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from £1980 pp
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Cooking Holiday in a Castle in Italy

Highlights

  • Stay in a castle in the heart of the Dolomite Mountains
  • Learn new skills, techniques and recipes from an expert chef
  • Enjoy foraging, visit and organic honey farm and scenic mountain drives
from £1980 pp
  1. Select the date on the calendar (11 September)
  2. Choose the number of people
  3. Check availability
  4. Last few spaces £300 off - use code ''sept300c''
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What you'll do

Overview

£300 OFF LAST REMAINING SPACES ON 11 SEPTEMBER! Immerse yourself in Italian cooking and wine in the glorious surroundings of a castle in the Dolomite mountains. Discover new flavours, recipes and techniques in a relaxed and fun atmosphere with expert chef Henry.

You will enjoy 5 days of cooking with your hosts Henry and Laura, Henry has worked as head chef in top London restaurants including Moro and runs a private catering company. He is passionate about creating amazing flavours and will inspire you to extend your palate and your cooking repertoire. Based in a picturesque ancient castle in the Dolomite mountains where the views are breathtaking, you will enjoy hands on cooking classes and demonstrations using delicious seasonal local produce. There will be time for foraging led by a local expert,  you will head off into the mountains to take in the views by jeep, visit a local honey farm and take optional guided walks or enjoy swimming in a nearby lake temperature permitting! In the evenings after a delicious meal prepared by the castle staff in the courtyard, you will retire to the garden to sit around the fire and discuss your day.

Dates in 2024

23  – 28 May Sold Out

11 – 16 September

Arrival Day

You will arrive into Verona and meet your group for the arranged transfer. You’ll drive into the Dolomite mountains and arrive at the fairy-tale like castle which will be your base for the next five nights.

You will have time to settle into your accommodation before a welcome aperitivo and delicious welcome dinner. Get to know your group and discuss the programme for the week ahead.

 

First Cookery Class and Edible Plant Walk

Today after a delicious breakfast you will have embark on a guided tour of the castle and gardens before your first cooking class where you will discover delicious local seasonal produce and create one of Henry’s delicious recipes including hands on participation.

Lunch will be served at the castle and in the afternoon you will be led by a local expert to discover edible plants and flowers which grow wild in the gardens and beyond.

Your dinner, prepared by the castle staff including local produce and traditional Italian recipes, will be served at the castle and followed by relaxing in the courtyard or by the fire.

 

Meals: Breakfast Lunch and Dinner

Bee keeping farm, wine tasting and cookery

In the morning you’ll take part in a cookery class with Henry learning about different flavour combinations and cooking techniques to enhance your skills, followed by lunch.

In the afternoon you will have the to take a guided  hike and/or embark on a journey to visit an organic bee-keeping farm, Ca’ de Mel, where delicious local honey is produced.

In the late afternoon, Neri, a member of the Castel Campo family and sommelier, will be conducting a wine tasting which will include wine from the Trentino region as well as other parts of Italy.

Dinner will be served in the castle garden, weather permitting.

 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Scenic drive, local charcuterie and cooking

Today, after breakfast you will enjoy a scenic excursion to Val d’Algone and  stop for lunch at the Malga Nambi- a family run alpine pasture lodge where you will taste the traditional charcuterie, polenta and cheese of the area.

In the afternoon you will return to the castle for a cookery class at the farmhouse.

Relax in the gardens or courtyard after your full day of wonderful experiences and enjoy another delicious dinner.

 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lake swimming and Cooking

In the morning  you will embark on your final cooking class with Henry and in the afternoon you will have the opportunity to visit the nearby Tenno lake, nicknamed the Azzure Lake due to its bright turquoise waters. It is a tranquil haven surrounded by dense forest and the perfect place for relaxing amidst the mountain scenery. You can take a dip if you are up for it ( temperature permitting) or enjoy the lovely scenery as you relax on the lake side.

In the evening you will celebrate your final evening with a BBQ dinner in the castle garden. Relax by the fire and discuss the amazing memories you have made during this wonderful week with Henry, Laura and your fellow participants.

 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Departure Day

Today you will have your final breakfast at the castle and say your farewells before your transfer back to Verona airport for your flight, taking with you wonderful new skills, techniques, recipes and inspiration to elevate your cooking when you return home.

 

 

 

Meals: Breakfast

What's included

Included

  • 4 cookery lessons of 2 hours each
  • Transfers from and to Verona airport
  • Accommodation with shared bathroom in Castel Campo
  • 5 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches and 5 dinners
  • Guided edible plant walk
  • Scenic mountain drive
  • Foraging with a local expert
  • Guided visit to an organic honey farm
  • Wine tasting wth a local sommelier
  • Accompanied lake swimming excursion with transport

Accommodation

Accommodation

You will be accommodated in one of the guest rooms of the castle. These are all single occupancy, unless you are travelling as a couple and wish to share a room, and have a shared bathroom.

Breakfast each morning will consist of a combination of savoury and sweet selections: local yogurt with honey and granola, our farm eggs, vegetable tarts, and local cheese. Fresh fruit is always available, as are a daily homemade cake, homemade herbal tea, fruit smoothies.

Your local host

Laura and Henry

Henry and Laura are an accomplished chef and event producer, they have many years of hospitality experience, Henry has worked as head chef in prominent London restaurants and they now run their own event catering and private dining business.

Henry and Laura are an accomplished chef and event producer, they have many years of hospitality experience, Henry has worked as head chef in prominent London restaurants and they now run their own event catering and private dining business.

Laura and Henry image

Location

You will fly into Verona and will be collected for your transfer to the Castle.

You should aim to arrive before 14:00 on your arrival day, and depart after 12:00 on your departure day, to join the complimentary transfer service.

Your holiday base is Castel Campo, situated in the Dolomite mountain,  between the river Duina to the west and the Rio Rezola to the east. The castle is first mentioned in official documents from 1163, along with the name of the Campo family, which inhabited it for more than 300 years. In 1468 the Austrian von Trapp family bought the castle and went on to inhabit it for more than 400 years, enriching it with frescoes and new constructions. In 1891 architectural modifications served to turn the castle from a fortress into a Romantic country retreat.

Today It belongs to the Rasini family, who live there and open it for numerous cultural, agricultural, and charitable events.

Over the last two decades they have been ‘rewilding’ the countryside, which was for years neglected. In an attempt to bring the soil, forrest and fields back to a state of balance, they have chosen to farm organically and look to traditional practices of sustainable farming and living. The farm produces an abundance of fruits and vegetables (apples, potatoes, greens and walnuts primarily) and ancient varieties of grains (mainly Kamut, barley and spelt) which are ground on site and turned into whole wheat flour.

There is a farmhouse in the grounds where some of the cookery classes are held.

 

 

What our travellers are saying...

Henry and Laura had researched (and sourced) local produce to demonstrate regional recipes, alongside teaching hands-on techniques in making pasta, gnocchi and focaccia. The small group of 11 of us enjoyed great camaraderie and joy in such beautiful surroundings. A memory to treasure. Highly commended!”

Michele Barrett

“What a wonderful few days in Castel Campo! It truly was a magical experience staying in the castle and preparing meals outside in front of the farmhouse in such spectacular surroundings - I learnt loads of new recipes and top tips and thoroughly enjoyed the trips out. We were so well looked after- I truly felt I was away for so much longer and would thoroughly recommend this retreat.”

Alison Cloote

FAQs

Where is the nearest town?

The town of Flave is about a 20 minute walk

Are there public areas of the castle which we can use?

Yes there are lounge areas, a games room, a chapel and outdoors there are several terraces for relaxing

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