Watts cooking in Italy?
. . . authentic southern Italian cooking with the local ladies of Puglia

Come and discover the wonders of Southern Italian cooking with local housewives of the far south of Italy. These ladies will take you on a journey through a rich tapestry of recipes which have been handed down to them through countless generations from mother to daughter.

In the heel of the boot, Salento can be found where the beautiful baroque city of Lecce lies. Its history and its tastes have given it a fate quite different from any other Italian city. As yet largely undiscovered by tourists, Lecce offers not only a feast for the eyes but for the palate as well.

Join Watts Cooking for a memorable short break or long weekend. Whilst cooking and unveiling new tastes of food and wine explore some of the treasures that are tucked away in the heart of Salento.

From the moment guests arrive until the time they reluctantly leave, Watts Cooking takes care of absolutely everything. Everything is included so people can enjoy the experience of a lifetime!

Come and join them in a secret corner of Italy and learn the authentic southern Italian cooking with the local ladies of Lecce in Puglia.

Watts Cooking : Spring ~ Summer ~ Autumn Break

Includes:

• Transfer from and to Brindisi airport or Lecce Train station
• 5 nights B&B Accommodation
• 4 hands-on cookery classes each lasting approximately 3 hours
• Guided tour of Lecce
• Guided tour of Otranto
• Visit to local olive grove
• Visit to local vineyard with wine tasting
• Welcoming light buffet of nibbles
• 4 dinners
• 5 lunches
• Wine and water with all meals
• Aprons

Excludes:

• Flights, insurance and tips

FIVE NIGHT PROGRAMME - THURSDAY TO TUESDAY

Thursday
If you are arriving by plane you will be met at Brindisi airport (the Ryan Air flight arrives from Stansted just after 9:00 pm). It is about a half hour drive to your accommodation. Once you have dropped your bags in your room, you will be served a welcoming buffet / snack. Whilst you sample a few of the local delights, you will be given a brief overview of what to expect during your stay.

Friday
Your first cookery lesson will be held in the morning when you will learn the craft of home-made pasta. After lunching on your creations there will be time to relax for an hour or so before departing for a late afternoon and evening of wine at the area’s most renowned vineyards. After tasting these wonderful wines it will be time for dinner at a restaurant close by.

Saturday
After a morning visit to the beautiful fortified town of Otranto, you will head for the olive groves to sample the olive oils. Afterwards you will head back to the Masseria but not without stopping for lunch. You will have time to relax for a bit at the Masseria before leaving for a late afternoon cookery class at Paola’s place, a few minutes away, where you will stay for the evening.

Sunday
This morning it is hands-on again with meat and veg at Paola’s. After lunch the time is yours until the guided tour of Lecce, which will be rounded off at the “Vineria” where Marco will give everyone an overview on wine appreciation followed by dinner which will be accompanied by the wines suggested by the wine expert.

Monday
Today you will get more of a chance to relax and take in the scenery, but a morning trip to the local market with Valentina shouldn’t be missed. The afternoon can be spent getting some shopping done in Lecce or just soaking up the atmosphere in this beautiful city. Dinner will be at a nearby masseria.

Tuesday
Your last morning in the kitchen will be spent learning the skills of the sweet things in Lecce. The afternoon is free for you to have time to pack or a last minute shop in Lecce before you are taken to either the airport or the train station.

The cooking break is limited to a maximum of 8 guests to ensure you get the maximum enjoyment and that you are properly looked after.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND AVAILABILITY EMAIL <CLICK HERE>

Watts Cooking : Short Break

Includes:

• Transfer from Brindisi airport and to Bari or Brindisi airport or from and to Lecce Train station
• 4 nights B&B Accommodation
• 4 hands-on cookery classes each lasting approximately 3 hours
• Guided tour of Lecce
• Guided tour of Otranto
• Visit to local olive grove
• Visit to local vineyard with wine tasting
• Welcoming light buffet of nibbles
• 3 dinners
• 4 lunches
• Wine and water with all meals
• Aprons

Excludes:

• Flights, insurance and tips.

FOUR NIGHT PROGRAMME - THURSDAY TO MONDAY

Thursday
If you are arriving by plane you will be met at Brindisi airport (the Ryan Air flight arrives from Stansted just after 9:00 pm). It is about a half hour drive to your accommodation. Once you have dropped your bags in your room, you will be served a welcoming buffet / snack. Whilst you sample a few of the local delights, you will be given a brief overview of what to expect during your stay.

Friday
Your first cookery lesson will be held in the morning when you will learn the craft of home-made pasta. After lunching on your creations there will be time to relax for an hour or so before departing for a late afternoon and evening of wine at the area’s most renowned vineyards. After tasting these wonderful wines it will be time for dinner at a restaurant close by.

Saturday
After a morning visit to the beautiful fortified town of Otranto, you will head for the olive groves to sample the olive oils. Afterwards you will head back to the Masseria but not without stopping for lunch. You will have time to relax for a bit at the Masseria before leaving for a late afternoon cookery class at Paola’s place, a few minutes away, where you will spend your evening.

