manstouch travel
Cooking in
Burgundy
Cooking in
French Country Cooking Classes in English
Address:
Chateau de Matel
Area
Burgundy
Learning at school was never like this. L'Ecole des Trois Ponts in Roanne offers guests the chance to perfect their French language skills in style. The quickest and most effective way to learn French is to go to France and speak nothing else. Living and studying in the chateau with meals taken with the household, teachers and other guests with time to visit the attractions of the region and try their skill on the locals, guests advance quickly.
With a capacity of 20 guests, the school specialises in teaching French and Cooking in a relaxed atmosphere with professional teaching. Accommodation and meals are provided on site at the chateau. Lunch is buffet style, while dinner is taken together. Speaking the language at table and with teachers. There is an English speaking table for complete beginners.
L'Ecole des Trois Ponts has the advantage of offering classes,
accommodation and meals on the same site, the Chateau de Matel.
This pleasant, quality setting allows guests to be totally immersed
in French (14 hours a day) and favors a friendly, relaxed atmosphère.
Guests at Ecole des Trois Ponts include adults, singles, families,
couples, business people, and ranges from beginners up to
those who have a solid base to fluent speakers who wish
to improve their fluency. We have wide-experience in teaching
all levels. Guests cover a wide range of ages from 20 to 70.
Location:
Situated in Roanne, a city famous for 3-star "Troisgros", one of France's top 10 restaurants. Near the city of Lyons in south-east France. Roanne is close to the Burgundy & Beaujolais wine areas.
Local Places of Interest
Ecole des Trois Ponts specialises in French Language Courses and French Cookery & Pastry Courses for adults looking for a relaxed setting & good food in a convivial, family atmosphere in an 18th century Chateau near the city of Roanne.
At the heart of the Burgundy, Beaujolais, and Auvergne area and just an hour from Lyon and 40 minutes from the cities of Vichy and St Etienne, the little known region of Roanne has preserved its traditions, heritage and the essence of provincial life. A small provincial city, the inhabitants of Roanne make visitors feel welcome and their conviviality is a rare quality that makes the area a special place to visit.
Set at the foothills of the Massif Central, the beauty of the Roanne area is captivating with its medieval villages & abbays, the richness of Cluny and Cistercian architecture, the gently undulating hills of the Cotes Roannaises and Brionnais, its Romanesque churches, and skilled craftsmen. An area steeped in gallo-roman history, life in the Roanne region traces its history back into the forgotten passages of human history.
Its history intimately tied to the Loire river, its lovely canal & pleasant port, lakes, waterways & modern nautical center offer diverse water sports - kayak, canoeing, windsurfing, canal boat rides... A wide variety of sporting & cultural activities for all inclinations are offered from golfing, horse-riding, ice-skating... to its18th century theater, fascinating ceramic, gallo-roman & late 19th century lifestyle museum.
Chateau de Matel & School
The Birth of Ecole des Trois Ponts
A chateau is the very essence of France, its past and its culture and thus an ideal setting for our guests to completely immerse themselves in the French language and culture. Since 1991, at Ecole des Trois Ponts a high-standard of teaching in small-group classes taught by professional teachers is maintained. Between classes guests are able to relax by make the most of the chateau's pool and garden and the numerous sporting and entertainment facilities located nearby.
The Chateau de Matel
The site of Chateau de Matel is an attractive one because of its closeness to the center of Roanne, a medium-sized city. The friendliness of the people of Roanne means they love to take time to talk; a rare quality in big cities like Paris or Lyon.
Located on a site inhabited since the thirteenth century, the Chateau de Matel was bought by Jean Chezard, an aristocrat of Italian descent, in the sixteenth century. The chateau was completely renovated around 1700 as its style dates from this period.
At the height of its glory the estate included twenty surrounding farms. Early this century the chateau was owned by Andre Citroen of car-making fame.
Today the main building covers 1,080 square yards while the property comprises the chateau, outbuildings and 32 acres of park and woodland.An idyllic place to relax between classes. Go for walks or bike-ride along the canal that runs along the foot of the chateau grounds, swim in the chateau pool.
A billard/snooker table is available for guests' use at the chateau
Exercise/Fitness Room
Weights, abdominal & chest exercises with instructions on how to use the machines in English and in French are avaiable!
Accommodation in the Chateau
Accommodation is offered in the Chateau in large twin rooms with private bath & toilet, twin rooms with private shower & toilet and single rooms with private facilities. The Chateau has been restored as it was at the end of the19th centruy. While rooms are comfortable, they are not luxurious.
Getting around Roanne
Bicycles are freely available for use by guests at Ecole des Trois Ponts. As well, a local bus to the City Center is conveniently located 5 minutes from the chateau.
A parking area is available for guests arriving by car.
Local facilities
- Six local tennis courts (we supply racquets/balls)
- A 9-hole Golf Course (clubs may be hired)
- Etrier Equestrian Center
Getting There
By Air: CDG Roissy to Lyon
By Train: Paris CDG Roissy Airport to Lyon by TGV (2 to 2 1/2 hours) then Roanne by regional train.
By Road: Take the A6“direction LYON”, then A77 , then N7 direction NEVERS. Follow the N7 to Roanne.
6-day Cooking Programs
Cost: € 1,450
- All meals with cereal/yogurt breakfast, lunch and dinner, & wine with dinner included.
- Saturday lunches & dinners & Sunday lunches are not included.
- Arrival on Sunday between 4 pm and 7.30 pm and departure on Saturday morning after breakfast.
- Laundry room, iron and hair-dryer available.
