French Country

Farm & Foodie Retreat

~ April 26th-30th 2024 ~

Chartres, France

Immerse yourself in French culture & gastronomy while you live in the countryside for a few days & taste the authentic French slow life.

A little nature, a little luxury &

lots of wonderful food!

April 26th - 30th

4 nights, 5 days all-inclusive retreat in the French countryside

Special price for final 3 tickets!

€1,500

Come see what life is like in this little corner of the French countryside. You'll leave with a new sense of how to cook & eat with intention & enjoyment.

Learn how to take time to savor every experience, leisurely sit around the table & converse with your new-found friends. See what kind of a relationship with food is possible for you. The French really have this down.

Stay in a beautiful 18th century "gîte" or vacation home in a quiet little

country village outside of the city of Chartres.

You'll have plenty of time to rest and renew, all while learning and

soaking up the French way of life.

Chartres is about an hour by car from the Paris suburbs, or

an hour to 90 minutes by train from the Paris Montparnasse train station.

Learn authentic French recipes and a variety recipes and

cooking techniques from around the world.

Katrina will take you on a gastronomic adventure in the kitchen!

We'll use local, sustainably sourced and seasonal ingredients whenever possible!

There'll be time to explore the countryside as you like. You can walk or bike (free bikes provided on site) around the beautiful trails in the village and surrounding countryside. We'll even eat outside in the lovely garden if weather permits.

We'll visit the stunning Notre Dame de Chartres Cathedral, an incredible gothic cathedral from the time of Charlemagne. You'll visit it during the day and even see it lit up during an incredible musical light show at night.

Experience what it's like to stroll the cobblestone streets and

see the sights by boat in these quaint medieval towns.

You'll even get spoiled at a fine-dining restaurant, one of the best in Chartres and we'll go visit the outdoor farmer's market of course!

Everyone who attends will get a one hour massage.

Plus you can unplug in the jacuzzi whenever you'd like.

You'll have some free time to do what you'd like too.

All activities are optional, so join when you want to.

You'll have access to the fabulous jacuzzi room throughout the retreat,

so you can go relax whenever you'd like.

Come solo or bring a friend! I can't wait to meet you!

We'll keep the retreat intimate, with a maximum of 9 retreat participants.

What's Included in your beautiful 5 days in the French countryside!

• All room and board (all meals including breakfast, lunch and dinner from Friday lunch through a hearty brunch on Tuesday morning)
• All transportation for activities during the retreat from Friday afternoon through Tuesday morning before retreat departure
• 3 cooking classes with Katrina Billard. We'll focus on seasonal, from scratch cooking using local, sustainable ingredients as much as possible. You'll learn traditional French dishes and desserts, as well as a dishes inspired by a variety of world cuisines.
• 1 hour massage
• 1 boat ride on an electric boat for up to 5 people. Go back in time on a beautiful ride in a moat around a medieval walled village.
• Visit to the Billard Family Honey Farm including honey tasting
• 1 dinner out at a fine dining restaurant in or around Chartres. Includes starter, main and dessert as well as one alcoholic drink
• Visit to the Notre Dame de Chartres Cathedral and other beautiful sites around the city
• Any other activities planned by the organizer, which are subject to change, but will consist of visits to local farms, outdoor markets and demos or tastings with food professionals.
• Access to free bicycles at any time. You can walk or bike the trails around the vacation home.
• Access to the jacuzzi room at your leisure

What's Not Included:

• Plane tickets to and from France
• Transportation to and from the retreat site on April 26th and 30th. Katrina will offer guidance on the address, taxis, trains or other logistics to help you easily reach the retreat location.

* €500 deposit for the retreat is non-refundable

If you cancel your booking 60 days prior to the retreat, any further payments are refundable, but not the deposit.

Katrina will send retreat waiver after your payment for you to agree to by email.

Email katrina@empoweredkitchen.com to receive and agree to the waiver in advance if you prefer to read it before making your payment.

Summer Escape!

French Country

Farm & Foodie Retreat

~ July 22nd-26th, 2024 ~

Eure-et-Loir, France

Join us at this gorgeous Medieval manor straight out of a storybook!

