I spent the week over New Year's with my 15 year old daughter at Niall and Poul's French Dining School and we had the best time ever chopping, slicing, dicing, mincing, julienne-ing, whisking, frying, boiling, simmering, baking, roasting, tasting, adding more butter/salt/cream/lemon and re-tasting, plating, and sitting down to eat with good wine and conversation! The setting is true Brittany, in the green rolling countryside, in Niall and Poul's lovely stone Breton farmhouse which they have renovated themselves. The house, kitchen and instruction are a reflection of the hosts; warm, inviting, a dream to work with. Everything is made easy, clear, and not the least bit intimidating, although as you can see from the pictures you end up creating some fantastic haute cuisine dishes, and you leave thinking, "I can do this at home!"
I would add that as an American who has lived and explored in France for several years, I still found myself learning new things every day. Even if you feel you 'know' France I would say you will still get quite a bit out of this experience and shouldn't feel hesitant about taking the course because you already have spent time in France or Brittany. And my teenage daughter also found lots to do and learn that did not involve her smart phone or an ipad! In addition, she does not eat red meat and we found Poul and the menu to be exceedingly accommodating with her diet and easy for her to find things to eat every meal. While we were there a friend of theirs with Celiac disease also joined us for several meals without problem--truly they are very open and adaptable to all diets and restrictions.
We stayed at a nearby gite with full amenities, arranged by Poul and Niall, which was wonderful. We had a car, and I would recommend one, but we also hitched a ride with another student on a couple of occasions to visit the local sites, as did another student who was car-less. There are also lots of walks right out your front door, and this being Brittany I would recommend a raincoat and weatherproof shoes if it's not high summer, but otherwise we did not need anything but a pair of comfy shoes for working in the kitchen.
Finally, as all other reviews reflect, the food is excellent and you will come away with new knowledge and confidence, but the people and friends you will make truly make the experience great. Can't recommend enough!
JM
I would add that as an American who has lived and explored in France for several years, I still found myself learning new things every day. Even if you feel you 'know' France I would say you will still get quite a bit out of this experience and shouldn't feel hesitant about taking the course because you already have spent time in France or Brittany. And my teenage daughter also found lots to do and learn that did not involve her smart phone or an ipad! In addition, she does not eat red meat and we found Poul and the menu to be exceedingly accommodating with her diet and easy for her to find things to eat every meal. While we were there a friend of theirs with Celiac disease also joined us for several meals without problem--truly they are very open and adaptable to all diets and restrictions.
We stayed at a nearby gite with full amenities, arranged by Poul and Niall, which was wonderful. We had a car, and I would recommend one, but we also hitched a ride with another student on a couple of occasions to visit the local sites, as did another student who was car-less. There are also lots of walks right out your front door, and this being Brittany I would recommend a raincoat and weatherproof shoes if it's not high summer, but otherwise we did not need anything but a pair of comfy shoes for working in the kitchen.
Finally, as all other reviews reflect, the food is excellent and you will come away with new knowledge and confidence, but the people and friends you will make truly make the experience great. Can't recommend enough!
JM
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