Sunday
This morning it is hands-on again with meat and veg at Paola’s. After lunch the time is yours until the guided tour of Lecce, which will be rounded off at the “Vineria” where Marco will present a range of different Italian wines followed by dinner which will be accompanied by the wines suggested by the wine expert.

Monday
There’s a chance for a quick trip to the market with Valentina before your last cookery session spent learning the skills of the sweet things in Lecce. The afternoon is free for you to have time to pack, soak up that last drop of sunshine, before you are taken to either Bari or Brindisi airport or Lecce train station.

The cooking break is limited to a maximum of 8 guests to ensure you get the maximum enjoyment and that you are properly looked after.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND AVAILABILITY EMAIL <CLICK HERE>

Watts Wine Break

Includes:

• Olive Grove OilsTransfer from and to Brindisi airport or Lecce Train station
• 4 nights B&B Accommodation
• Visit to 3 - 4 local vineyards with wine tasting at each
• Guided tour of Lecce
• Guided tour of Otranto
• Guided tour of Gallipoli
• Visit to local olive grove
• 1 home-made pasta cookery lesson
• Welcoming light buffet
• 3 dinners
• 4 lunches
• Wine and water with all meals

Excludes:

• Flights, insurance and tips.

FOUR NIGHT PROGRAMME - TUESDAY TO SATURDAY

Tuesday
If you are arriving by plane you will be met at Brindisi airport (the Ryan Air flight arrives from Stansted just after 9:00 pm). It is about a half hour drive to your accommodation. Once you have dropped your bags in your room, you will be served a welcoming buffet / snack. Whilst you sample a few of the local delights, you will be given a brief overview of what to expect during your stay.

Wednesday
In the morning you will head into the countryside to the wine-making area and visit three of the top wine producers from the very old to the very new.After lunch the time is yours until the guided tour of Lecce, which will be rounded off at the “Vineria” where Marco will present a range of different Italian wines followed by dinner which will be accompanied by the wines suggested by the wine expert.

Thursday
After a morning visit to the beautiful fortified town of Otranto, you will head for the olive groves to sample the olive oils. Afterwards you will head back to the Masseria but not without stopping for lunch. The afternoon is yours for relaxing until an evening out for dinner at a nearby masseria.

Friday
In the morning you will head for Gallipoli, another fortified town over-looking the sea, for a guided tour before heading off for another, local vineyard. You will have lunch at a restaurant nearby before you head off back to the Masseria to relax until Dinner.

Saturday
This morning you will be spending your time in Paola’s kitchen to learn the art of home-made pasta. The afternoon is free for you to have time to pack, soak up that last drop of sunshine or a last minute shop in Lecce before you are taken to either Brindisi airport or Lecce train station.

The cooking break is limited to a maximum of 8 guests to ensure you get the maximum enjoyment and that you are properly looked after.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND AVAILABILITY EMAIL <CLICK HERE>

Customised Courses for 4to 12 people

For a course to be customised to meet your wants and needs, you will need to put together a group of at least four. The maximum number for a group booking is twelve. Get in touch with Watts Cooking for dates and to discuss programmes.

Here are some of the ideas they can accommodate:

• Team Building and Incentives - they can work with your company to ensure that your company values are tied in with the course. Conference / meeting room facilities are also available.

• Hen Party Weekend - How about an all-girls together weekend with plenty of food and wine and lots of laughs?

• A Wine Weekend for the boys a dn / or girls - lots of fun for wine lovers.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND AVAILABILITY EMAIL <CLICK HERE>

Tanya Watts
British born, Tanya came to Italy to live in 1995. After nearly eight years of stressful marketing communications responsibility at a very well known multinational company in Milan, she decided to take advantage of her passion for Italian food and wine. Although she loves to cook all these wonderful healthy but tasty dishes and wash them down with the excellent wines she has discovered since living there, she has chosen the local Italians to share the knowledge which has been passed down through the generations.

In the kitchen, Maria is the boss along with her daughter Paola. They all work together to ensure their guests learn the true Italian way to cook! Tanya really wants to share these wonderful things with her home country people and others from around the world. She thinks that the International love of Tuscany should spread to this more rustic part of Italy.

Tanya, Maria, Paola and Valentina

Valentina Anelli
Valentina has lived in Lecce all her life. With a degree in Modern Literature from Lecce University she entered the world of tourism by managing and co-ordinating various projects for the “district council of Lecce” to promote tourism in Salento. Valentina is passionate about her country but above all about her home territory, its history and culture.

So, whereas Tanya's passion is for the food and wine in the area, Valentina’s is for its culture and history. Together they make the perfect team to create an enjoyable gastronomic and cultural experience in this area of Italy which is slowly being revealed.

Your home for your stay will be a dramatically beautiful masseria which has a magical quality all of its own.

This traditional Eighteenth century farmhouse on the outskirts of Lecce has recently been restored along with its gardens, where pomegranates and figs can be found growing alongside the luring cool waters of the swimming pool.

There are 2 double rooms, 2 twin rooms and a suite consisting of 1 double room, 1 twin and a lounge / kitchen area. All the rooms have air conditioning and TV (local).