Immerse yourself in French culture & gastronomy while you get away & live in the countryside for a few days & taste the authentic French slow life.

A little nature, a little luxury &

lots of wonderful food!

July 22nd - 26th

4 nights, 5 days all-inclusive retreat in the French countryside

Starts at €1,600

Come see what life is like in this little corner of the French countryside. You'll leave with a new sense of how to cook & eat with intention & enjoyment.

Learn how to take time to savor every experience, leisurely sit around the table & converse with your new-found friends.

See what kind of a relationship

with food is possible for you.

The French really have this down.

Stay in a beautiful guesthouse on the grounds of this stunning Medieval "Manoir" or manor

in a quiet little country village

about 30 minutes from of the city of Chartres.

You'll have plenty of time to wander the

trails through the woods, relax in the pool, and meet awesome,

like-minded people from around the world!

That could be you, all while learning

French cooking techniques and

soaking up the slower French way of life. Sigh...

Learn authentic French recipes and a variety recipes and cooking techniques

from around the world.

Katrina will take you on a gastronomic adventure in the kitchen!

We'll use local, sustainably sourced and seasonal ingredients whenever possible!

We do a lot of vegetable-heavy cooking with some fish and poultry, but it's not a meat-heavy retreat. Vegetarians and vegans are welcome and will have alternatives available. We do use wheat flour in some recipes.

You'll visit the stunning Notre Dame de Chartres Cathedral, an incredible gothic cathedral that dates from the 12th century.

See it during the day and again lit up at night during a fantastic musical light show.

Experience what it's like to stroll the cobblestone streets and

see the sights by boat in these quaint medieval towns.

You'll even get spoiled at a fine-dining restaurant, one of the best in Chartres and we'll go visit the outdoor farmer's market of course!

Everyone who attends will get a one hour massage.

You'll have access to the outdoor pool during the retreat too!

Two room options are available.

Dorm-style rooms for up to 4 people (on two levels) with one shared bathroom. An open staircase leads to the second level.

€1,600 per person

2 private rooms available for 2 people.

Includes private bathroom.

€1,900 per person

RESERVE your spots TODAY! Limited availability!

This retreat has a maximum of 14 participants.

What's Included in your beautiful 5 days in the French countryside!

• All room and board (all meals including breakfast, lunch and dinner from Friday lunch through a hearty brunch on Tuesday morning) We must leave by 10 am Friday morning.
• All transportation for activities during the retreat from Friday afternoon through Tuesday morning before retreat departure
• 3 cooking classes with Katrina Billard. We'll focus on seasonal, from scratch cooking using local, sustainable ingredients as much as possible. You'll learn traditional French dishes and desserts, as well as a dishes inspired by a variety of world cuisines.
• A wild-edible plant walk with a local French plant expert followed by a cooking workshop with what we find on our walk!
• 1 hour massage
• 1 boat ride on an electric boat for up to 5 people. Go back in time on a beautiful ride in a moat around a medieval walled village. (weather-permitting)
• Visit to the Billard Family Honey Farm including honey tasting
• 1 dinner out at a fine dining restaurant in or around Chartres. Includes starter, main and dessert as well as one alcoholic drink
• Visit to the Notre Dame de Chartres Cathedral and other beautiful sites around the city
• Any other activities planned by the organizer, which are subject to change, but will consist of visits to local farms, outdoor markets and demos or tastings with food professionals.
• Access to the walking trails in the woods and the outdoor pool at your leisure

What's Not Included:

• Plane tickets to and from France
• Transportation to and from the retreat site on April 26th and 30th. Katrina will offer guidance on the address, taxis, trains or other logistics to help you easily reach the retreat location.

The manor is about 90 minutes by car from the Paris suburbs,

OR

about 90 minutes by train from the Paris Montparnasse train station and

then you'll need to get a 30 minute taxi ride to the retreat location.

* €500 deposit for the retreat is non-refundable.

If you cancel your booking 60 days prior to the retreat, any further payments are refundable, but not the deposit.

Katrina will send retreat waiver after your payment for you to agree to by email.

Email katrina@empoweredkitchen.com to receive and agree to the waiver in advance if you prefer to read it before making your payment.