French Cooking & French Language Course
This course is aimed at those who love presentation & those extra details which give your dishes that special something to delight friends at a dinner party in a delightfully relaxed, warm atmosphere. Our Chef's imagination has led him to invent some delicious dishes that will enchant your palate and awaken your tastebuds to a palate of flavours with easy to follow gastronomic French recipes.
Pastry/Bakery & French Language Course.
Dare to try pastry cooking & bread-making, enjoy and succeed in doing them : cake-making & decoration, pastry bases and creams for tarts and mini-tarts, croissants, puff pastry for starters & desserts and the wonders of icing and sugar decoration. Special, whole & grain breads.
French Chocolate Making & French Language.
Try chocolate making and a range of chocolate desserts? See how easy & fun it is with a course dedicated to chocolate preparation and use in : gateaux, fondant, pralines, truffles, biscuits, bonbons and more. A real chance to develop your artisitic side and your taste buds
Chef Jean-Marc Villard has wide experience working in high quality 1-3 star restaurants in France as well as working in a restaurant in St Louis in the USA. In the last 10 years, he has worked in a world-reknowned institute, where he shared his passion for teaching French cooking to people coming from all over the world.
The gastronomic pleasures of this course include :
- The delights of salad and dish presentation, cutting techniques & salad dressings
- A savoring experience in stocks and sauces : their preparation and presentation
- Culinary concoctions: fish, poultry & meats, their preparation & presentation with vegetables & herbs.
Name: Country Cooking Class
Duration: 6 Days / 6 Nights
What you will discover
Our relaxed, informal COUNTRY COOKING COURSE in English is a pleasant way to immerse yourself in the French way-of-life and eat good provincial, family-style food at the same time.
Our French Country Course is offered in English. Participants go shopping in the local markets and have their French Country Cooking class in the afternoons, then everyone sits down at table to enjoy their creations. The 6-day French Country Cooking Course includes:
- 2 morning visits to fruit and vegetable markets in medieval villages
- 4 afternoon Cooking Classes where you learn to make typical, French Country dishes, sauces and desserts. Start at 2.30 pm
- 6-days accommodation and all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) except Saturday lunch and dinner
ITINERARY
Day 1 - Monday
8.50am Departure for Marcigny (40 minutes from Roanne,
in southern Burgundy):
- market visit to Marcigny, a C16th medieval village
& the biggest market in the area
2.30 pm Cooking class, demonstration class with hands-on. Participants sit down to eat their creations at the end of the class.
Day 2 - Tuesday
Morning free
2.30pm Cooking class and tasting
Day 3 - Wednesday
Visit Charlieu market, a medieval village or go Roanne
earthernware museum
Afternoon Free
6pm Optional Wine Class
Day 4 - Thursday
Morning Free
2.30pm Cooking Class and tasting
Day 5 - Friday
Visit to market in Roanne & shops
2.30pm Cooking Class and tasting
Name: Pastry and Baking Course
Duration: 6 days / 6 nights
(Possibility to stay on to take French language courses before or after your French & Pastry course)
Dare to try pastry cooking & bread-making, enjoy and succeed in doing them : cake-making & decoration, pastry bases and creams for tarts and mini-tarts, croissants, puff pastry for starters & desserts and the wonders of icing and sugar decoration. Special, whole & grain breads.
An enthusiastic, talented teacher, Chef Alain Berne, (Meilleur Ouvrier de France), with his artistic flair and high technical qualifications, teaches you in a relaxed setting and leads you on a creative adventure that will teach you the basics, improve on them, and encourage you to use your imagination in the creation of an sugar sculpture.
Chef Alain since gaining his title as Best Pastry Chef of the Year has taught for internationally-reknowned culinary schools as a pastry chef.
Participants make 3 morning gastronomy-related visits and 2 afternoon French Pastry Cooking classes in French with English interpreter where you make cakes, pastries desserts and decoration
What you will learn
Preparation of Pastry dough, lining a tart mould, lining fancy cakes, cutting the dough, preparing the "detrempe" for puffed pastry, buttering & turning puffed pastry, cutting & baking puffed pastry
Ingredients
Sweet dough, crushed dough, puffed pastry, chocolate cream, frangipane cream, pastry cream
Creation of following dishes
Fruit tarts & mini-tarts, fancy cakes, a variety of cookies, Pithivier, vol au vent, pear chaussons, millefeuille.
2 afternoons of Bread and Croissant making
What you will learn
Dough-kneading, Fermentation control, Bread-baking
Ingredients
Croissant dough, special breads, whole grain or whole-meal breads.
Creation of following dishes
Croissants, pain au chocolat, sultana rolls, different kinds of bread
ITINERARY
Day 1 - Monday
8.50am Departure for Marcigny (40 minutes from Roanne, in southern Burgundy):
- market visit to Marcigny, a 16th century medieval village & the biggest market in the area
2.30 pm Pastry class, demonstration
class with hands-on.
Participants sit down to eat their creations at the end
of the class.
Day 2 - Tuesday
Morning free
2.30pm Pastry class and tasting
Day 3 - Wednesday
Visit Charlieu market, a medieval village or
go Roanne earthernware museum
Free Afternoon
6pm Optional Wine Class
Day 4 - Thursday
Morning free
2.30pm Pastry/Baking Class and tasting
Day 5 - Friday
Visit to market in Roanne & shops
2.30pm Pastry/Baking Class and tasting
| French and Cooking June 10, July 15, August 12, September 16 |
| French and Gastronomy May 13, June 17, July 22, August 19, September 2, October 14 |
| French & Pastry/Bakery Course September 9 |
| French & Chocolate Making course October 7 |
Price: €1,450 per person
Based on double occupancy
Check Availability
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Visit our other cooking pages :
- France Cooking
- Cooking Packages France
- Cooking in the Loire
- Cooking in Arles
- Cooking in Burgundy