Culinary retreats and bed and breakfast at my castle in Burgundy Franche Comte
L’Art de Bien Manger
Hosting bespoke culinary retreats in France
Location
Le Chateau
70360 Chemilly Haute Saône
France
Booking
+33 615 67 92 58
booking@lespoissonchats.com
My Name is Selina
Ever since I was four years old, I dreamed of having a farm in Paris. Many moons later, I found myself in France, having fallen deeply in love with the countryside — with the beauty of the land, the light and air, the weathered villages, the forests, and of course, its culinary traditions.
It wasn’t a farm exactly, and not Paris in the end, but somehow I found the right rhythm: a home filled with animals and people, generous cooking, beautiful ingredients, and good wine — much like the life I knew growing up on my grandparents’ farm in Switzerland.
I am an author, photographer
and desperately romantic soul
Today, I am a professional host and creator of bespoke culinary retreats. I curate intimate gatherings where guests are welcomed not simply as visitors, but as part of a shared experience. My vision is to create a true home away from home — a place where like-minded souls come together, where conversations unfold naturally, where connection is nurtured and time seems to slow.
Food and wine are at the heart of everything I do. In the kitchen, I practice a kind of gentle alchemy — working with flavours and textures, honoring tradition while embracing creativity. It is about generosity, atmosphere, and the quiet magic that happens around a table.
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 château on the banks of the Saône, about three hours east of Paris, in a region steeped in history and quiet beauty. The château, crowned by its 11th-century tower and fairytale medieval kitchen, is the setting for my bespoke culinary retreats. Guests may also stay in one of the charming tower bed-and-breakfast rooms and fully immerse themselves in the spirit of this remarkable place.
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.
Latest from the Blog
Ireland
This one would have been Winter at the Castle and Tipsy Damson Civet de Cerf but then I went to Ireland to lay the memory of my father to rest, or rather, to lay to rest what could have been memories. I don’t have much to say, this time. It is a beautiful country, I’ve…
January Update and Dampfnudeln
I find much beauty in the steadiness with which the seasons change, the invariability of change, it’s a wonderful idea to witness. It is my eighth winter in France, my eighth season in this land that I chose to become my home, and it never failed me. Not a single bleak grey dreary cold January…
Les Poissonchats 