Vegan Culinary Weekend with Ritchie Stainsby
June 13-15 2025
Vegan Culinary Weekend with Ritchie Stainsby
13 - 15 June 2025Join us for an exclusive gastronomic experience in the heart of Southwest France – our vegan culinary weekend, hosted by Masterchef: The Professionals finalist Ritchie Stainsby. Unwind over a long weekend in a luxury retreat in southwest France and enjoy two 8 course tasting menus cooked by the award-winning plant-based chef (Friday and Saturday evenings). The meals will be served in a beautiful courtyard overlooking sunflower fields and vineyards, watching the sun go down with delicious local wines.
As well as dining on some of the best vegan food around, you will have the chance to learn how to cook it too with Ritchie hosting an intimate masterclass in vegan cookery, mastering pasta-making skills and much more!
Set against the picturesque backdrop of The Charente, this immersive experience is perfect for food lovers and you’ll get the chance to sample local cognacs and Pineau des Charente (a local apéritif made from cognac and grape juice).
Join us for an unforgettable culinary adventure on this one-of-a-kind vegan foodie weekend!
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What’s included in our vegan culinary weekend:
2 nights stay in luxury accommodation with full use of the gardens & swimming pool.
Two 8 course vegan tasting menus cooked by Masterchef The Professionals finalist Ritchie Stainsby
All your meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and complimentary wine with dinner.
A vegan cooking masterclass with Ritchie Stainsby covering multiple dishes and techniques
Cognac tasting and cocktails made by Lauren Stainsby
2 nights stay in luxury accommodation with full use of the gardens & swimming pool.
Two 8 course vegan tasting menus cooked by Masterchef The Professionals finalist Ritchie Stainsby
All your meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and complimentary wine with dinner.
A vegan cooking masterclass with Ritchie Stainsby covering multiple dishes and techniques
Cognac tasting and cocktails made by Lauren Stainsby
Weekend itinerary
Friday
Arrive Friday evening (we can discuss transport from the airport with you)
8 course tasting menu with local wine
Saturday
Breakfast buffet
Vegan masterclass with Ritchie & lunch
8 course tasting menu with local wine
Sunday
Breakfast buffet
Check out
Ritchie Stainsby, your chef for the weekend
Ritchie Stainsby is a self-taught chef whose passion for plant-based cuisine has redefined vegan dining in the UK. With no formal culinary training, Ritchie honed his skills through relentless experimentation, guided by a deep commitment to sustainability and ethical food practices.
Driven by his mission to challenge perceptions of vegan food, Ritchie’s creations combine bold flavours, intricate techniques, and locally sourced ingredients. His goal is to make plant-based dining not just accessible, but exceptional.
As head chef at his award-winning Nottingham restaurant, No. Twelve, Ritchie continues to push the boundaries of what plant-based cuisine can offer. His commitment to sustainability and creativity has earned the restaurant four consecutive Good Food Awards UK from 2022 to 2025, cementing its place as a leader in the plant-based dining scene.
Having reached the finals in MasterChef: The Professionals, Ritchie is venturing out of his restaurant to explore the world and provide his food further afield.
“This is one of those dishes that can change minds. This is the best vegan dish I’ve ever eaten.”
William Sitwell, restaurant critic The Telegraph
“One of the hardest things to impress people is plant-based cookery. You’ve got beautiful little elements singing all the way through this. Very very good indeed.”
Marcus Wareing, chef & restauranteur
“You don’t see cooking like this very often”
Grace Dent, restaurant critic The Guardian
“Ingenious”
William Sitwell, restaurant critic The Telegraph
“Real technical proficiency”
Jimmy Famurewa, restaurant critic
Take part in a vegan masterclass with Ritchie Stainsby
Spend a morning with Ritchie Stainsby learning how to make handmade vegan pasta with a rich sauce made with local mushrooms and cognac.
During the masterclass you will learn:
Making fresh vegan pasta by hand across a variety of shapes.
Utilising fresh mushrooms produced right in the village and local cognac to make a decadent filling.
Championing beautiful herbs to make bright, fragrant oils for dressings, pestos, and salsas.
Sauce making using local ingredients.
“The outstanding produce in this region of France has left me spoilt for choice on how best to showcase it. I’ve decided to celebrate local mushrooms and turn back to my roots of pasta making.
By the end of the afternoon, you’ll be confident you can impress your friends with fully plant-based pasta skills, new chef techniques that can be easily applied in your home kitchen, and how best to use up leftover produce. You’ll even be able to take recipe cards home.”
A note from Ritchie Stainsby
Accommodation
La Cour de Husson is nestled in the beautiful rolling fields and cognac vineyards of The Charente. Guests will stay in two newly renovated self-contained gîtes (holiday cottages). There are a mix of king, super king, double, and twin rooms to choose from. Please see the prices section for more details on room setup.
