At our Good Tastes of Tuscany cooking class and Culinary tours you will learn about various ingredients and their nutritional value; how they are used in Italian cooking and how to combine them to make delicious meals. In our culinary classes, you will also be able to explore authentic Italian cuisine as you learn about traditional Tuscan recipes, and recipes from other regions in Italy. At the end of the course, students will be given our wonderful 100 page Italian cookery book.

All you have to bring along is your enthusiasm and love for food, and we will provide you with all ingredients and cooking materials you will need, including aprons and cookery utensils.

Whether you are a seasoned cook or a beginner, we offer specific classes and recipes to cater to your needs. We welcome everyone to enjoy an exciting experience of Tuscan cooking.

No, there is no minimum age limit for participants. You can also enquire with our staff about classes for families and groups.

Our cooking class caters to participants with various dietary requirements including, organic, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets. If you have any special dietary needs or food allergies, please inform us beforehand so we can plan the menu for the class accordingly.

There is usually a maximum of 13 students in each class. A larger number of participants will be divided into 2 groups in 2 separate kitchens, each with an instructor/chef.

To register online or for more information, please contact us at: [email protected] or call us +39 393 930 5396.

Yes, we do accept credit card payments.

Online credit card payments are safe, fast and simple. To ensure your safety, we use a 128-bit SSL encrypted system and we will guarantee that your transaction is processed immediately.

Yes, you can pay by EFT and we will also send you the invoice and details to complete the transaction. We will send you a confirmation when the payment has been received in the account. Please remember to include your name and invoice reference on the memo.

Yes, online through our site or sending the money to [email protected]

We can arrange for participants to be picked up from Florentine airport and brought to the estate at a cost of €40. There is also a train available from Florence city to Lastra a Signa; the estate is just a short distance away from the Lastra a Signa train station.

You need to register and confirm your registration in advance. However, if you decide to participate at the last minute, you can call us (+39 393 930 5396) or book online ,we will send a confirmation to check for last minute availability email [email protected]

If you are driving to the class We request you to arrive at least 5 minutes before the class starts, so that you have enough time to sign in and settle down before the cooking class begins. Your instructor will outline the menu, explain each dish and tell you about the various ingredients you will be using. The instructor will also be able to answer any questions you may have.

Either book directly online: click on the name here:
7 day gastronomical adventure
or email us at [email protected] for a registration form or call us at +39 393 930 5396. We will then check availability for the program and dates in which you are interested. If it is available, you will complete & fax the reservation form that we will send to you along with your deposit to secure your space.

Either book directly online: click on the name here:
Budget weekly culinary tour
Are the cooking programs really a week , 7 nights or shorter like most programs being 6 nights?
We offer a full 7 nights !

The weekly program will be held all year round based on bookings and availability of the accommodation. Please let us know your preferred weeks and we will let you know if we can fit you in or will let you know the alternative weeks. You can also find an updated list of the weeks confirmed on our website, though of course we add more based on bookings so don’t hesitate to check with us even if the week you require is not listed.

Yes. All of our cooking classes are taught in English by our Italian chefs.

That’s fine; we have purposefully designed the program to cater for those who don’t want to stay in the kitchen. We will have an alternative tours & activities program for non participants or they can do their own thing. The Welcome & Farewell Dinner classes & the tours are open to everyone and we have considered these into the price for the non participants. So basically everything but the 4 cooking classes is included for the non-participant.

Yes that is no problem, as long as we know beforehand. They will be charged for a normal single day Advanced Cooking Class.

Yes we certainly do. As long as we have prior notice, we can adjust the menus for the cooking days accordingly. Tuscan food is rich in vegetables and in almost all of our cooking menus, all but the small piece of meat in the second course is vegetarian. In a typical 5 course meal there is a lot of food for vegetarians!

As long as we know beforehand then we can inform the chefs.

Yes we can ‘add on’ as many extra days as you like which will allow you to delve even further into the wonders of Italian cooking with more hands on practical experience and then day tours and cooking based on the seasonal produce available at that time. If you think you would like to stay with us some extra days please let us know as early as possible so that we can check on the accommodation availability for you. For example- The extension in autumn may include porcini or mushroom hunting, or a search for ‘tartufi’ (truffles), and then you will spend the afternoon learning dishes based on these ingredients. Winter Game is very popular in the colder months and the hunting season runs from November until March or April. In this period, we will teach you how to prepare things like cinghiale (wild boar), pheasants, rabbits and hare. If we wanted to travel to other parts of Italy & continue our vacation can you help with that? Yes we most certainly can. We rent villas and apartments all over Italy and would be happy to make some suggestions for you.

No, not all meals are included though we guarantee you that the last thing you will feel during this week is hunger!!! We always arrange an ample welcome basket for you which will include fruit, yoghurt, cereal, coffee, tea, milk, bread, jam, fruit juice, chocolate, ham, cheese and salami as well as the estates red wine and extra virgin olive oil. On the cooking days the chefs welcome you with a huge pot of coffee and there are always biscotti and fruit in the kitchen. On the two excursion days we take you to a local pasticceria to sample the wonderful pastries and cappuccino. Lunches are included in the program. Dinners on 5 nights are included and then the other nights people normal like to wander down to the local pizzeria, enjoy a snack from their welcome baskets or finish off the meal from the days class that inevitably the chefs will pack up for you. Depending on the final schedule for the weekly program, we may also change some daytime cooking classes to be in the afternoon giving you dinner and leaving the day free for you to enjoy some more activities.

No, you definitely don’t need high skill level as the chefs take the time to guide you through every step of the process. Cooks of all levels enjoy our classes!

Yes, depending on availability we would be happy to do this but there will be additional charges. The charges will differ depending on whether you are a couple or a single person and the accommodation of choice.

Yes we work with a car rental consolidator and can send you their prices upon request.

Upon booking of the ‘Gastronomical Week’ you will need to send us a 30% deposit. This deposit in non refundable, but maybe transferrable to another week based on availability and depending on how far in advance you cancel. The 70% balance will be due 60 days prior to your arrival at the Villa Pandolfini Estate.

This price does not include airfare or the transfers from the airport to the Villa Pandolfini Estate. From Florence the cost is 40 euro each way, though you can also take a taxi which is about 35 euro. There are a couple of evenings when you have free time so if you decide to eat ( after the cooking classes most people are very full, eat something light at the local pizzeria or the left over’s that the chefs pack up for you each day or make a platter of cheeses and cold cuts from their basket!) any extra restaurants is additional. That is really it! Any extra trips you want to take to Florence you need to pay for yourself though after the class, the minivan normally takes other single day students back into Florence so you can get a ride with him, then find your own way back ( train or taxi). Wine and olive oil purchased from the estate will be of your own cost.

Due to logistics, we cannot pick up participants from different addresses, so we will meet you at a central pickup point in Florence (the meeting point is at the corners of Via Curtatone and Via Amerigo Vespucci Lungarno, facing the river on the left hand corner). If in the event you have difficulties with walking or have special needs, then, on request, we can arrange for a pick-up at the hotel, for an extra charge according to the location of your hotel.

You can add the recipe you wish to learn on the form while booking the class and we will do our best to accommodate your request. However, we do have to take into consideration all the participants and their dietary requirements.

Although we cannot refund the deposit amount, we can re-schedule the class and credit the deposit amount for future classes. If in the event you cannot attend a day of class without any prior information, you will be charged 100% of the full class price, but you can reschedule the class for another day.

In our classes you can learn to make simple breads and pizza. Our cooking course also includes Tuscan desserts.

Yes, if you wish, we can include gelato making in the course.