Retreats
I can cook for your yoga retreat or
any getaway you might be planning.
Retreats are often in beautiful settings: in quiet spots close to nature. It’s important to me that the food on my retreats has a similar sense of place. Before planning any menus I research the local area thoroughly, sourcing small scale producers of seasonal produce. All the meals on my retreats will reflect the environment we are in and the time of year. All the meals are plant based and can be vegan if required. I can give a talk about cooking seasonally or, if the kitchen is suitable, a class or demonstration
Scroll down to have a look at some of my previous retreat cooking.
Astanga Yoga Retreat
Fishley Hall, Norfolk
March 2022
Fishley hall is a stunning country house a stone’s throw from the Norfolk coast. Nature is all around and the yoga space looks directly out at the gardens. Food is prepared in a flagstone kitchen and served at a great farmhouse table. This was a late winter retreat with spring in the air so the nights were cozy but the days were full of the promise of warmer days ahead. The menu was designed to reflect this.
Breakfast Highlights
Home made granola with seasonal fruit, (in March this meant fresh pomegranate and compotes of Yorkshire rhubarb or quince).
Yoghurt and milks (these can be plant based if required).
Breakfast dishes inspired by my time in South India:
Idli with sambhar and upma (semolina) with nuts and spices.Local breads, butter or olive oil and home made spreads.
Tea, herbal infusions and coffee
Dinner Highlights
Roast celeriac with sage, lemon and porcini mushroom sauce
Cavolo Nero with butter beans and Seville Orange pickle
Radicchio and chicory, hazelnuts and pears
Local hop shoots, steamed and dressed with cold pressed rapeseed oil
Purple sprouting broccoli with tahini and sesame seed dressing
Astanga Yoga Retreat
Tarifa, Spain, June 2023
Villa La Peña is just an outside the ancient settlement of Tarifa, on Spain’s Costa de la Luz. It’s an extraordinary part of the world. Here the Mediterranean Sea gives way to the Atlantic and Morocco seems as if it is in touching distance across the straights of Gibraltar. Moorish influence on the local cuisine is as tangible as the North African coastline. In June the days were long, hot and dry, with the famous Levante wind keeping things lively. I wrote menus that reflected as much of the local culture and produce as possible…plus we lucked out with the presence of an outdoor Paella burner by the pool.
Breakfast Highlights
Home made granola with seasonal fruit,: Figs, peaches, Apricots and cherries were a highlight
Yoghurt and milks (these can be plant based if required).
Breakfast dishes from the region
Sourdough tostada with olive oil and tomatoesLocal Goat’s and sheep’s milk cheeses
Tortilla de patatas
Quinoa and courgette fritters
Tea, herbal infusions and coffee
Dinner Highlights
Spanish Rice with locally grown shiitake mushrooms, green beans and peppers
Local asparagus chargrilled and served with lemon and olive oil
Papas al pobres…potatoes slow cooked with peppers and garlic
Ajo blanco, nicknamed the white gazpacho of the region, made with fresh almonds
Roast, stuffed spiced aubergines
Little jellies of tinto de verano