of eating, this retreat welcomes both complete beginners and confident home chefs. It’s ideal for those who want to expand their culinary repertoire, cook for vegan friends or family, or reconnect with food in a joyful, hands-on way.

Blending culture, connection and creativity, the retreat invites you to experiment fearlessly, learn practical vegan techniques and rediscover how simple ingredients can become extraordinary meals. Perfect for travellers seeking inspiration, relaxation and community in a warm, English-speaking environment nestled in rural France.

Welcoming all levels and backgrounds, this small-group experience ensures supportive guidance, personalised attention and plenty of fun in a relaxed, non-judgmental setting.



Daily Vegan Cooking Retreat Schedule Overview

Your days at our vegan cooking retreat in South West France balance hands-on culinary creativity with relaxation, connection and exploration—helping you build lasting kitchen confidence while enjoying authentic French culture.

Mornings: Begin the day with a delicious vegan breakfast before joining interactive cooking sessions, demonstrations or talks focused on flavour mastery and plant-based creativity—or head out for a local market visit or truffle-themed excursion.

Midday: Share a leisurely vegan lunch with the group, either as an outdoor picnic during excursions or a sit-down meal at your peaceful home-from-home retreat.

Afternoons: Return from lunch or excursions for food tasting sessions and cooking challenges designed to expand your confidence, skill and imagination with ingredients and new techniques. Take time to unwind in tranquil surroundings or enjoy the pool and gardens.

Evenings: Enjoy apéros, vibrant group dinners and relaxed conversation, paired with light discussions exploring vegan living, flavour and food culture. As the sky darkens, night owls can indulge in stargazing under the spectacular Occitanie night sky.

With small group sizes and supportive guidance, this retreat combines culinary education with creativity, community and cultural immersion—an inspiring experience for every vegan food lover.



Expand Your Culinary Confidence with Creative Vegan Workshops

This vegan cooking and gastronomy retreat goes beyond recipes to transform how you think about food, flavour and everyday meals. Carefully curated workshops, tastings and market excursions in South West France help you swap processed foods for vibrant whole ingredients, explore plant-based protein sources and gain confidence veganising dishes you already love.

Designed for beginners, curious food lovers and those cooking for vegan friends or family, this intimate retreat blends hands-on cooking challenges with relaxed discussions and sensory tasting games. You will experiment with sauces, cheeses, yoghurts, seitan and chocolate desserts, while truffle hunting and village market visits connect your kitchen creativity with an authentic French cultural experience. Along the way, expect plenty of laughter, discovery and joyful moments that make this retreat both educational and delightfully fun.

Our meals focus on simple, wholesome preparations—designed to help you quickly create healthy, delicious dishes without the extra time or complexity often associated with whole food or plant-based cooking. We share the shortcuts we discovered through our own journey from processed to plant-based eating.

Whether you are new to plant-based cooking or already comfortable in the kitchen, you will discover practical, science-informed techniques to build satisfying, colourful meals at home—without relying on ultra-processed products. All workshops and activities are included in your retreat package, with recipes, ideas and notes to take away.

With a small group (maximum 15 participants), you can expect individual guidance in our well-equipped kitchens and cosy indoor spaces, with selected tastings and discussions held outdoors in the gardens or on village days for an authentic South West France experience.



Vegan Cooking Retreat Workshop Schedule at a Glance

• Hands-On Cooking Challenges: Burgers, kebabs, seitan, instant pickles (small groups, all levels welcome)

• Flavour Mastery Sessions: Herbs/spices, vegan cheeses & sauces, chocolate desserts

• Sensory Tasting Games: Deconstruct yogurts, desserts, sauces to build palate and cooking confidence

• Daily Nutrition Circles: Protein sources, antioxidants, ethics discussions

• Cooking Demonstrations: quick and healthy variations on dips, desserts and cheeses

• Excursions: French cultural immersion with village market visits and truffle hunting

All vegan cooking workshops, recipes and tastings included in your retreat package.



Daytime Talks and Light Evening Discussions at your Vegan Cooking Retreat

Whole Food Ethos: Plant-Based Cooking Foundations
In this talk, the hosts share their whole food ethos, with cooking secrets that go beyond just veganising dishes. At our vegan cooking retreat in South West France, you’ll learn to transform dishes with small tweaks that optimise health, nutrition and flavour. Swap processed foods for nutrient-packed whole ingredients. Learn about healthy salt and sugar substitutions, and powerful health boosting ingredients for flavourful, balanced vegan meals. Simple everyday changes that are transformational for health and wellness.

Herbs & Spices: Vegan Flavour & Wellness Secrets
Our plant-based cooking workshops, set in the heart of Occitanie, engage participants with research-led nutritional information put simply, with take-home tips that work with everyday meals. In this talk, you’ll learn the secrets of spices for health and taste–antioxidant rich with anti-inflammatory benefits, master creative seasoning with botanical superfoods that elevate every vegan recipe.

