Culture Club.
24th – 28th September 2026
A weekend dedicated to the art of fermentation.
Overview.
A weekend dedicated to the art of fermentation, where like-minded people come together to learn how to make delicious fermented foods and drinks, explore their rich traditions and discover how to incorporate them into a healthy diet. Hosted at Maison de Haouret, this four day gathering offers a unique opportunity to meet new people, share ideas, and build lasting friendships. The hands-on sessions will give you the tools and inspiration you need to recreate these foods and drinks at home and of course we will be serving delicious seasonal food based on local Gascon ingredients cooked by us!
Come and join us!
If you would like to join us, the weekend is €580 excluding accommodation. If you require accommodation, we have four gorgeous double bedrooms and also have partnered with some other wonderful chambre d'hôtes in the area. Send us a message and we will call you to discuss your requirements.
Programme.
Below is an outline of the main activities for the weekend. We will add a link soon with full details.
Sessions
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Milk kefir, fermented cream, cheese, butter and baking with milk kefir.
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Kombucha and water kefir - how to make delicious probiotic drinks.
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Principles of vegetable fermentation - we’ll make a mixed vegetable kraut, pickled cucumbers and brined tomatoes.
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Kimchi, hot sauce and ketchup.
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Sourdough bread.
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Setting up home fermentation & troubleshooting. You don’t need any special equipment to start fermenting - you probably already have everything you need at home.
What is included:
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All fermentation sessionas.
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Tour of the vegetable garden.
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Visit to Castelnau-Magnoac market and coffee at the Dupont Cafe.
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Guided local walk. Edible and medicinal wild plants.
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​The weekend includes all lunches and dinners, prepared by us, using ingredients from our vegetable garden and local producers. Guests staying with us will also receive a continental breakfast.
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Hot and cold beverages are available throughout the day.
Meet the team.
James, Lucia (& Estelle!)
We will be your hosts for the weekend! We moved to France six years ago to set up a chambre d'hôtes / table d'hôtes and are passionate about food, nature and sustainability. This weekend is an opportunity for us to meet and share what we do with like-minded people.
Katherine Venner
​We are super excited to have our good friend Katherine joining us to head up the weekend's sessions. Katherine discovered fermented foods and drinks while running a wood fired sourdough bakery in Somerset with her husband. The idea that these simple techniques for food preservation were in danger of being forgotten put her on a mission to learn and teach. Showing people how to make these tasty and nutritious foods and how they help keep you healthy led her to organise Sauerkratathon - a festival day of community kraut making that earned her and her co-partner in brine Jo Webster, the Guinness world record for the largest dish of sauerkraut in 2018. Katherine has continued to teach and enjoy experimenting with delicious funky flavours since moving to France in 2021. ​​