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Tomlins Vegetarian Guest House & Cookery School

Vegetarian Guest House and Cookery School in the beautiful Charente-Maritime region of France.

Surrounded by sunflower fields, beautiful countryside, wildlife and close to both the historic city of La Rochelle and the Atlantic coast.

David and Lorraine owned and ran the highly acclaimed Tomlins Vegetarian Restaurant on the outskirts of Cardiff for 6 years before opening the guest house and Cookery School in May 2004.

Stay at the guest house in one of the 3 large, comfortable bedrooms, each with its own individual style, relax in the comfortable lounge, sit out in the large enclosed garden and enjoy the beautiful food cooked by a top vegetarian chef.

Alternatively stay in one of our 2 bedroom apartments complete with lounge, dining area, kitchenette and bathroom.

Or why not book for a Cookery course where you can enjoy all the above and have fun learning to cook the Tomlins way, with lots of new and exciting dishes to create and of course to eat afterwards.

Whether you come to learn to cook or just to relax you can rest assured that the whole experience will be enjoyable and the food delightful.

Guest House

Stay in one of our comfortable en-suite bedrooms; 2 doubles and 1 twin, each named after a flower, Lis, Rose and Marguerite and decorated to suit.

Relax in our large, comfortable lounge and eat either in the stylish dining room or Al Fresco as the mode takes you.

Choose to have just breakfast with us or opt to join us for as many dinners as you can manage.

Apartments

The apartments, Chocolat & cafe, have been newly converted in the old barn just across from the main house.

Both have 2 bedrooms, a bathroom with shower and a large lunge with kitchenette and dining area.

There is also a small patio area in front of the apartments with outside table and chairs. A cot is also available.

The large garden, sun loungers and boules pitch are available for all to enjoy.

The guest house can also be used for group bookings, either with or without the cookery lessons. There is space available for seminars and any type of practical sessions; painting, yoga, aromatherapy.

Whatever your requirements we will be happy to accommodate you.

Our aim is to make our home your home and our love of food become your love of food.

About the Area

The Charente Maritime region has something for everyone; sun, sand, sea, history, culture, countryside, wildlife .. the list is endless.

With the historic cities and towns of La Rochelle, Saintes and Royan, glorious beaches (calm family spots as well as magnificent surfing waves), beautiful countryside and fascinating islands, a holiday here is an opportunity and experience not to be missed.

Throughout the summer months there are markets, festivals and street theatre. Leisure parks, nature reserves and wildlife parks are open most of the year and the majority of museums, art galleries places of historic interest are also open throughout the year.

Whether you want a sight seeing trip, a relaxing holiday or a mixture of both, the Charante Maritime region can cater for you, as we can!

Cookery School

Whether you're a beginner who wants to know the basics, a gourmet looking for a professional course, or a food lover wanting a cookery holiday, we have the right course for you.

Cook beautiful dishes in a stunning location and even find time to do a little sightseeing!

The cookery school, is located at the back of the house in the old wine chai with the old wine pressoir still instact.

It is a light, airy and large space to work. Places will be limited to between 6 and 8 students to ensure everyone gets as much attention as possible.

The morning cooking sessions will be a mixture of 'Masterclass' demonstrations and lots of hands on cooking.

Classes will be held in a relaxed and friendly environment with lots of time for questions and for learning.

We will also provide a welcome meal on the day of arrival. Other evening meals will be available if required.

On some days we will be creating dishes suitable for lunch, meze style and at the end of each session what else is there to do but sit down with a glass of wine and eat our creations.

On other days we will be developing dinner menus with starters, mains and desserts.

We will learn how things are done in top restaurants and learn how to transfer these techniques to the home. In these sessions we will prepare the food for our evening meal and for those who want to there will be an evening session aimed at teaching presentation skills as the food is finished off before serving.

Partners not wishing to participate in the cookery lessons can relax in the garden, take in the beautiful countryside or visit the many places of interest close by and, of course, join us for the food!