Flavoursholidays.co.uk Omdömen 

Second time out on cookery holiday to Italy with Flavours (last year Sicily, this year Puglia). Fantastic mixture of beautiful locations, quality en suite single rooms, fun guided cookery lessons, interesting excursions and free time to laze around the pool. Not to mention the wonderful food and the unlimited prosecco and wine 😀. A winning formula!

Excellent from start to finish - nothing was too much trouble for our host and chef. Cooking was great fun and the mix of excursions, cooking and down time was just right. Accommodation was first class. Would definitely travel again with Flavours.

My language holiday in Tuscany was excellent , I thoroughly enjoyed the course the organisers who looked after us and the itenary.
Will go on another flavour holiday again definitely .

A great week's holiday in Puglia with Pilates morning and evening most days. Immaculate grounds around the villa, big (unheated) swimming pool and view from this area across the sea towards Albania and Greece. Lovely host Valentina (very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about Puglia and her work), and chef Mina (nothing too much trouble for either). Really tasty and typical local meals made for us there with explanations of their ingredients (some of which grown on the site). A couple of 'assembling' cooking sessions good fun and Prosecco and nibbles pre both lunches and dinners and then wine with - everything plentiful. Non drinkers of course well looked after too. Chilled bottles of water available 24/7 together with a bowl of fresh fruit and biscuits. Help yourself cold breakfasts with choices from granola, cornflakes, local cheeses, eggs, berries, yogurt, local made jams, toast etc. Pizzas made in the pizza oven on site the last evening and throughout the week, always second helpings available at all meals. Joe an absolutely excellent Pilates instructor providing varied sessions and an attentive personalised approach towards each person's abilities and needs. A personal chat with each person at the start and end of the holiday with annotated notes to take away - again, nothing too much trouble. A boat trip with swim and stop for great gelato after, also visits to local towns for breakfast one morning followed by the market there and on another day a visit to local artisan shops. One day a late afternoon/evening visit to Lecce with a meal there and another evening meal in a local town close to the villa. So with this glowing review why not 5 stars??? Simply because what were niggles on our group's visit, could conceivably become bigger issues and I've followed up with Flavours so the following will not be a surprise to them. There is little natural or manmade shade available for Pilates. Our sessions were at 8 am and 6 pm (you wouldn't want an earlier start, it is a holiday after all) and at these times the sun was hot even between 8-15th June my holiday dates. Available shade was limited combined with likely higher temperatures would only worsen with later holiday dates. Additionally the only indoor space if outside were either too hot or wet (as it was once with us), is the lounge of the main villa. To make that usable for Pilates, quite a lot of furniture has to be moved and even then the space is quite 'cosy' for the 7 guests and instructor. A third point is that the layout of the accommodation is not made clear by the advertising literature. It is not one large villa but a number of smaller villas spread around the site. This in itself is not a problem other than those furthest away from the pool, dining area and where Pilates is done can be anything up to 60 or more quite steep steps down through the gardens. There is no separate toilet/washroom area available near the pool or pilates area and so if it weren't for the 2 lovely guests who's villa was the main one (the one with the lounge transformed into a pilates venue if necessary) had not always been happy for us to use their en-suite facilities, having a quick freshen up after Pilates before breakfast or at any other time, could have become a bit of a trial. I would be very happy to use Flavours again - especially if a similarly wonderful group of women I was there with could be guaranteed again!

I have now been on two Flavours painting holidays in Italy (Sicily and Romagna). Accommodation, food, organization and tuition were all of a high standard.

- The accommodation was comfortable and spacious, and other participants seemed to be satisfied, too. The villa in Sicily was much larger as there were 5 artists and 7 cooks; in Romagna there were 7 artists.
- The food was very good, exceptional in Romagna.
- Both holidays were well organized. The staff in the Edinburgh office were very helpful before the start, both properties had a manager/rep who could not do enough for us.
- The tutors were quite different. One had been in the art teaching profession, the other a graphic designer before moving into full time art. Both were very encouraging and technically proficient, and I feel that I made great progress.

Both holidays were very enjoyable, and good value for money.

The whole set up was superb: villa, host, chef, workshops and days out. Can't find even the smallest of niggle, they were all superb.
Only basic skills required as we all worked as a group to make communal dishes with the chef on hand to adjust/correct us. There was as much laughing as cooking going on!

I went on my first cookery holiday to Tuscany with Flavours having previously met another lady who had recommended it. We had 5 sessions in the kitchen with our Italian Chef and host and we all participated in preparation of various Tuscan savoury and sweet dishes which we ate at lunchtime. The staff were friendly and made our stay comfortable and enjoyable. I loved the atmosphere of the villa and the attractive and peaceful Tuscan countryside and the meals, Prosecco and wine. My bedroom was spacious and I slept well. The meal times were shared with a group who were doing a painting holiday and it was lovely to chat together. The programme also had free time to relax by the pool and I also walked locally along tracks between the vines. I plan to do another holiday possibly next year and discover a new area and their cuisine.

