A CULINARY RETREAT IN
toulouse, France
WITH
Chef, Farmer, Cookbook AUTHOR
June 5-11, 2027
Abra Berens joins us for the first time in the heart of Southwest France
June 5-11, 2027
7 Days, 6 nights
From $5,600 USD
Abra is a Michigan-based chef, author, and former farmer whose three cookbooks — Ruffage, Grist, and Pulp — have made her one of the most beloved and practical voices in food writing today. Her week with us is built around the kind of cooking that actually changes how you move through a kitchen: how to season, how to shop a market, how to work with what's in front of you. Add natural wine tastings, a day in Toulouse, some of the best food you’ll ever eat from our Michelin-trained chef, karaoke, and a grill party that runs later than anyone planned, and you've got the idea!
Join us in Toulouse, France and cook with Abra Berens!
Abra Berens has spent her career tightening the connection between eaters and growers — and her teaching style reflects exactly that. She doesn't hand you a recipe and step back. She helps you understand why food works, so you leave with instincts, not just instructions. Her workshops this week move from foundational skills (seasoning, knife work, market shopping) to the more technical and deeply satisfying (breaking down a whole fish, making fresh pasta, building a grill party feast). Whether you've cooked every day of your life or you're still a little nervous about it, you'll be in good hands!
The setting for all of this is the 13th-century Château de Labusquière, nestled in a quiet corner of southwest France about 45 minutes west of Toulouse. Thirty-plus acres of grounds, a sun-drenched courtyard, a pool, wandering woods, and the resident peacock, Yopi, who has strong opinions about mealtimes.
Join us for a week of eating well, cooking better, natural wines and spending time with people who care about the same things you do.
Cooking with Abra
Abra's approach to teaching is the same as her approach to cooking: start with what's in front of you, understand why it works, and build from there. The Château de Labusquière kitchen is the kind of place that makes you want to roll up your sleeves — and that's exactly what you'll do. Each session moves from foundational to hands-on, and every skill you pick up builds on the last. You'll leave with techniques you'll actually use, and the confidence to improvise when you get home.
WORKSHOPS
Adventures in Seasoning — An opening session on emulsification and tasting through the making of mayo, vinaigrettes, tonnato, and rouille. You'll also work on knife skills to prep vegetables for a Grand Aïoli platter that becomes that evening's apéro spread.
How to Cook from Any Market — Starting at the Samatan market with Abra's framework for how to shop with confidence, then back at the château to cook from what you found. Market vegetables and grains become the sides for dinner that night, paired with proteins from the Rêverie kitchen!
Fresh Pasta, Fresh Fish — Breaking down a whole fish, learning seasoning techniques, and making fresh filled pasta from scratch! Lunch that day is what you made.
Recipes for Confidence — Abra's final workshop focuses on the skills that make home cooking feel genuinely good: breaking down chicken, building sauces, controlling heat on the grill. The grill party feast follows.
* To preserve the shared culinary experience we strive to create, we’re happy to accommodate vegetarians, pescatarians, and allergies. However, we are unable to tailor meals for additional dietary preferences or restrictions. If you have specific questions about your needs, feel free to reach out — we’re happy to chat!
Let’s eat!
Food is a big part of the week around here, and we take it very seriously. Well, the eating part anyway.
Our Rêverie chef is here to make sure you eat exceptionally well all week. Expect three chef-prepared meals a day, built around what's looking best at the market that week and served family-style around a long table, with plenty of wine and nowhere else you need to be. Mornings start slowly over coffee, lunches have a habit of stretching into the afternoon, and dinner is the kind of affair where someone inevitably asks, "Wait, is there more of that?"
The kitchen is part of the fun too. Curious about what's cooking? Ask away. You might even pick up a trick or two from our Reverie chef along the way.
And then there's the wine! Our Reverie sommelier selects natural wines to complement the food and the region. Expect to discover some wonderful French wines, learn a thing or two, and perhaps find a new favorite. Explained, as always, without a drop of pretension.
All you need to do is pull up a chair, pour yourself another glass, and enjoy. We'll take care of the rest!
Welcome to Château de Labusquière, your home for the week. This enchanting 13th-century castle, thoughtfully renovated, has 15 rooms and 8 bathrooms — enough space to feel genuinely at ease, private when you want it, and together when you don't! It sits on a hilltop in Montadet, in the heart of Le Gers, 45 minutes outside the city of Toulouse with views of the French countryside that make it hard to believe this is real life. Thirty-plus acres of grounds are yours to wander: a swimming pool, a petanque court (French bocci) with a view, paths through the park and forest, and the resident peacock, Yopi, who considers himself part of the hosting team.
It's our Rêverie home away from home.
*Please note that changes to the itinerary may occur between now and your retreat start date.
Saturday // June 5, 2027
3:30 pm Check in at Le Grand Balcon Hôtel, Toulouse city center
Evening Yours to explore. Dinner tonight is on you (we're happy to send recommendations!)