Vegan Journey Sharing Circle
Connect with fellow participants during the opening evening of your vegan cooking holiday in France. Here, we get to know each other, share vegan journeys and motivations, building community and inspiration in a relaxed discussion setting.

Plant Protein Mastery
In this light evening discussion, discover abundant vegan protein sources and easy meal integration—perfect for our hands-on vegan cooking retreat beginners and family cooks.

Rainbow Foods: Antioxidants & Phytonutrients
Discover and celebrate the benefits of colourful fruits and vegetables–packed with protective phytonutrients and antioxidants.

Smart Carbs for Vegan Energy
In this light evening discussion, learn about carbs, what’s good, what’s not, how they can alter your physical and mental state. We reframe whole grains, legumes and roots and vegetables as vegan diet essentials, with evidence-based information.

Vegan Ethics & Environment
A motivator for many people moving towards veganism or a vegan diet is ethics and the environmental impact of food. Explore the planetary impact of plant-based choices through thoughtful light discussions at our Occitanie vegan retreat.




Hands-On Vegan Cooking Demonstrations and Challenges

Build kitchen confidence, vegan cooking know-how and inspiration as you experiment with vegan recipe challenges at our retreat in South West France. Demonstrations with accompanying small-scale challenges include:

• Vegan Burgers & Kebabs: Craft juicy, healthy plant-based favourites.

• Instant Pickles: Quick tangy, non-processed additions for any meal.

• Vegan Yogurt Making: Savoury and sweet homemade varieties.

• Vegan Cheese & Sauces: Creamy staples without dairy.

• Plant-Based Chocolate Desserts: Decadent guilt-free treats.

• Seitan Mastery: Versatile vegan meat alternative packed with protein.

Our key aim is to grow your confidence, knowledge and cooking creativity during the week, in preparation for an end-of-week cooking challenge and life beyond the retreat. You’ll be fully supported in creating a meal of your choice, alongside other participants in a non-threatening, safe environment.


Sensory Tasting & Deconstruction Games
Sharpen your palate with competitive spoon tastings of homemade yogurts, desserts and sauces. Practise decoding ingredients to hone your skills and recreate healthy meals. This is key to our vegan cooking workshops in France, but helpful beyond the retreat to confidently veganise meals and reconstruct healthier versions of your favourite dishes.

Group Sauce Creation Project
Collaborate on creating custom vegan sauces. Perfect real-world practice from our plant-based cooking retreat in Occitanie.

Cheese and Wine Tasting
Enjoy a selection of vegan cheeses and wines that are perfectly paired.



Vegan Cooking Retreat Excursions

Local Truffle Hunting Talk
Visit Marie and Nouchka, her companion and truffle hunting canine, to immerse yourself in the world of truffle cultivation. Led by truffle research findings, generational family experience and decades of her own discovery, Marie shares explanations and demonstration surrounding cultivating and discovering truffle treasure! Later in the day, you’ll get to sample the distinct truffle taste in components of our evening meal.

Village Market Excursions
Towards the end of the week, to source fresh ingredients for your vegan cooking challenge, we’ll take time out to visit three authentically French village markets. We’ll visit three beautiful medieval Occitanie villages across two days, where you’ll have time to shop, explore and absorb quintessential French culture. Fuel your vegan cooking challenges in France with authentic local ingredients.

Vegan Sandwich Fillings for Excursion Packed Lunches
Our vegan retreat in South West France, solves the vegan lunch dilemma with our simple take-home recipes. Packed-lunches for vegan retreat excursions include creative sandwich fillings, packed with taste and nutrition.



Additional Vegan Cooking Retreat Activities

Beyond our structured workshops, your retreat includes opportunities to relax, explore and recharge:

🏊 Pool Access for Relaxation (Weather Permitting)
Take a refreshing swim in our outdoor pool. The perfect way to relax while enjoying the peaceful French countryside. Pool towels provided.

✨ Nighttime Star Gazing (Weather Permitting)
End your evenings under the vast Occitanie sky. Far from city lights, Belvèze offers spectacular views of the Milky Way and constellations—simply lie back and soak in the wonder.

🌿 Free Time Exploration
Each day includes unstructured time to explore the property and surrounds, connect with fellow guests over food and drink, or simply rest and reflect.

Excursion days also include unstructured time to explore historical villages, visiting markets, cafes, boutiques, brocantes and scenic viewpoints.

Optional Add-On (Arranged in Advance):

Potential extended stay before or after the retreat for independent exploration (subject to existing bookings)
All activities are entirely optional—you're free to participate as much or as little as you like. This is your retreat to design according to your needs.