Le
Calabash ‘Petit Conservatoire de la Cuisine’ is
located on the river Creuse in the heart of The Indre de
Loire region, set in a small French hamlet on the edge of
the local forest. The region is home to the finest
goat’s cheese producers and winemaking has been
deeply rooted here for centuries. This area is simply known
as France’s ‘Bread Basket’
At le Calabash you will embark on a culinary adventure that
will open new doors to flavours, techniques and skills that
will enable you to follow your own flair and imagination.
Initial concerns about the level of cooking skills required
are immediately dispelled by the informality of the
environment, and the realisation that the only
qualifications needed are a love for food and the desire to
learn about cooking. The kitchen is a traditional French
farmhouse kitchen that is fitted to allow you to feel at
home and you will work with equipment that is normally used
in the home kitchen.
The cookery courses provide hands on opportunity to develop
your culinary skills in a practical and supportive learning
environment, as well as being on holiday in the most
beautiful surroundings and the chance to make new friends.
The classes are limited to 5 which allow Alison and Sidney
to give personal attention to all guests. Alison and Sidney
are award winning chefs with many years of international
experience. After meeting at The Royal Swazi Sun Resort and
Spa in Swaziland, they married and have enjoyed a colourful
culinary career. They have cooked for several heads of stat
which have included Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and The
Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William, Richard Attenbourgh,
Mick Jager, Madona, Cher, Sylvester Stallone, U2, Elizabeth
Taylor and Richard Burton. Alison and Sidney have won
recognition by major food guides and have won medals at
international level. Sidney was Captain of The British
Craft Guild Team for 2000/2001 when they achieved a record
medal total. The philosophy of this husband and wife team
is ‘Balade Gormande sans Frontière’, Cooking
without boundaries, or as Sidney would like to say, lets
take a walk on the wild side, and he would, as he was born
and raised on the plains of Zululand. They take traditional
French cooking and introduce exotic flavours and traditions
from around the world to create an exciting ‘culinary
adventure’
You will
leave ‘le Calabash with a new-found confidence and
enthusiasm, impatient to return to your own kitchen to
experiment with your skills.