Great pilates holiday in Tuscany
Excellent pilates instructor. Explanations provided on the exercises.
Chef and host worked well together. Food plentiful and I enjoyed the menus. Tuscan country type menus. Wine and prosecco also plentiful. The fruit bowl was also a nice touch.
Lovely villa.
Thank you Flavours

I have been on a number of Flavours trips and am going to Tuscany again in September this year. My most recent holiday was to Seville in June. Another Pilates trip with lovely teacher Diane who is an absolute delight, making everyone feel at ease regardless of experience. The villa is beautiful with traditional Spanish furnishings and immaculate spacious guest rooms. The hosts, Rafa and Kate, are the most convivial hosts and are rightly proud of their home! Nothing was too much trouble and we ate like kings on organic food from their farm.What a treat! Rafa is a brilliant chef.Kate a brilliant host!! The group gelled from the start and the Flamenco demonstration was wonderful and so much fun. Wish there were more direct flights to some destinations from Manchester. So looking forward to seeing friends made on previous holidays on my next trip to Tuscany in September with my favourite teacher Diane. Thanks Flavours - a winning formula for me!!

Flavours manage everything on their holidays apart from the flights, but they will give help with them if needed.
Excellent value for money. Accommodation was delightful & very clean. Food prepared by our chef for evening meals 5* Prosecco tasting trip was first class as were the other trips to Treviso & Venice.
The cooking experience was great fun, informative & delicious. The owner of the villa was also our chef & she was quite amazing.
Our group has already booked for our next Flavours cooking trip next year.

I have had several holiday with Flavours. The most recent was in June in Tuscany doing painting. There were 6 of us on this holiday. Although we were supposed to have 5 painting sessions with our tutor, we continued with sketching and painting on our visits, even in a crowded tourist resort. Our tutor was so encouraging and supportive.
We were in a large villa in the Tuscan hills with great views. We had a host who looked after us and came with us on trips to Volterra and San Gimignano. The swimming pool was very welcome in between our painting sessions and trips out. The food was prepared by our cook giving a taste of local cuisine and wine.
I like Flavours holidays because they use beautiful villas with single accommodation. There is always plenty of food and wine and there is a common interest in the various courses.

This was my 1st Flavours holiday & I can thoroughly recommend them. I did a cooking holiday to Sicily. It was a small group - just 3 people doing the cooking part & 3 doing a Pilates week so it felt like a house party! The farmhouse was amazing. The host, Catherine, was really lovely & the cooking - both the lessons & the food throughout really tasty!
There is a really good balance of the 'lessons', the free time & the sightseeing.... & I particulalry enjoyed the aperitivo served before every lunch & dinner!!

Wonderful holiday in Emilia Romagna. Livia and PierLuigi made the experience special. The cooking lessons were brilliant and Livia as the host went over and above to ensure we had a great time. Accompanying us on the local visits and also a day in Bologna made all these events memorable. Lovely house and area. Opportunities to walk as well as relax, eat and drink! Great choice of holiday.

Recently enjoyed my 10th holiday with Flavours. Great week painting in Sicily with Mark Holden. Lovely villa and great food. Flavours have developed a winning formula which makes their holidays a very relaxing and enjoyable experience.

Came back from Puglia and the Casa Pisanelli in June and had such a lovely time . Already been to Sicily and Tuscany but this was my favourite. The villa was beautiful, Antonio our chef was great and although this was Fabiano our hosts first time at the villa she was such fun and we all laughed our way through the week. We’ve already booked to go to Venice next year - can’t wait.
I went with a group of friends but I’d happily go on my own .

Myself and two friends booked Cooking in Puglia at the beginning of June. From the moment we arrived at the villa to be greeted by our host Monia and Chef Antonio until we all said goodbye as we arrived back at Gatwick, we could not have wished for a better holiday. As a group of seven we had so much fun and laughter in the breathtaking former hunting lodge Casino Pisanelli . Monia went above and beyond and Antonio was a very calm and patient teacher! As a group we will stay in touch, and we have so many wonderful memories. Thank you Flavours!

The quality of Villa met expectations and was lovely.
Everything, from the pool to seating areas , cooking prep, kitchen was spacious and comfortable.
Our host, Michela, was competent, friendly, funny, helpful and dedicated to providing satisfaction and a warm experience for all guests.
Carla was a good demonstrative cook with a great sense of humour. The cooking classes were enjoyable and all the recipes worked well.
Excursions were fun and very interesting, to lovely places.

Having been on 2 Flavours painting holidays--Tuscany and Andalucia,I have to say that meeting 2 groups of lovely people was the highlight of the holidays.However having read the other reviews I have to agree with many criticisms of the food in Tuscany.I do have to be careful with what I eat and found much of the food 'heavy' and indigestible. In contrast the food in Andalucia was beautiful and I had no problems.The villa and surroundings were lovely and the Tutors were excellent.
In Tuscany we joined with the cookery group who were nearby in another villa for trips which I did not feel worked very well. All in all though I think the holiday is pretty good value as everything is included, the only problem is finding suitable flights.

For my fifth Flavours Holiday I returned to Sicily, having previously also been to Bologna, Tuscany and Puglia. It was a very happy experience, with excellent host Mihaela and chef Carla, who were both very friendly, great fun and nothing was too much bother for them. The villa is spacious, with a lovely pool and jacuzzi. The members of the two courses, Cookery and Language, made a very pleasant group who were happy to socialise and go on outings together.

The holiday in Sicily paired Italian language students with those learning to cook local dishes, which we all ate for lunch. The shared meals, at the villa, and at restaurants in Ortigia and Modica, created a wonderful group feeling. The Flavours staff at the villa committed everything to making our stay enjoyable, and joined in all the many organised trips. There are so many good things to say about the holiday, but I'll just mention a couple. The holiday is all-inclusive, and struck me as exceptionally good value for what you get. Secondly, there is no extra charge for singletons, so the people who go are a more varied group than you might get normally, and more open to socialising with strangers.