Maison le grand saule
Butchery & Charcuterie Week
7 days, 6 nights May 07 - 14, 2026
€5,000 EUROS
Have you ever dreamt of mastering the art of croissant-making in your own kitchen? Or perhaps you aspire to achieve the perfect Tart Tatin? Prepare yourself for an exceptional experience during our laminated pastry week. Join pastry chef Madeline Denison as she proficiently guides you through a selection of laminated doughs and their multiple applications.
What is included in your Retreat:
Itinerary
*There may be slight variations in the schedule between now & the actual date
Friday
welcome
today is arrival day at Le Grand Saule. We plan to take it easy seeing that everyone is probably tired from traveling. We plan on having everyone settle in, check out the property, & enjoy a welcome dinner, before getting a good nights sleep.
monday
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Saturday
Pau & Puff Pastry
We are going to start the day with an excursion. We will all hop in the car and head to Pau, the capital of the Béarn region. There we will go to a market, explore pastry shops, and enjoy lunch before heading back to the house.
That afternoon we will have our first workshop where we will learn how to prepare classic puff pastry.
The
Tuesday
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Thursday
sunday
Puff pastry continued
Today, we will utilize the puff pastry made yesterday, showcasing its versatility in both sweet and savory applications. We will use the puff to prepare lunch and dinner for the day,
Wednesday
Navarrenx & Special Event Pastry
We will head off in the morning to our
Farewell
As the week draws to a close, we look forward to sharing one final breakfast together before exchanging our farewells and heading home .
Host
John Denison
John Denison is the chef and co-host behind Le Grand Saule. A Washington, D.C. native, John’s culinary career spans over 14 years in Michelin-starred kitchens across Washington, D.C., Barcelona, Paris, Berlin, and Portland, Oregon.
Host
Nathan Gilmour
Nathan Gilmour is our guest Butcher & dear friend. He is a specialist in both butchery and charcuterie with years of experience. Notably he has worked with the Rome Sustainable Food Project in Italy, with Dario Cecchini and his team in Tuscany, and in Austria with the Wiesner Family, he has focused most of his training and teaching on the foodways and charcuterie of Southwestern France in Gascony with his mentors and friends, Mm. Kate Hill and Dominique Chapolard.