Our cooking holidays at Baron Figues wrap that tradition in complete hospitality. Small groups of six to eight guests. Fully all-inclusive. You arrive on Thursday, we take care of everything, and you leave seven nights later with new skills, new friends, and recipes you’ll actually use.
What's included
- Seven nights in a private en-suite bedroom
- All meals — breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- All drinks — local wines, Armagnac, champagne, aperitifs, soft drinks
- All cooking classes and workshops with ingredients provided
- Market tours, vineyard and distillery visits
- Use of the pool, gardens, tennis court, and grounds
- Complimentary transfers from Agen train station
- Airport transfers on request
Food in Gascony isn't fancy — it's honest. The best lessons happen in a market at 9am, chatting with the butcher about how his grandfather used to prepare the duck. I want guests to leave understanding how a French home cook thinks.
Read the full guide
What you'll learn
Our kitchen sessions centre on the food of Gascony — Southwest France’s cuisine of duck confit, cassoulet, foie gras, Pyrenean cheeses, and wines from the surrounding vineyards. Across a week you’ll cover:
- Knife skills, basic pastry, and the foundations of French home cooking
- One or two classic Gascony dishes you can genuinely recreate at home
- How to choose and use fresh regional produce from the weekly markets
- The rhythm of a long French meal — starter, main, cheese, dessert, digestif
- Wine pairing principles — which local grapes suit which dishes
- A full Armagnac tasting at a working family-run distillery
The pace works for complete beginners and confident home cooks alike.
A typical week
- Thursday — Arrival, pickup from Agen, welcome aperitif, relaxed first dinner.
- Friday — Morning market tour in a nearby bastide town, afternoon cooking class, dinner of what you cooked with paired wines.
- Saturday — Morning at leisure, afternoon visit to a boutique Armagnac distillery, evening at a family-run local restaurant.
- Sunday — Cooking class on a Gascony classic (cassoulet, duck confit, or foie gras). Wine tasting in the cellar.
- Monday — Day trip to a local vineyard with owner-led tasting and lunch.
- Tuesday — Hands-on pastry and dessert class, farewell gala dinner.
- Wednesday — Breakfast and departure transfer.
Why Gascony, and not Provence or the Dordogne?
Most cooking holidays in France cluster in Provence, the Dordogne, or Burgundy. Gascony, in the Southwest, is quieter and much less commercial — which is why we chose it. Bustling weekly markets, family-run distilleries, honest village restaurants, and a genuine farm-to-table culture that disappeared from busier regions decades ago. It’s the France people used to travel to.
When to visit
The season runs May through September, with occasional shoulder-season weeks on request. July and August are vibrant but warmer; May and September offer gentler weather, quieter markets, and long, late sunshine. Weeks run Thursday to Thursday. Book three to six months ahead for best availability, especially for peak summer.
Getting here
Fly into Toulouse-Blagnac (TLS) or Bordeaux-Mérignac (BOD) — both around 90 minutes by road, with direct flights from most of the UK and Western Europe. We collect guests from Agen train station at no extra cost (the TGV from Paris drops you there). Airport transfers are available on request for an additional fee. Self-drive directions are sent after booking.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need cooking experience to join?
No. Our groups range from complete beginners to confident home cooks. Classes are pitched to the slowest pace in the room and we give one-on-one attention where needed. If you can chop an onion you'll be fine — and if you can't, we'll show you.
Are dietary requirements accommodated?
Vegetarian and coeliac (gluten-free) diets are fully catered for. Vegan, lactose-free, and other allergy requirements can be accommodated with advance notice at the time of booking.
Can I come as a solo traveller?
Absolutely. There's no single supplement — solo travellers pay the same per-person price. Many of our guests come alone and the group size of 6–8 is ideal for meeting people without feeling overwhelmed.
How much downtime is there between cooking classes?
Plenty. Mornings are usually relaxed — pool, gardens, walks, or a coffee in the nearest village. Cooking sessions run two to three hours in the afternoon. Some days are intentionally unstructured.
Can I bring my partner if they don't want to cook?
Yes — a non-participating partner rate is available. They get the accommodation, meals, drinks, and time at the property, without joining the kitchen sessions. The pool, gardens, and day trips are open to everyone.
How long are the holidays and when can I book?
Every week runs Thursday to Thursday, seven nights. The season runs May through September. A 25% deposit secures your place, with the balance due one month before arrival. Book 3–6 months ahead for peak summer weeks.