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Taste trekking in Tuscany. In late April a girlfriend and I had the pleasure of taking our first cooking class with Flavours Holidays. We didn't know what to expect. We hoped to learn a few recipes for authentic Italian cooking that we could bring back with us and further refine in our own kitchens. The class surpassed any and all of our expectations. Flavours provided us with an amazing holiday - from the airport pu's to the pastoral villa where we stayed to Barbara our delightful, talented teacher and chef to Sarah our fun, and very capable translator. Everything was top notch. We wouldn't hesitate recommending a holiday with them and already are looking forward to future trips.

I recently returned from my 10th Flavours holiday, having visited Italy, Spain and Morocco with them. Most of them have centred around Pilates, but this time I decided to try Italian language instead. The tutor Alessia was wonderful, creating lessons for each morning class that also had us learning about the Puglian history. Our group of six students bonded well, and we spent a lot of time speaking (listening in my case!) in Italian at mealtimes. Food was tasty, light and simple with excellent ingredients, and the Palazzo was divine. I didn't want to leave.

Being based in a small town (Maglie) was really lovely, as we could all be independent if we so wished, and I became a regular for a morning caffe al banco or an afternoon gelato in the local cafes - all to work on my Italian, of course!

I think Flavours has a great recipe for stress-free holidays, which is why I keep rebooking. I work really hard and don't always want to have to think on holiday, so to have hosts looking out for you is worth every penny.

Flavours have got the right balance between cooking, leisure and sightseeing, making their holidays extremely enjoyable. The hosting and local teams are all excellent,you are looked after really well. Whether you are on your own or a couple , it's great fun!

We enjoyed our week in Tuscany, our villa was situated in beautiful countryside and was surrounded by vineyards and olive groves.
The language teacher was very engaging and delivered varied lessons.
My husband meanwhile did the cookery course and was somewhat disappointed as there wasn't sufficient room in the kitchen for all the guests.
As far as the food was concerned I missed fruit and vegetables and found the food very heavy (but maybe that is Tuscan cuisine?).

Wonderful holiday - accommodation, food, drink and excursions great.
Our platies teacher Maddie provided us with great and varied sessions taking into account individual needs.
The Chef provided delicious meals and our host looked after us well.

I was recommended Flavours Holidays as excellent for people holidaying on their own and it didn't disappoint.
The Villa was located in Emelia Romana just outside the village of Brisighella. Lovely villa with stunning views. Our chef Pierluigi was a superb tutor and taught me a lot about making pasta and Italian food and the importance of regionality. He helped us cook some memorable dishes. Great chef and artist. Our host Livia was also very knowledgeable and just couldn't do enough to ensure that we had a memorable holiday. I've just got to put into practice what I learned.

The venue for my Flavours holiday was the most amazing villa (complete with working farm) situated amongst miles of unspoiled countryside about an hour’s drive from Seville. The owners, Chef Rafa and his fiancé Kate, live on site with their two dogs and they and Flavours host Carmen made us feel very welcome - nothing was too much trouble for them.

The villa is filled with all sorts of interesting artefacts, gathered over many years, and the guest rooms are spectacular (mine had an antique four-poster bed) but there are plenty of modern touches too, like efficient WiFi, abundant hot water and even a gym/games area for anyone feeling particularly energetic!

Our cooking lessons were comprehensive and fun -we especially enjoyed a competition to see who could produce the best Spanish omelette! - and the meals cooked for us were delicious and plentiful, as were the offerings of cava and wine. I enjoyed the trips that were organised for us (all within an hour’s drive on a comfortable mini-bus) but was equally happy to just chill out and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the beautiful surroundings.

I’ve read some of the negative comments about other Flavours holidays and of course recognise that everybody’s views will be different, according to their own experiences, but for me, this particular Flavours holiday deserves a 10/10!!

We followed recommendations of some friends and went on a Flavour's cookery course. However it seems we were unfortunate in choosing to go to Tuscany.
Our experience w/c 4th May was similar to those who went in the following week.

