Taste the
Mediterranean
The spring edition of our flagship retreat: five nights of fine food and beverages, foraging, wild flowers, and gentle blue tranquility on the Costa Brava.
Spring in the Mediterranean. Blue skies and temperatures in the mid 20s. April usually brings rain, and after the rain come the spring flowers. Chamomile lines the roadsides, the wisteria and bougainvillea burst into colour. The growing season starts early, the first tomatoes will be arriving, peas and asparagus still at their best, the cherries and loquats will be plump and flavoursome.
We will be cooking together by hand using the season's best produce, tasting wines and olive oils from the region and the wider Mediterranean, exploring local markets, ceramics and antiques, tasting wild greens on a foraging walk along the coastal Camí de Ronda finishing with an MFJ picnic on the beach, and enjoying a lunch laid out amidst the flowers at Maren's local flower farm.
Mornings start slow, with coffee and a breakfast buffet on the terrace. Each day leads us on a different gastronomic adventure, meeting local producers and learning about what they make and how they make it. Afternoons are usually spent relaxing by the pool. Evenings spent in the farmhouse kitchen learning dishes and techniques from around the Mediterranean.
There will be many tables, many plates, many glasses of wine, and many, many of those special moments that one doesn't forget.
The Itinerary
Settle in
Arrivals from 4pm. Find your room, take the pool, unwind and make yourself at home.
Welcome aperitivo
A warm welcome from us, cocktails and canapés built around the first of the season's produce.
Paella cooking class
Hands on with chef Steve, from choosing ingredients to mastering the socarrat, plus crema catalana and a fresh gazpacho.
Breakfast & Fontclara olive farm
A breakfast buffet of local, seasonal produce, followed by a tour and tasting at Fontclara, a family run olive farm nearby.
Lunch in the olive groves
A light lunch laid out amidst the olive groves.
Pasta making workshop
Pea and ricotta tortellonis, focaccia, and a rich ragù, tiramisu to finish.
Horta de la Viola flower farm
Breakfast, followed by a tour of Horta de la Viola, with the chance to pick your own flowers, learn how they're grown, and a flower arranging workshop.
A spring lunch at the flower farm
A spring themed lunch, laid out amongst the flowers.
French classics workshop
Asparagus with a brunoise vinaigrette, a proper bouillabaisse, and mastering the soufflé.
Foraging walk with Roger
Breakfast, then a guided walk along the Camí de Ronda with local master forager Roger, gathering wild greens, herbs and edible flowers as we go: sea fennel, samphire, rock samphire and whatever else the season offers.
Coastal picnic
A relaxed lunch by the water, dressed with the morning's foraged finds.
Middle Eastern cooking class
Ottolenghi inspired dishes, drawn from Steve's own time working alongside chefs at Migrateful.
The market at La Bisbal d'Empordà
Breakfast, followed by a visit to the local food market, where we'll meet more artisans and buy produce to take home: salted bacalao, fuet, jamón, and the growers behind them. A chance too to visit the ceramics and antiques shops La Bisbal is known for.
Pincho making competition
A pincho making competition, built from whatever we picked up at market.
Wine tasting & farewell dinner
A tasting of local Empordà wines up in the tower, with 360 degree views to the Pyrenees and the coast, led by local sommelier Laura, showcasing the lesser known wines of the region. Followed by a farewell dinner, cooked by us.
A last breakfast together
Before we say our goodbyes.
Hasta la próxima
Check out from 11am. Transfers arranged to coincide with your onward travel.
Torre Ronsat
A traditional Catalan masia beside the village of La Bisbal d'Empordà, in the heart of the Costa Brava, an hour and a half north of Barcelona and forty minutes from medieval Girona.
The estate sits within a natural park, among olive groves, vineyards and arable farmland, with the silhouette of the Pyrenees on the horizon and some of the Mediterranean's most beautiful beaches close by. It means birdsong in the morning, cicadas in the evening, and the odd insect for company, all part of staying somewhere this wild and unspoiled. You have the run of the swimming pool, plunge pool, gardens and the communal areas of both the tower and the main farmhouse.
Choose your room
Nine rooms across the Masia and the Torre, in three tiers, each priced per person, with single or double occupancy. Booking takes you to this retreat's own page where you pick your room. A 25% deposit secures your place, and the balance is due 90 days before arrival.
Master & Courtyard
King en suites with the best light, views and terraces.
Sunset & Guest
Comfortable doubles and twins, each with its own bathroom.
Twins & Single
The most affordable way to join the table; single from €3,650.
Accommodation at Torre Ronsat with full use of the pool, plunge pool, tennis court and gardens, all cooking classes (around three hours a day), breakfast, lunch and dinner, aperitivos, wine pairings and unlimited house wine, soft drinks, tea and coffee, all workshops and visits with private transfers, and ground transfers to and from Girona station.
Flights and travel insurance are not included, so please arrange these yourself. Massage is available on request but isn't included in the price. Anything you'd like to buy while you're out, market finds, a piece of ceramics, an extra bottle of wine, is on you too.
All pricing is per person, with each room costed at a single or double occupancy rate. A double occupancy room is for two people travelling together, so you'd buy two places, one for you and one for the person you're sharing with.
Not at all. Classes are designed for everyone from complete beginners to confident cooks. We're there to keep things running smoothly and to help where it's needed, all we ask is that you bring some enthusiasm.
No. Double occupancy rooms are for friends or partners travelling together. We never place two strangers in a room. Common areas in the tower and farmhouse are shared with the other guests.
We keep each retreat to a maximum of 14 guests, on purpose. It changes how people talk to each other, and you'll share the farmhouse with a small group of like minded food lovers. Private group bookings are also available.
Girona is the nearest city. We run two pick ups from Girona train station on arrival day, at 1pm and 4pm, timed to trains from Barcelona and Paris. From Barcelona airport, take the AVE fast train from Barcelona Sants to Girona, under 40 minutes. Girona also has its own airport, let us know your flights and we'll arrange a transfer.
We happily accommodate vegetarians and pescatarians, and will do our best with other requirements, intolerances and allergies, just let us know before booking. Nonalcoholic options are always available, though we can't offer an alternative to the wine tasting itself.
This is an adults only retreat, we're unable to accommodate children under 16.
The itinerary above is a sample. Occasionally we adjust things for reasons outside our control, foraging and the flower farm depend on what the season gives us, but we only ever make changes that improve the experience, never ones that take away from its magic.
"We all came home with a million photos, a book of recipes we actually know how to make, and a bunch of new friends. If only more of life was as magical as this retreat."
Nina Caplan · The Times, 2025"A week of fantastic food, brilliantly paired wines, friendship and fun. Steve and Suki have curated the perfect escape for anyone who wants to develop their culinary skills."
Spring 2024 Retreat guest"Much more luxurious than I was expecting. I loved the olive oil tasting and making tortelloni and soufflé. The lessons were accessible from beginner through to accomplished cooks."
Spring Half-Week guest, 2025"Great itinerary — full enough but not overwhelming. Walks, beaches, cooking, wine tasting, eating, swimming. Nice small group. Can't recommend it enough."
Spring Half-Week guest, 2025
Five nights. One table. Fourteen seats.
Rooms are limited, and the best go first. Secure yours with a 25% deposit.
Book your room