Exotic Cuisine Holidays

Introduction

With Medway Travel and On The Menu, you get to learn to cook sensational food in spectacular locations. From France, Italy and Morocco to India, Jordan and Thailand you'll find vibrant cities, idyllic beaches, lush country and ancient lands - all with great cuisine. Each individual school has something unique and we invite you take a look!

Each of the venues offered has been carefully chosen for their quality and character. In inspirational hands on sessions you'll learn new techniques and culinary secrets. Our teachers range from gourmet chefs to local women who have been cooking almost since they could walk. Classes are intimate and deliberately small to allow for plenty of individual attention. You work with fantastic fresh produce, cooking authentic regional food. Always there are fascinating market trips with your chef. Often, you get to pick ingredients from the local farms or gardens. What better way to learn about a country than through its food and flavours, choosing vegetables at the markets, sharing stories over a bubbling pot.

These holidays are designed to be just that - a holiday. So between cooking and lingering over long meals, there's plenty of time to yourself - to explore or just unwind. Non cooking companions will have plenty to do while you cook and are welcomed at all our schools. From the earthy character of rural country villas to luxurious hotels, gleaming state of the art kitchens, to rustic cook ups, city culture to beach bliss, there's something to suit all tastes and pockets. None require you to be an expert cook, the courses are for the enthusiast, not the professional chef and the atmosphere is relaxed, educational and fun. Our philosophy is simple - great cooking in great places. Enjoy!

 

Overview

Below you will find descriptions of a few of the many cooking holidays we are delighted to offer, in conjunction with our preferred operator for cookery holidays, On the Menu. If your preferred destination is not mentioned below, please contact Medway Travel with details of your ideal cooking holiday and we will be more than happy to research into your options.

 

Cooking in Australia

Think Sydney and you think seafood, fresh, succulent and lots of it. Yet with fabulous fresh produce, award winning wines and exciting restaurants and a confluence of culinary influences that seem to bring out the best in everything, it’s not all just juicy king prawns and barramundi. This is a rare opportunity to discover Sydney’s fantastic food scene with the woman in the know.

Sydney Pemberton, a renowned food writer and chef, loves good food and is passionate about sharing her knowledge. She is an authoritative source, having appeared presenting her recipes on TV as well as producing a wide range of cookbooks. You couldn’t ask for a better guide. Her tours, a combination of cooking, markets, shopping, tastings and restaurants are arranged over 3 days. It’s the perfect addition to a holiday in Australia, whether you are passing through Sydney or staying in the city for a while. You can choose to do just one day or all three depending on what you’ve got time for.

 

Cooking in India

Set in Goa, India’s beach paradise - all coconut palms, golden sand and laidback living this is a gently paced introduction to the sub-continent’s bountiful table. It’s a perfect spot to cook and holiday - fabulous produce, seafood caught fresh each morning, hands on cooking and plenty of time for the beaches, restaurants, markets and the good life.

Much of India’s vast and incredibly diverse cuisine lies veiled from the Westerner’s eye. This culinary week will open up the country’s cuisine to you - Indian food the way Indians cook it. You’ll learn about the mustard laden flavours from the east, and the coconut rich cooking of the south; the aromatic biryanis of the north and the local Goan favourites. You’ll make your own masalas, learn how to use spices correctly and be shown the fundamental techniques of Indian cooking. Fun and fascinating for both the first timer and the more experienced cook, it’s designed to wean you off your recipe book and cook with ‘andaza’, meaning ‘approximation by experience’. You’ll soon be confidently turning out scrumptious Indian meals with accustomed ease.

 

Cooking in Mexico

Two things distinguish San Miguel de Allende from other Mexican colonial cities. One, this cosmopolitan artist town boasts some of Mexicans best boutiques and art galleries. Secondly its dining scene is top notch. Excellent Mexican cuisine, plus a diverse assortment of international dining options have given San Miguel a reputation for having the best small town dining in Mexico. Situated on a hillside facing the Laja River and the distant Guanajauto mountains this is a vibrant, yet tranquil cultural town of arched colonial mansions, flower-filled patios, and winding, terraced cobblestone streets.

