TRAVELLER
La Peetch HATC Traveller
Ask me what my favourite thing to do is, and I’ll most likely tell you it’s to bake. In my down time, you’ll most likely find me in the kitchen testing a new recipe or baking my loved one’s favourite. It’s simply my love language. There’s nothing more beautiful than seeing someone you love tuck into something delicious made with love. So, when I received an invitation from Le Peetch to spend a week in Provence, in the south of France, cooking, there was no doubt in my mind that I would accept.
As I pull up at Gatwick Airport early Sunday morning with a carry-on and a rather hefty tote bag (I’m not one to pack lightly), I make my way towards security, having checked in the night prior. On this occasion, there’s something easy about taking a taxi to the airport instead of driving or taking the Gatwick Express. I arrive with quite a bit of time to spare, taking a couple of hours to get some work done before a short flight. Having a busy brain, the short flight has its advantages and disadvantages - being short enough not to fall into boredom, but not long enough for me to really get into something. On the journey, I take a moment to anticipate what the week ahead may look like. I’ve read the welcome booklet a thousand times over, but I won’t know the week's outlook until I arrive. As someone who usually makes an Excel spreadsheet itinerary for every travel trip possible, the idea of walking into a space where I know no one and also haven’t the faintest idea of the specifics other than cooking makes me a little unnerved, all very much problems of my own creation and something I need to get better at doing. I touch down at Nice’s international airport to a welcome gust of warmth before moving through the airport's customs toward the taxi rank. I order my taxi and clamber into the back seat, filled with excitement about what I’m to expect.
The drive isn’t a long one, around 30 minutes of winding countryside and occasional sea views. We pull up to a small dirt track, similar to the ones I grew up cycling down, before arriving at a large black gate. Julia’s holiday home sits upon a hill, surrounded by gardens, stone paths, a pool reflecting the blue skies, and blue shutters adorning each window and door. I remove my bag from the boot of my taxi, wishing my driver a farewell before being greeted by the La Peetch team. I’m instantly welcomed inside and walk through Julia Child’s famous kitchen with its renowned peg board just the way she would have left it before walking through the house towards a charming double bedroom with a red, pink, and white theme. I place my things to the side to unpack later that evening before moving back towards the kitchen and the reception room. Having landed a little later than most of the group, I’m the last to arrive. There’s a spread of food sitting on the dining table, from charcuterie boards to homemade soup that I can smell from the kitchen stove. The team attentively offered me a bowl, exclaiming I must be hungry from travelling, which I was. Whilst I wait, I’m ushered towards the rest of the group whom I’m yet to meet. I hear the mumbles of conversation from the garden. I take the garden path between homegrown vegetables, herbs, and fruits to be greeted by kind yet unfamiliar faces that easily disarm any nerves I may have been feeling. We shake hands (I do love a formal handshake, what can I say) as I greet Ricca, Sean, Pamela, and Jay. Everyone in the group is from the US, with Ricca and Sean recently relocating to sunny Spain. Everyone is excited for the upcoming week as we engage in light conversation, quickly getting to know one another. We convene in the living room as I sit down to a bowl of soup with a quick fire round of introductions. As the evening draws in, I head to my room to unpack and unwind before we start Monday off with a bang. The room feels cosy, small yet spacious. The bed, considering the space, is rather large, larger than what I have at home, decorated with a duck feather duvet and pillows. There’s no doubt there’s a theme of luxury throughout with an Hermes blanket placed on the corner of the bed, but what impressed me even more is the amenities, each thought through thoroughly with comfort, practicality, and luxury in mind. From top-of-the-range shampoo and conditioner to face fans neatly folded to the side of the sink. A Dyson air wrap hangs on the wall, accompanied by a fluffy dressing gown and a specialist pillow for your neck, both of which are stored inside the wardrobe. I unpack my suitcase, take a shower, and decide to turn in for the night, knowing I have a full schedule tomorrow and an introduction to the week ahead after breakfast.
I wake after what for me is a surprisingly good night's sleep. As a serial awful sleeper, usually waking a minimum of two times each night, I slept through the night thanks to the large bed and its even better mattress and bedding. Once changed and made a little more presentable, I emerge into the living room to an array of fresh pastries, which I take the opportunity to enjoy. I make myself a bowl of oats, sit down with a pain au chocolat and a decaf coffee, which the team made sure to have on hand for me as a non-caffeine drinker. Nothing seems too much for the team, with all the meaningful details thought through. We have about another half hour before the day is scheduled to start, and it's going to be a jam-packed one.
