Issue1 TasteBound compressed - Flipbook - Page 90
ITALY
The art of food
writing in the
Umbrian hills
More creative house party than
formal workshop, weeks spent at
Villa Pia are a celebration of slow
living, artistic energy and good
company. Guests are encouraged
to treat the house as their own,
with cappuccinos and Aperol on
tap and housekeeping staff to make
your bed made for you each day.
What’s not to love?
Your home-from-home is a blueshuttered, 15th-century country
manor perched in the hilltop village
of Lippiano, where Umbria meets
Tuscany. Once the summer residence
of a Florentine family, it’s been
converted into a welcoming
guesthouse with 17 bedrooms spread
across the main house, stables and
barn – all set within terraced gardens,
with Apennine views beyond.
Founded by photographer
Charlotte Bland and designer Ros
Badger, the retreats are rooted in the
pair’s long-standing friendship and
shared creative spirit. Courses are
varied, but the Food Writing Retreat
(11–18 October) with tutors Felicity
Cloake, Mark Diacono and Molly
Wizenberg, is a great example of the
kind of names this retreat attracts.
Despite the calibre of the tutors, no
prior experience is needed – just
bring curiosity, a good appetite and
a desire to slow down and reconnect.
Courses from £2,195, including all food
and drink except lunch and dinner on
the excursion day. blandbadger.com
e5 Bakehouse is swapping
the Big Smoke for the southern
slopes of the Sierra Nevada
SPAIN
e5 Bakehouse’s soulful
Spanish takeover
Small groups (max 20)
keep the courses at Villa
Pia personal and relaxed
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TA S T E B O U N D
Run by east London bakery e5
Bakehouse – which has gained a cult
following since its 2010 launch – this
relaxed foodie getaway takes place
in a remote mountain outpost in the
Alpujarras. It promises to be a week
of slow fermenting and even slower
living, where guests – in groups made
up of no more than ten – follow the
rhythm of the dough rather than the
demands of the clock.
Baking sessions are led by e5’s expert
tutors, covering everything from rye
and ciabatta-style buns to pastries
made using heritage grains and local
almonds. Lessons are broken up with
sun-soaked walks, coffee breaks and
communal meals – served in the
retreat’s tiny, yet hugely accomplished,
in-house restaurant. Nine characterful
rooms are spread throughout a cluster
of converted village houses, with
sweeping views across the wildlife-rich
hills to the distant sea. This is breadmaking as it should be: seasonal, slow
and full of Spanish soul.
From £1,350, including accommodation,
all meals and tuition. laschimeneas.com