The food and the teaching (which after all was the point of the holiday) was a massive disappointment. The chef was lovely but out of his depth as he had never taught a class before. He was very poor at delegating so for most of the week we watched and didn’t learn very much, to the point where it became very boring. And the food we prepared and were provided with was poor (virtually no meat, fish, vegetables or fruit). It was unimaginative and repetitive. The venue was also a disappointment because the communal areas were too small and ill equipped for the number of people and the bedroom was dark and uncomfortable. Finally the customer service representative was unresponsive to our need and expressed irritation with us at times.

We bought a cooking course but ended up as kitchen hands. We did not learn any culinary skills. None of us actually touched a pan, stirred something or cooked anything. We paid a lot of money for this course (we could have stayed in a lovely hotel all week for that money) but what we received was completely inadequate.

I had a great holiday with Flavours- everything was so well organised and the company were extremely helpful and friendly to deal with. From the moment I was picked up from the airport everything ran smoothly and was really good- the location, the accommodation,the ambience, the food and drink. A special mention for the Pilates teacher, Rebecca who was excellent. Had a fabulous time, would thoroughly recommend.

I really cannot find any faults with this trip. It was well organised & nothing was too much trouble. The meals at the villa were delicious with high quality local ingredients, prepared by Mina & there was always more if we wanted. Valentina, our host & also the area manager, is extremely knowledgeable & a brilliant & friendly host.
Our Pilates teacher, Susan, is a great teacher, friendly & supportive to us all.
The gardens & pool were immaculate, with the gardener there early mornings keeping it all beautiful & he also made us lots of different pizzas on the last evening.
The boat trip was beautiful with Frederico serenading us on his guitar & prosecco & snacks provided. All the outings to various towns & tratorrias were fascinating & meals excellent.
As a group of 5, plus Susan who was treated the same as the guests, we very quickly developed a lovely friendship & hope to meet up again...
I would certainly recommend this Pilates in Puglia trip with Flavours.

Excellent Pilates holiday. Great teacher - Susie. Good fresh food and lovely accommodation in Sicily. Looked after from the moment I landed in Sicily. Completely stress free and lots of Prosecco too!
Given me the confidence for more solo travel.

Flavours of Disappointment: A Tuscan Cookery Holiday Gone Wrong

My recent Tuscan cookery holiday with Flavours was a culinary catastrophe, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth that no amount of Chianti could wash away.

Our host, Kinga, was an absolute gem. Warm, welcoming and overflowing with local knowledge, she was the saving grace of the trip. However, her efforts were overshadowed by the utter incompetence of the chef.

The cooking classes were an unmitigated disaster. Our chef was clearly unprepared and flustered, stumbling through recipes, going off-piste with zero explanation and offering minimal guidance. Several times she would just vanish mid lesson and we’d be left with no clue as to next steps or any kind of wider plan! Her lack of teaching ability was glaringly obvious, leaving us feeling frustrated and cheated out of the learning experience we had paid for.

Meals served were regularly burnt, very basic or out of a packet. Often, all three - Absolutely not what one would expect having paid good money for a holiday specifically focused on culinary delight!

Adding insult to injury was the company's defensive attitude. Both during and after the trip, they were unwilling to listen to our concerns, dismissing them with platitudes and excuses. Their refusal to acknowledge the chef's shortcomings was a slap in the face to paying customers who had expected a far higher standard. This applies to the onsite/in-country leadership team plus the remote team in the UK.

While the villa and Tuscan scenery were undeniably beautiful, there was a slight issue following a power cut (these things happen) where the hot water didn’t return. 18hrs after reporting this to the local Flavours leadership team, there was still no resolution so was eventually fixed by me… Unfortunately, a nice villa and beautiful Tuscan countryside could not compensate for the disastrous cooking classes and Flavours' dismissive customer service. If you're looking for a cookery holiday that will actually teach you something, I'd strongly advise steering clear of this one.

If the above isn’t enough for you to stay away from Flavours then bear in mind I haven’t even mentioned the kitchen fire, chef needing stitches because she couldn’t use a knife, complete lack of medical / emergency procedure when a guest fell ill or chef disappearing all day and expecting to start a lesson on her return at 6pm. No alternative plan from Flavours, no effort, no care. Just sit around all day and wait.