Our one-week cooking holiday, immerses you in Mexico’s exuberant culture. There’s hands-on cooking classes, which are easy-going and fun featuring traditional as well as exciting Mexican fusion food. There are day trips to fascinating nearby areas, lazy picnics and many delicious meals. Learn to make moles, salsas, chiles rellenos; sit at shaded tables, sipping ‘café de olla’ with chocolate; watch the sun set with a classic margherita.

 

Cooking in France

Tucked away in the pretty hilltop village of La Cadier d'Azur, with the vineyards and orchards of Bandol on one side and the Mediterranean on the other, this residential course is as authentic as it gets. Chef and proprietor Rene was born in this very village and his superb cuisine is based on all the traditional flavours and fragrances of his beloved Provence. Cooking is at a magnificent country house in the midst of a herb garden not far from the hotel, with the sound of cicadas and the scent of lavender in the air. All produce is bought fresh everyday at the local market, and the food reflects the seasons of Provence. Indeed in truffle season in December, Rene runs a special truffle course, a treat for the impassioned foodie. It's not all food and wine though and there's plenty of free time to explore the glorious countryside, drive to the beach or just relax by the pool. Non cooking companions will have plenty to do while you cook.

 

Cooking in Thailand

‘Lanna’ the name of the region around Chiang Mai means ‘a million paddy fields’ and the Four Season’s Cooking School is set in the Mae Rim valley, overlooking terraced rice fields and misty mountains. Four Seasons properties are spectacular and this resort - tranquil, panoramic yet minutes from Chiang Mai, the artistic and cultural capital of north Thailand is no exception. The hands-on lesson at the stunning Lanna cooking school is the hands down most luxurious way to learn to cook!

The cooking school pavilion, built with rich timber floors, zinc exhaust fans and huge glass doors is a fabulous workspace. Each participant has their own cooking station and the open air dining terrace has spectacular views of the mountains and gardens. You can choose your 3 cooking sessions from 6 different cooking modules, each covering different aspects of Thai cuisine – from spicy salads to soups, traditional curries to elaborate 5 course Thai meals. You’re encouraged to use the proper names for dishes, so Kaow Soi Kai or Kaeng Hung Lay will soon be rolling off your tongue as effortlessly as you’ll be turning out perfect crispy fish. In the schools herb gardens there’s lemongrass, ginger, galangal, turmeric and garlic…and there’s a morning trip to an exotic local market with all its wonderful sights, sounds and smells.

 

Cooking in Marrakech

Marrakech… the very word conjures up a world of ancient mystery where past and present blur. A place of markets and storytellers, of narrow streets and secret doorways, it’s a land that lives up to its impossibly evocative name. This holiday is a rare treat, a privileged journey to the soul of the country’s sensational food, prepared as it has been for centuries. No fusion cooking, no fancy equipment, instead a trip back to the land that will enrich you in more ways than one. You stay at lovely privately owned riad in the heart of Marrakech, an oasis of beauty and tranquillity. The beautifully restored rooms are all ensuite, built around a central courtyard, with fountains and orange trees. Dining is magical on the rooftop, with lanterns flickering in the gentle breeze. If you would like to swim then your riad manager can arrange access to a local swimming pool located only a 10 minute ride by taxi. (Taxi fare & entry fee not included).

Cooking is wonderfully relaxed. Working alongside a Berber cook, you’ll learn to cook the Moroccan way. You’ll cook a slow tagine of meat or vegetables, you’ll grill marinated fish over charcoal, you’ll make melt in your mouth meats in the mechoui. While the food is slowly cooking, you can doze and then dine al-fresco. You’ll be taken by enchanting Abderrazak around the souks; you’ll meet the fabled spice merchants, you’ll even see couscous being rolled by the local women. There are picnics in the Ourika valley and the spectacular countryside outside Marrakech. And to top the laden platter, the food at the riad is outstandingly good and you will dine memorably.

Essential Information

The travel advice will vary depending on which destination you choose.

Our experienced travel consultants will be able to provide you with all of the relevant destination information and entry requirements you will need when planning your holiday.