Culinary Escapes In South Of France

Discover the Gascony region: its heritage, landscape, and unique gastronomy.

Join us for an unforgettable experience in the South of France filled with private tours, tastings, and hands-on cooking classes with Chef Xavier, and much more.

Chef Xavier and His Passion Xavier has a special connection with the Gers region that has profoundly influenced his cuisine.

Born and raised in Auch, he trained at some of the best restaurants in the area, perfecting the mastery of local gastronomy to create authentic and memorable culinary experiences.

After nearly 20 years in Canada, showcasing his skills in local restaurants and a fun appearance on Top Chef Canada, Xavier now hopes to share his passion for cooking in France by inviting clients for a full week to discover where it all began for him.

He will take you on a tour to experience the region, from its history to its local traditions, taste all the regional flavors, unique wines, and showcase their quality with hands-on cooking classes to learn traditional French recipes and pairings.

Come in and relax.

I really liked the open-concept design of the main floor. The large floor-to-ceiling glass doors filled the space with natural light and created a welcoming atmosphere. I have no complaints about our room. It was modern, spacious, comfortable, and having air conditioning was a tremendous advantage.

Great venue. The rooms were spacious, and everything worked well. We especially appreciated having air conditioning.

Loved the venue. We instantly felt at home. The setting was peaceful and soulful. The air conditioning kept up with the heat.

Discover the Gascony region: its heritage, landscape, and unique gastronomy.

Every visit offered something unique, but my personal highlights were exploring Auch, visiting the duck farm, the market visit, the organic Côtes de Gascogne winery, and our first-day visit to Castelnau-Barbarens. Auch was especially memorable. It is a beautiful town with so much to discover that I could easily have spent additional time there. If any adjustments were made to future itineraries, I would consider replacing one of the longer-distance excursions with extra time in Auch or simply allowing more free time to explore at our own pace.

Our vafourites were the farmer markets and monasteries.

Good variety hilighting the local culture. The duck farm was my favourite. Having the family invite us to their house was extremely thoughtful of the hosts.

Cooking classes with Chef Xavier and tasting of local products.

The cooking classes significantly improved my understanding of cooking. Watching the duck being butchered and transformed into several different dishes was one of the highlights of the week and something I would never have experienced in a typical cooking class. Chef Xavier was an outstanding instructor—patient, calm, approachable, and generous with his knowledge. I really enjoyed the opportunity to watch an experienced chef prepare complete meals in real time while explaining the decisions being made along the way.

The classes were very hands-on, especially considering the limitations of the Maison d'Hôtes kitchen in Castelnau-Barbarens and the realities of real-time meal preparation. I really appreciated access to Chef Xavier's personal "tool kit"—having extra-sharp knives, a scale, zester, and other tools readily available was very helpful.

Not enough stars to express my appreciation for the quality and variety of food!

Lots of tip and tricks learned. Great experience.