Deposit €500
Today
5 Days Of French Countryside Living
Deposit: €500
Live the authentic French slow life with a blend of rest, renewal, and culinary adventure.
This retreat is the perfect mix of culture, cuisine, and calm—set in a picturesque setting where slow living takes center stage.
Exclusive Accommodation: 4 nights in the picturesque countryside on the grounds of a beautiful old French mill that has been renovated into this gorgeous vacation home.
Meals: All meals are included, starting from 11 am on the first day to a hearty brunch on the final day before the group departs at 10 am. You'll enjoy filling breakfasts and meals made either by Chef Katrina or made by you during one of our three cooking classes together!
All transportation and activities during the retreat are included
Workshops & Activities:
3 Cooking Classes with Katrina. All classes are hands-on, fun and engaging! We focus on traditional French cooking techniques and make classic, practical and several more elevated dishes. We'll make a starter, main dish with sides and a dessert in every class.
1 Hour Massage
Visit to a honey farm and honey tasting
Visit a local farmer's market and pick out the ingredients for our cooking class!
Private wine-tasting with local French sommelier who pairs wines for our cooking class that evening
Dinner out at a high end restaurant in Chartres and time to walk around the city
Boat Ride on an electric boat around a moat of a quaint medieval village (In case of inclement weather we will find an alternative activity.)
Relax in the jacuzzi
Free time to relax and unwind (Perhaps even without your phone)
Bonuses!
Printed copies of all the delicious French recipes we make during our three classes together
4 passes to Katrina's online cooking classes that happen twice a month as a part of The Cooking Circle (4 passes last for 1 year after the retreat)
So much fun and memories that will last a lifetime! New skills and confidence in French cooking, so you can wow your friends and family back home!
Newfound, like-minded friends from around the world
A chance to put down your phone and unplug without social media and the distractions of technology for a week. Immerse yourself in our beautiful surroundings and go back in time for the week.
What’s not included
Flights and travel insurance.
Transport to and from the retreat venue. Once you register, Katrina will offer guidance on the address, taxis, trains or other logistics to help you easily reach the retreat location. It's a 90 minute drive from Paris or a 90 minute train ride from the Montparnasse train station in Paris to the Maintenon train station. Then my driver will pick you up and take you to the retreat location.
Lanzarato-Canary Islands
May 9 - 11, 2025
About this trip
Exclusive Accommodation: 4 nights in the picturesque countryside on the grounds of a beautiful old French mill that has been renovated into this gorgeous vacation home.
Meals: All meals are included, starting from 11 am on the first day to a hearty brunch on the final day before the group departs at 10 am. You'll enjoy filling breakfasts and meals made either by Chef Katrina or made by you during one of our three cooking classes together!
All transportation and activities during the retreat are included
Workshops & Activities:
3 Cooking Classes with Katrina. All classes are hands-on, fun and engaging! We focus on traditional French cooking techniques and make classic, practical and several more elevated dishes. We'll make a starter, main dish with sides and a dessert in every class.
1 Hour Massage
Visit to a honey farm and honey tasting
Visit a local farmer's market and pick out the ingredients for our cooking class!
Private wine-tasting with local French sommelier who pairs wines for our cooking class that evening
Dinner out at a high end restaurant in Chartres and time to walk around the city
Boat Ride on an electric boat around a moat of a quaint medieval village (In case of inclement weather we will find an alternative activity.)
Relax in the jacuzzi
Free time to relax and unwind (Perhaps even without your phone)
Printed copies of all the delicious French recipes we make during our three classes together
4 passes to Katrina's online cooking classes that happen twice a month as a part of The Cooking Circle (4 passes last for 1 year after the retreat)
So much fun and memories that will last a lifetime! New skills and confidence in French cooking, so you can wow your friends and family back home!
Newfound, like-minded friends from around the world
A chance to put down your phone and unplug without social media and the distractions of technology for a week. Immerse yourself in our beautiful surroundings and go back in time for the week.
What’s not included
Flights and travel insurance.
Transport to and from the retreat venue. Once you register, Katrina will offer guidance on the address, taxis, trains or other logistics to help you easily reach the retreat location. It's a 90 minute drive from Paris or a 90 minute train ride from the Montparnasse train station in Paris to the Maintenon train station. Then my driver will pick you up and take you to the retreat location.
Itinerary
Itinerary
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Available Packages
Deposit:€500
PRIVATE ROOM FOR 1
Deposit:€500
Deposit:€500
How to register
Always email Katrina before paying for your spot so she can answer any questions you have and to make sure spots are left, and that the accommodations will work for you or your group. Once you confirm with her, she’ll send you the waiver to sign electronically, and you can put down your deposit or pay in full. Then your spot is secured for the retreat. [email protected]
In each cooking class we make a starter, main dish with sides, and a dessert. You’ll learn some practical and some more elevated French cooking techniques and recipes to take home to wow your friends and family!
I’ve had beginner cooks and experienced chefs attend the retreat. It’s mostly geared towards intermediate cooks, but everyone ends up having a great time cooking in the kitchen together and inevitably takes away some new tips and tricks. We make a lot of vegetable dishes and some dishes with poultry, fish, seafood and rabbit. Upon registration Katrina will send a food survey to learn your food preferences prior to the retreat.
All classes are hands-on and we're a family for the week, so we all pitch in for dishes and to set the table.
I highly recommend arriving in Paris at least one day before the retreat so you have time to get over jet lag and settle in. It gives you a buffer in case you have any travel delays.
The location is about 90 minutes from Paris by car or by train. It's a ten minute drive from the town of Illiers-Combray. We will pick you up at the local train station and bring you the 10 minutes to the retreat location.
If you’re going to extend your vacation, you can always rent a car and Katrina will give you the address.
Another option is to hire a private driver to drive you from Paris to the retreat location.
All ages have attended, from 18 to 84! Men and women are welcome. Sometimes couples attend, parents with older children, friends, and of course SOLO travelers are more than welcome to attend! Teenagers that love cooking are welcome as well!
Arrival time is 11 am on the first day, followed by a hearty lunch provided by Katrina. Departure time is 10 am on the final day, after you enjoy a big brunch!
Deposit and payment plans
€500 deposit for the retreat is non-refundable. The balance is due at least 30 days prior to the retreat start date.If you cancel your booking 60 days prior to the retreat, any further payments are refundable, but not the deposit.
You're welcome to pay your balance in any increments. Ask Katrina for personalized payment links.
Katrina will send a retreat waiver for you to agree to sign electronically.
It's your responsibility to purchase your own travel insurance.
I’m sorry, but I cannot ensure a gluten free environment for you. Every morning I go to the bakery to buy croissants and baguettes that I serve at breakfast, and there’s often gluten used in the recipes we make.
I can easily accommodate vegetarians, as long as you’re okay that we’ll be cooking meat during the retreat for other guests. It’s more difficult for me to accommodate vegans, as we use a lot of eggs, honey, and dairy products during the retreat.
We can substitute non-dairy cream, milk, and butter for those who are lactose intolerant. I do serve cheeses and we make some recipes with cheese, but we can leave it out of your portion.
Your Organizer
THE EMPOWERED KITCHEN RETREAT Leader
Katrina is an experienced culinary instructor and passionate cook based in Eure-et-Loir, France. Fluent in English and French, she brings over a decade of teaching experience and a love for creating unforgettable culinary experiences near her home in the French countryside.
Katrina specializes in sustainable, plant-forward cooking with flavors inspired by cuisines from around the world. We do use some seafood, poultry, and sometimes rabbit on the retreats.
Vegetarians are welcome to attend, and she's happy to provide alternatives for you.
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