The Gardens
The Rooms
Prices
2 people sharing
Weekend- €1190 per room based on 2 people sharing a double room.
- Shared bathroom
Twin room
WeekendSOLD OUT
- Twin room. Either be paired with a roommate or book to share with a friend
- En-suite bathroom
Single room
WeekendSOLD OUT
- Private double room for 1 person.
- Shared bathroom
Reserve your place
FAQs
Do I have to be vegan to come?
Absolutely not! The weekend is open to everyone to enjoy the delights of plant-based cuisine.
How do I get there?
Depending on where you’re traveling from you can fly into the following airports:
Poitiers – 50 minute drive
Limoges – 1 hour 20 minute drive
La Rochelle – 1 hour 45 minute drive
Bordeaux – 2 hours drive
If you are travelling by train our local main station is Angoulême (there are direct trains to Paris & Bordeaux from here)
You can pick up car hire from all of the airports and train stations as there is no public transport beyond these locations.
Travel between the airport and the accommodation is the responsibility of the guest but we will be doing 1 transfer to and from Poitiers airport on Friday and Sunday on flights FR 2479 & FR 2480 – Please get in touch with us for details and costs.
During the weekend transport is included to the cognac tasting and any other planned excursions.
Can I extend my trip beyond the weekend?
If you wanted to come a day earlier or leave a day later, the price for extending your stay would be €100 per person per night, room only.
What do I have to bring with me?
Just yourselves. All the ingredients and equipment for the masterclass will be provided.
Can I eat all the things that I make?
Yes, absoluteley! After the masterclass you’ll be able to enjoy the dishes that you have created for your lunch.
Will all the meals be vegan?
Yes, all the food provided will be vegan. Please let us know in advance of any food allergies or things we need to be aware of.
Do I have to be vegan to come?
Absolutely not! The weekend is open to everyone to enjoy the delights of plant-based cuisine.
How do I get there?
Depending on where you’re traveling from you can fly into the following airports:
Poitiers – 50 minute drive
Limoges – 1 hour 20 minute drive
La Rochelle – 1 hour 45 minute drive
Bordeaux – 2 hours drive
If you are travelling by train our local main station is Angoulême (there are direct trains to Paris & Bordeaux from here)
You can pick up car hire from all of the airports and train stations as there is no public transport beyond these locations.
Travel between the airport and the accommodation is the responsibility of the guest but we will be doing 1 transfer to and from Poitiers airport on Friday and Sunday on flights FR 2479 & FR 2480 – Please get in touch with us for details and costs.
During the weekend transport is included to the cognac tasting and any other planned excursions.
Can I extend my trip beyond the weekend?
If you wanted to come a day earlier or leave a day later, the price for extending your stay would be €100 per person per night, room only.
What do I have to bring with me?
Just yourselves. All the ingredients and equipment for the masterclass will be provided.
Can I eat all the things that I make?
Yes, absoluteley! After the masterclass you’ll be able to enjoy the dishes that you have created for your lunch.
Will all the meals be vegan?
Yes, all the food provided will be vegan. Please let us know in advance of any food allergies or things we need to be aware of.
I have not had the opportunity to stay with them but the friendly and honest reactions in our communications for sure makes me even more see the Cour de Husson with my own eyes.
Everything about our stay was perfect. The interior is beautifully designed and well thought through. The bedrooms and communal areas are modern without sacrificing a homely feeling. You can tell the hosts have poured their hearts into renovating the gîtes to an exemplary standard.
The rest of the property is equally stunning, with a lovely pool area as well as a cosy covered area lit by fairy lights.
The food was absolutely exquisite - every meal featured a beautiful and generous selection of inventive dishes using fresh ingredients, many of which were sourced from the neighbouring area. So not only are Jen and Nick the friendliest hosts you could wish for, but they are incredibly talented in the kitchen too.
We spent much of our trip plotting our return - we can't wait to come back with our families to show off this gem we are so pleased to have discovered.
home, days spent by the pool, epic scenery, even the weather was perfect. And homemade vegan ice cream, come on! Jen and Nick are super hosts and went above and beyond to help us have the best, most relaxed time. We are vegan gîte converts now and we're already counting the days until we return. Merci pour tout!
The grounds and house is absolutely stunning, with a huge garden, great pool, BBQ etc and set in lovely fields. Very quiet, relaxing area but with plenty to do nearby. The hosts are super nice and accommodating. The vegan breakfast was a highlight also.
Loved our stay there and would certainly come again.
I was personally after a trip where I was able to switch off and relax, but also be able to explore a bit of this fairytale part of France - and this stay really delivered! We were able to find real peace chilling out in the gîte, but also enjoyed fun days out cognac tasting, exploring local towns, eating cake in local villages, going for evening walks through the fields and even visited some historical sites and museums (thanks to Jen & Nick's amazing recommendations!) I honestly barely had to use my brain the whole time - and had no idea how much I needed that!
