A gastronomic experience in South-west France, whether shopping at open markets for self-catered meals or fabulous French cuisine in local restaurants.

New for 2007. Your first meal on Sunday evening can now be taken at La Buissière. A good friend has a nearby hotel and restaurant and she specialises in fresh, vegetarian food. We have arranged for her to provide dinner at La Buissière on arrival night. The cost will be £15 per person, including wine. If required, she can also cater for all or part of the group on certain evenings as well as providing fresh juiced health drinks during the week. This will add another choice to the current self-catering or restaurant options and we hope to make it a permanent part of our programme.

Eating in.Meals other than your arrival meal and daily breakfasts are either self-catering or taken in local restaurants. This part of France is one of the most important gastronomic regions of France and enjoys quite a reputation for the quality and value of its regional menus, but it can be a little restrictive if, like ourselves, you are vegetarian or vegan. Consequently each room has its own kitchenette so you can choose to either eat out or prepare your own meals at home. Most people cannot resist the attraction of French cuisine and eat out much of the time, but they find it very useful to have the option of their own kitchen. FAQ's.

For supplies there is a grocers, a baker and a butcher within walking distance in the village.

Half the fun is shopping for fresh foods at the open air markets, and there is one somewhere in the area most days. We usually make a trip to a local supermarket every Monday morning to stock up, and there are open-air markets in nearby Puy l'Evêque on Tuesday mornings and in Prayssac on Friday mornings.

Eating out. Ask any French person what they first think of when you mention the Lot and they will undoubtedly mention the food and wine. The region has no shortage of good places to eat, from classy restaurants offering refined gourmet fare to more modest establishments such as crêperies, pizzerias and brasseries.

Whatever you choose the standards are usually exemplary and eating out in this part of France is an experience not to be missed. There are over two dozen restaurants within 15 minutes drive, all usually offering an excellent value "formule", a fixed price menu with 2 or 3 courses from as little as 12 euros at lunchtime, and from 15 - 40 euros for dinner.

There are two café/bar/restaurants in the village. Details of these and many other local places to eat out can be found at the centre. Budgets vary but as a rough guide we suggest that you allow about 30 - 40 euros a day.

To sample restaurants further a field we highly recommend hiring a car, but we often make group outings to places of interest and restaurants in the evenings in our own minibus.

Eating in

Fresh health drinks can be ordered

Eating out

The local wine. Most experts agree that Cahors wine is by far the most distinctive of the south-western wines. So dark they are often referred to as “black wines”, they are full-bodied with lots of tannin. There are more than 200 producers in the appellation, which stretches west for 40km from Cahors, past Duravel to Soturac, taking advantage of the rich clay-limestone terraces beside the river Lot. La Buissière is surrounded by vineyards and a visit to at least one of them is a must.