Flavours may promise a taste of Tuscany, but in reality, they deliver a recipe for disappointment.

Excellent company. Couldn't do any more to make the holiday great.

This was my first cooking holiday with Flavours, and it will not be my last. Tuscany was the ideal location and Margherita the perfect host. We were very lucky to have a great group of people who got on with each other. We learnt lots of hints and tips from our resident chef/teacher Elena. The food was so delicious, and I learnt so much. I don’t think I’ll ever buy a supermarket lasagna ever again! As well as the lessons, we also had a couple of excursions and wine tasting. Just make sure you bring extra luggage as you will need it for all your shopping!
It was relaxing, fun and informative with lots of wine and prosecco in between our lessons.
Can’t wait to go on another cooking holiday with Flavours.

Fantastic trip to Puglia.
The villa was amazing and the good weather certainly helped as we could enjoy the beautiful grounds and the pool.
Monia was a fabulous host and looked after us like family! Antonio was a humble and passionate chef and taught us recipes that were true to his heart and the region. The balance of cooking and free time was just right, we had time to relax in the sun in the afternoons which was well needed after a delicious lunch and wines! Our group was a total mix of ages and we found our ‘happy’ early in the week, which made it a pleasure to share this experience among new friends, of which we are still all in touch. I would recommend flavours and consider another holiday once I have lost at least a stone !! 😅

This was my 2nd holiday with Flavours and the best so far. I visited Seville on a week long Cookery holiday. The Villa I stayed at was about an hours bus drive from Seville. The Villa was in the country in a beautiful location. It was stunning and so well maintained and well equipped. Rafa and Kate are the owners and Rafa is the Chef and Tutor. Carmen the Host was delightful. They are all lovely welcoming people and nothing was too much trouble. Food and instruction were amazing as were the local wines and beer, which were plentiful. There was a lovely group of people on the holiday and we got on well. There isn’t anything I can say bad about my experience. I’ll certainly be revisiting this area as it was beautiful. Flavours are a great company to deal with and look after their customers very well. I will definitely travel with Flavours again. Highly recommended

I went on a short cooking trip to Tuscany in March and I had a wonderful time, met some wonderful people and ate some delicious food. The villa was lovely, the area secluded and peaceful, a bit like something out of a Tuscan recipe book.
I would say that the cooking wasn't as hands on as I was expecting but still very good. Carlo was our chef and our hostess was Sara. Both were delightful and Sara couldn't do more for us, she was so kind and attentive. The pick up from the airport went really smoothly and it was nice not to have to think or worry about anything other than just turning up!

Taster holiday to Morocco. An amazing experience every day. Just a small group of 8 in a villa. We were well looked after throughout. Excellent food and drink. All the activities and days out were well planned and different from a rooftop lunch in the Atlas Mountains to a cookery lesson in Marrakesh and so much more. Guides looked after us on our days out and helped to make it a very special holiday. Will definitely book with Flavours again.

I have been going away with Flavours, for painting holidays, for several years and have enjoyed every one of them. The places I've stayed at all have individual characters - some luxurious, some quirky but always welcoming. I enjoy the "flavours" ethos - I can choose how much painting I want to do and sit by the pool if I don't. Meals are often regional specialities, depending on where you stay in Italy, with local rustic home cooked food alongside restaurant cuisine. Hosts and tutors are friendly and knowledgeable. Hiccups like forgotten essential items are promptly sorted out for you. As a single female heading towards 70, these holidays are so relaxing - no more eating and drinking alone. I've also made friends that I meet up with socially in-between holidays.

I have been a guest of Flavours holidays in the past number of years and can honestly say that I have thoroughly enjoyed every one.
From painting in Sicily and Tuscany to cooking in Puglia , the team at Flavours has made sure that everything is well catered for and everything is arranged for you.
The small groups give you a chance to get to know your fellow guests and the holiday becomes similar to your own house party of like minded individuals.
The personal touch is very much in evidence and if anything goes wrong then I have found it’s quickly and efficiently remedied.
Flavours is an ideal holiday, particularly if you are travelling solo, and particularly if it’s your first time on holiday without a partner.