The morning starts with a masterclass on spices, and we smell and get to know each and every spice from Julia’s famous spice rack. Chef Santana, who, alongside Chef Kendall, will be teaching us throughout the week, sets out the basics, from what you should expect from spices and pairings, and, most importantly, not to be afraid of trying something new when using them in food. Although I’m a fan of spices, an in-depth lesson on pairings is something I could benefit from, especially as someone who is a little cautious about new flavours and feeling emboldened. Having gotten to know the spices, we work through the foundations, learning about aromatics, salt, fats, complements, contrast, acids, garnish, and contrasts in preparation for our next focus on infusions – specifically, custard for our crème brûlée. If you take anything from learning about spices, know that with levelling, if it smells good, it most likely tastes good. I’m encouraged to be excited by the process and trust it. Standing in Julia’s kitchen in front of her peg board, panelling it has been left just as she would use it. Our agenda is to learn and create our stocks for the week, which will be left to boil on the stove over the next few days, ready for our onion soup on Friday. It may be a labour of love, but it's worth it when I tell you the flavouring of the onion soup will be stratospheric. I love their - no waste – approach, with most of the cooking you do in the week, encouraging not only love for the ingredients you use, but love towards their waste, using more and discarding less.
It’s a full-on day in the kitchen in La Pichoune, with the house designed by Julia and her husband as their holiday home, where Julia was known to write her famous cookery books. By the time we hit 1pm, we’ve learned a lot of the basics. With lunch on our mind, we pull together our Mise en Place (meaning to gather your ingredients) for our omelettes and frittata, before sitting out on the patio for lunch. We take a brief moment before returning to the kitchen to prepare dinner: a leg of lamb, ratatouille, and dauphinois potatoes (one of my favourites). We have a master class in the art of butchery with Chef Kendall, who has not only worked at multiple Michelin-starred restaurants but also has extensive knowledge in butchery, having run a nose-to-tail butcher shop. She helps us utilize our cut of meat properly and covers the basics of roasting. You wouldn’t believe how many people are technically baking their meats rather than roasting them. We gather around the dining room table for dinner, with wine pairings carefully selected by the team to complement the meal. At this point, I’m feeling more comfortable and less nervous as a room of strangers quickly turns into people I know. Having grown up with dinner around the table being a space to discuss our day, it’s the perfect way to end a long day of learning, as we take a moment to relax, laugh and enjoy good food.
I wake up feeling refreshed after a night of much-needed rest, having spent the previous day in and out of the kitchen for about 10 hours. Having been briefed over dinner about the day we have ahead, we indulge ourselves with breakfast before leaving La Peetch for the Cannes food market. Upon arrival, we are given a budget to purchase the ingredients we will use throughout the week. I love that we are involved in every part of the roadmap for the week. We visit two of the markets, discovering seasonal, locally grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Having teamed up, we each chose our favourite ingredients, as well as being encouraged to pick foods we might not necessarily choose at home. It’s a nice nudge to move outside our comfort zone, something the week encourages us to do.
Having chosen a wide range (and I mean wide range, picking enough to feed the 5000), we have some downtown in the old town. We sit for coffee as we take a minute to plan the next two hours of our time. Perched on top of a hill overlooking the city of Cannes, Château de la Castre is a short hike from the marina to the top of the castle. With mid-April approaching, the city isn’t too warm yet, making it a comfortable climb to the top. Having wet our appetites, we start the drive back to La Peetch with an all-important stop on the way home – lunch. We eat family-style at the restaurant, with no lack of food. On the days we venture out, the menu is based on the ingredients and spices you are using, showcasing how the same ingredients can be versatile, from classic French cooking to Persian cuisine. Our afternoon continues with a little more downtime, as I take the opportunity to use the pool. It might only be mid-April, but in the UK, the weather is pretty chilly, so you bet I’m going to take full advantage of the whole 7 degrees difference. I spend the afternoon with Ricca and Sean, pulling tarot cards in the sun. As the evening draws back in, we return to the kitchen to learn how to make the best duck I may have ever eaten. No frills or fancy recipes, just duck cooked the way it should be. It’s a good example of what fat and salt can do, simple ingredients, yet the richest of flavours.
