Welcome to my Vegan Cookery School

Le Cheval Blanc is my residential vegan cookery school located in one of the best preserved medieval villages in France. The village is overlooked by the towering cliffs of the Aveyron gorge and surrounded by unspoilt countryside, much of it forested. My building was an auberge during the middle ages and is quintessentially French.

I’m a total food geek with a love for unraveling the mysteries of flavor, satisfaction, and what makes a dish truly unforgettable. My background in psychology means I approach food differently: not just how to make it taste good, but why it does. Every course in my vegan cooking school is built on two pillars: flavor profiling (balancing taste, texture, and aroma) and satiety (crafting meals that leave you nourished and content).

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What We Do

This is an intimate, hands-on experience, limited to just six guests. We’ll cook together in my own kitchen, surrounded by the medieval charm of St. Antonin Noble Val. Expect a mix of creative exploration and practical mastery. You won’t just learn to follow recipes—you’ll understand the mechanics behind them, so you can create your own.

Think of it as a deep dive into the art and science of vegan cooking, whether you’re vegan yourself, a curious omnivore, or somewhere in between.

Why My Vegan Cookery School Is Special

• Flavors That Sing: We’ll decode umami, build layers of flavor, and play with ingredients to make plant-based food as indulgent and exciting as anything you’ve ever eaten.
• The Science of Satisfaction: Discover how to create meals that feel complete, using plant proteins, healthy fats, and smart techniques to build dishes that leave you truly satisfied.
• Beyond Recipes: You’ll leave understanding not just what to cook, but why it works—and how to make it your own.

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Our Courses

Here’s a quick taste of what we offer. To see the full line-up, just hop over to our Course Dates page. Click on the course that catches your eye and you’ll find all the details, plenty of photos, and the booking form.

• Vegan French Cuisine: A four-day flavour masterclass in re-creating France’s richest dishes without meat or dairy. If you can veganize French cuisine, you can veganize anything!
• Advanced Vegan French Cuisine: Designed to follow our Vegan French Cuisine course — but equally rewarding on its own — this program explores the sophistication of modern French fine dining. Learn vegan versions of the five mother sauces, refined pastries, foams, and elegant plating to bring true French elegance into your plant-based cooking.
• Vegan French Patisserie: An intensive, small-group course (just 4 places) where you’ll master the precision of true French patisserie — croissants, entremets, macarons, and delicate creams — crafted entirely without eggs, butter, or cream, and with zero compromise.
• A Vegan Toolkit: Whether you’re new to vegan cooking or just stuck in a rut, this four-day course gives you the know-how to make plant-based food that’s truly satisfying. You’ll stock your kitchen with essentials, learn versatile techniques, and leave with the confidence to create dishes everyone will enjoy.
• Advanced Vegan Cookery: Our only five-day course, created for experienced cooks ready to expand their skills. You’ll explore advanced techniques, bold flavour building, and refined presentation across a wide variety of dishes — developing the confidence to cook at a truly professional level.
• Global Restaurant Favorites: A four-day culinary tour of the world’s best-loved dishes — from Indian curries and Japanese gyoza to Middle Eastern falafel and Italian Tiramisu. Learn how to capture authentic flavours, master key techniques, and veganize your restaurant favourites so they’re every bit as delicious at home.

The Setting

Between sessions, soak in the magic of St. Antonin Noble Val. This village is more than a backdrop; it’s part of the experience. Wander cobblestone streets, savor the history, and breathe in the beauty of the surrounding countryside. Many of our guests say their time here feels like stepping into another world.

Why Join My Vegan Cookery School?

Because this isn’t just a cooking class. It’s a chance to see food—and yourself—differently. Whether you’re here to push your skills, spark new inspiration, or just enjoy a day immersed in food and flavor, I promise this will be a time you’ll remember.

Throughout the year we run a varied programme of themed residentials , sharing our passion for vegan food. For a list of everything we’re doing, have a look at our calendar page.

We also offer online courses at The Indulgent Vegan for those who can’t visit us.

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Going Off Piste

Although we’re mainly about cookery residentials, we do occasionally do other things. We do gourmet weekends where we cook for you (although not often!). Have a look at our calendar page for any we have coming up.

We’ll also consider doing something bespoke for you, although most of this is for groups.

• If you want to do one of our courses with a group of your friends or family on a date to suit you, we’ll do our best to accommodate you.
• We can offer private tuition. It’s more expensive than our residentials but it can be tailored to your specific needs and we tend to be able to cover more ground than you would in a group.
• Before the cookery school took off, we used to run cycling holidays, on or off road, guided or self guided. This is a remarkable area for cycling – beautiful, quiet and completely off the beaten track. We’re still happy to do that for groups.
• Peter’s encyclopaedic knowledge of the countryside around here means he can also offer walking holidays.
• You can use our auberge for a more traditional French holiday, but with some vegan meals thrown in, the possibility of cookery workshops and access to our unrivalled local knowledge. As vegans abroad, you absolutely need to hook up with a local to get the best out of a place.

Accommodation

Anyone staying on one of our residential cookery school courses or our vegan vacations, will be welcomed into our home, which is also a fully-registered bed and breakfast (not that we offer b&b these days!)

For more information about our rooms, visit the Accommodation page.

Testimonials