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 am not your average vegan chef, and these aren’t your average cooking classes. 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
These aren’t mass-market classes. 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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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
There is something for everyone on this vegan cookery course, from the complete novice as I was to the more experienced. Natalie and Peter are welcoming and well informed hosts. St Antonin is a beautiful medieval town and there are great walking and cycling opportunities in the surrounding quiet countryside. Highly recommended.
RichardUK
Let me start by saying, this was truly a fantastic experience. Natalie and Peter are wonderful people who open up their home to you with such warmth. The town is beautiful and if you like the outdoors, your in for a treat. Natalie is great with her cooking and teaching. She plans each day keeping in mind the kind of class she is conducting. I did the advanced vegan course (as i already have kitchen experience) and i learned so many things.
RanbirIndia
I had an unforgettable experience at Le Cheval Blanc Vegan Cooking School. As a vegan chef myself, I was particularly impressed by the depth and quality of the instruction. The French vegan cooking course was not only informative but also incredibly enjoyable. Natalie and Peter, the dynamic duo behind the school, have created a truly special culinary haven in the South of France. Their warm hospitality and passion for vegan cuisine were evident from the moment we arrived.
BettinaGreece
My partner and I took vegan cooking classes from Natalie in November 2023, and it was such an amazing experience. Natalie is an amazing teacher. She’s a real professional, and we feel lucky that we got to learn from her.
DerekUSA
I thoroughly enjoyed this vegan cooking course. I began the course as a quite ambivalent cook, but left much more enthusiastic. Chef Natalie was extremely patient and gently encouraged me to try and learn new techniques.
CarolynUSA
Natalie is a brilliant, creative chef and while I think I’m a competent cook I learned lots of new techniques and inspirational ideas.
MarkUK
Natalie is a great teacher: enthusiastic and knowledgeable. She really knows how and why vegan recipes work, which means I did not just learn to make a set of nice recipes, but also how to apply this knowledge to ‘veganize’ similar dishes.
HesterNetherlands
We spent a fantastic two days cooking with Natalie and learning so many new techniques and tricks for making great vegan food. Natalie’s knowledge of ingredients and understanding of nutrition makes her a great teacher.