The next day, we are back to infusions for lunch, featuring cheese souffles. What’s extra special is that we are making our cheese soufflés in the original soufflé pots Julia used. Having shopped for enough vegetables to feed an army yesterday, we prepare our salads in groups using spices and herbs to elevate each from the basic salads you may make at home. We take a trip to the local town to taste and select a range of cheeses that we will use later as part of the evening's tasting menu. As part of our outing that morning, we visited a local chocolatier to gain a deeper understanding of the process behind making chocolate. We receive a masterclass from Jeff de Bruges Mougins, learning about the process from start to finish. From chocolate bonbons to decorative arrangements for themed collections, the popularity of the chocolate was apparent. As someone who spends copious time at home baking and making patisserie, let alone my sweet tooth, I’m in heaven gaining more knowledge on what I already know when it comes to the start-to-finish process, tempering, and flavourings.
We return to La Peetch and have a little time to relax before we are served our 7-course tasting menu. We sit together sharing stories of our lives, excited for what will be a showstopping meal. Labouring with love, Santana and Kendall have spent their afternoon in the kitchen preparing a number of courses, foie gras, potatoes and caviar, courgette salad, lemon sorbet palate cleanser, beef with puree, cheese board, fruit crumble, all paired with some of the best local wines Provence has to offer. As someone who doesn’t drink except for the odd taste, there’s no way I’m not tasting specially paired wines. Each course shone, featuring local produce that was expertly prepared in Julia’s kitchen. Each bite heavenly, with each course authentically French.
As our final day in the kitchen comes around all too quickly, we awake to a crepe masterclass, teaching us both sweet and savoury crepes, and how to make them. There’s quite a skill to preparing them, as I realise how much easier they look to make when perfectly preparing them. It’s a great interval and addition to a week of learning key skills. For the remainder of the morning, we prepare our chocolate mousse for dessert later in the evening, again with spices of our choice. I’m in my element, as baking is my forte. We prepare several dishes throughout Thursday, from learning how to prepare artichokes, something I’ve often strayed from doing at home due to a lack of confidence, to a traditional hollandaise to accompany the artichoke over lunch. And for the piest of resistance Kendall shows us how to fillet fish. For me, these moments are what’s beautiful when it comes to enthralling yourself in a week’s week-long learning experience. I’m fairly confident in the kitchen in many ways, especially when it comes to baking, but it has also given me confidence in areas where I wouldn’t exactly know where to start. These moments help me push the boat out, enabling me to have a better experience when enjoying, making, and serving food, a love language that is intrinsic to me.
As our final day approaches, we have a day jam-packed with personal experiences in the local area. We have breakfast early before driving back to Valbonne for the local market. I take a walk stall to stall before sitting with a coffee in the sun. Upon returning from the market, it’s finally time for the French onion soup we started making on day 1. We sit outside on the veranda for one last meal at La Peetch as a group, with it being the best French onion soup I’ve had hands down, and that’s saying something as someone who opts for French onion soup on every occasion available. It’s the perfect goodbye and moment to thank a team that prioritises your experience at every turn. We have three final stops on our itinerary: a local olive oil farm shop, which we’ve used to dress each element at every possible moment when cooking, and Geodora Perfumery in Grasse, where we had an expert flash course in distilling and floral notes. Having spent the week learning from the very best, we are able to visit Chef Kendall’s new restaurant, where we take a look around the space and her dream. There’s growth for the team as we get a first look at their new cookery school, which will be an extension of the La Peetch. We spend the evening together at a local restaurant, enjoying the local cuisine as the sun sets, one last hurrah.
I return from the trip full of knowledge, newfound confidence, and friends I hope to visit and stay in touch with. There’s something magical about La Peetch. You can feel its history in the atmosphere and all the meals that have been made with love over the past 50 years, the joy and comfort in its 4 walls. I stand by the beautifully thought-through details that are poured into the experience, from a team that is so kind and knowledgeable to an itinerary tailored with you in mind. If you ask me, I’d tell you to step outside of your comfort zone, whether it's cooking, traveling solo, or simply making a change to your routine. Grasp these once-in-a-lifetime experiences with both hands and be open to the opportunity to thrive in a new way.