I cannot recommend La Cour de Husson enough - and can't thank Jen & Nick enough for being such brilliant hosts. We will absolutely be back!
Thank you for the best stay- we will 100% be returning!
Although Jen & Nick were around if needed it was such a private little haven, honestly I could have just stayed there the whole time and been extremely happy! I read on my private terrace for hours with a beautiful local wine that my lovely hosts suggested I try. However, there are some lovely places to see nearby and there is a book of things you can do too in the gite which I found really handy.
The vegan breakfast was also divine!! It was so delicious, among other things I tried Jens vegan cinnamon buns. For all my fellow vegans out there, just come for those alone! Next time I also want to try the vegan picnic hamper that you can organise via the hosts too.
Without a doubt I will definitely be coming back here again. I felt so comfortable and at home, and there is still so much I would like to do. I genuinely feel like I had a luxury break away from the madness of London.
Thank you so much to Jen & Nick, I hope to see you again next year!!
The surroundings are beautiful and lovely towns and villages to go to.
Jen and Nick made our holiday unforgettable, for so many reasons. And we also love the vegan life.
We hope to visit them again and enjoy everything they have to offer.
And the swimming pool is the best we had in years.
Nick & Jane are high-quality hosts who go out of their way to offer you a very high standard of stay (special mention for vegans, who will appreciate the efforts of adapted breakfasts).
The lodgings are extremely comfortable, perfectly equipped, and decorated with great taste, in a rustic and modern mix which totally preserves the authenticity of the atmosphere.
The place is in a hamlet which adjoins a medieval village with many shops (including a very practical grocery store / tobacconist), and 10 minutes from a town which offers all amenities.
The ideal place to visit a region that never ceases to surprise us, for its tranquility, its immediate nature, its historical heritage and even its proximity to the ocean!
Thanks again !
Nestled between cognac vines and sunflower fields is a beautiful relaxing place. La Cour de Hudson. Our hosts welcomed us with a delicious vegan dinner and couldn’t have been more welcoming.
The gite is surrounded by local markets and farm shops. A treasure trove for a foodie like me.
The accommodation itself is sparkling; beautifully decorated and every night was like sleeping in cotton wool. We couldn’t have asked for more than an everyday refreshing swim in the clear blue pool before drinks in the courtyard.
Nick and Jen were perfect hosts and knew best recommendations.
I’ll definitely be returning !
Nic and Jen went above and beyond to make our stay perfect !
Will definitely be returning
The Gite is stylish, tasteful, and simple yet chic, with every convenience. I even had my own private little courtyard - perfect for coffee and croissant in the mornings after a sublime morning dip in the crescent shaped pool!
The wonderfully comfortable beds with gorgeous crisp, white linen ensured a great nights sleep in this haven of peace and tranquility.
Jen and Nick are lovely: perfect hosts, discrete yet on hand when needed. They have done an amazing job of bringing this wonderful old building back to life.
Thank you for a really enjoyable stay!
Top tip: try the delicious vegan breakfast served in the courtyard - I'm now a convert to vegan cuisine.
What we all loved about staying here is that it felt like no detail was left unnoticed. The gite had everything we needed and was decorated so tastefully-it's the perfect combo of feeling "homey" and also like a hotel. There were fresh flowers and a great welcoming basket of snacks (chocolate, chips, Lotus cookies, cake), all excellent quality, when we arrived. Then we had beautiful breakfast spreads every morning -fresh baguettes, homemade cinnamon rolls, overnight oats, preserves, orange juice, chia yogurt cups, homemade granola-a different combo of the above, each day. They had coffee and tea and options for all: French press, espresso maker, and Italian coffee maker, and non dairy milk. All of it was tasty and we really looked forward to the breakfast every morning.
The rooms are spacious with cute decor and we had plenty of space. We loved the big tub in one of the bathrooms (and plenty of hot water for baths!!!!), and the aromatherapy soap was a nice touch:)
The setting doesn't get more beautiful. It overlooks the countryside, and there is a ton of outdoor space. There's an area to barbecue, including a full-sized grill and table. There's an area to hangout on the hammock and read a book. There's an area for lounging at the beautiful, clear blue pool. It's all so peaceful and picturesque. It's a dream switch up for us city people-all the amenities but in nature!
Jen and Nick, the owners were the most hospitable and gracious, hosts. They left no stone unturned inside the gite and with the meals. They also were super helpful with info and recommendations on what to do in the area, where to eat, and just made us feel at home and comfortable. We went to a local cake and flower shop that they recommended as well as a Cognac tour, about 45 minutes away and enjoyed both. We loved staying here and plan to come back whenever we next visit France.
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