What You’ll Need, how to Cook it
and how You Eat it.

Cook

Eat

Stay

My Name is Selina

I am a cookbook author and since I’ve been four years old I wanted to have a farm in Paris. I moved to France indeed many moons later, having fallen in love with the French countryside, with the beauty of the land, with the light, the air, the battered old villages, the woods and, of course, its culinary traditions. It wasn’t a farm precisely and definitely not Paris in the end, but I guess I got the groove right with a house full of animals and people, good cooking and good food and good wine after all, just the way I used to know from growing up at my grandparents farm in Switzerland.

I am an author, photographer
and desperately romantic soul

And so I started sharing the beauty of this peaceful area, so truly off-world, on a more professional level with the birth of my culinary retreats. I want to really create a personal experience for my guests, a deeply felt amity, building a home away from home. I have a vision of bringing likeminded souls together, creating a wonderful ambiance, nurturing true companionship. Sharing with good people, exchange, expand. There is nothing more appropriate to this purpose than food and good wine, the alchemy of the saucepan. Do a little kitchen magic, spells with flavours and textures, that’s what I do. Welcome to L’Art de Bien Manger!

I share my passion for cooking and feasting
with my guests at my own home

I live in a medieval castle on the banks of the river Saone. Chateau Chemilly is about 3h from Paris in the East of France, set in a wonderfully nostalgic area. The chateau has quite a history and together with my husband we have set out to restore it to its old glory. It has a huge 11th century belfry tower with a fairytale medieval kitchen, this is where I host my bespoke culinary retreats. In addition to those, I offer tailored soirées, as well as accommodation in the upstairs tower rooms.

Cook

Bespoke culinary retreats, good food and good wine, according company, stories told and memories made, living, after all, L’Art de Bien Manger.

Upcoming dates:

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Eat

The soirées, a mini mini mini version of what we do during the retreats, namely cooking and eating and drinking and being just otherwise very delightful.

Soirées are available for booking from October 2023 onwards.

Due to the logistics of each soirée bookings should be made as early as possible, this allows me also to accommodate to your wishes.

For groups of two up to ten persons.

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Stay

Ever dreamt of spending the night in Sleeping Beauty’s tower?

Chateau tower rooms are a mix of family heirloom, boheme vibe and modern comfort, offering a splendid view over the Saone valley.

You may read in the garden, write up your dreams at the little writing desk or go for a swim in the river. And with a little luck you’ll even be able to follow our restoration works.

Chateau tower rooms are available for booking starting May 2024.

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This was so much fun, how wonderful and enriching it is to break our solo travel to join with like minded folks, to eat and drink and enjoy with friends that we didn’t know we had. 

L’Art de Bien Manger

Hosting bespoke culinary retreats in France

Location

Le Chateau
70360 Chemilly Haute Saône
France

Booking

+33 618 67 92 58
booking@lespoissonchats.com

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