top of page

Food Lovers Retreat

~ a joyous weekend of vegan cooking,
feasting, inspiration & connection ~

NEXT RETREAT

TBA, AUSTRALIA

PLEASE Sign me up for the next retreat!

Beautiful moments, meaningful connections, being present, delicious food, compassion and kindness. This is what life is all about. Thank you The Vegan Italian Kitchen for being a gracious and wonderful host. What you did for us this weekend was unforgettable and magical. 

-Michelle, Food Lovers Retreat

THIS RETREAT'S SPECIAL GUEST:

OLGA DEE (WINE EDUCATOR)

"VEGAN FOOD & WINE PAIRING EXPERIENCE"

Join us this retreat for a cosy evening enjoying a special experience, matching wines with food, learning about vegan wines in a relaxed setting in front of a crackling wood fire. 

Gain skills and learn how to pair a gourmet grazing board with wine varieties to turn every meal into a memorable experience.  

FIND OUT MORE HERE!

Why this retreat is for you

Enjoying Donuts
base_icon_transparent_background_RED.png

FOOD LOVER

Food connects you to your heart. You adore vegan food. You resonate with the quote 'I'd rather eat pasta and drink wine than be a size 0'! You’re keen to add more vegan recipes to your repertoire, become a pasta master, whip up impressive sweets and discover how to perfectly pair food with wine. You're all about turning meals into an experience.

Somewhere_Nadia038_WEB.jpg
base_icon_transparent_background_RED.png

PASTA & WINE MASTERCLASSES

Cooking is one of your love languages. Even if you're not perfect at it. There’s something special when you get into the kitchen and create something from scratch. Making pasta is your idea of joy and you'd love to learn how to roll pasta like a nonna! You enjoy a drop of wine and would love learn to more about wine tasting and pairing - so the next time you buy a bottle of wine, you can share your newfound knowledge with friends and family. And show off your new pasta making skills at the same time.

base_icon_transparent_background_RED.png
Screen Shot 2023-02-12 at 11.38.06 am.png
base_icon_transparent_background_RED.png

PEACEFUL LOCATION

You feel that it’s high time you took a weekend away in the country. You need to escape the expectations of your busy life and do something just for you. Because you want to be inspired, to have your heart filled to the brim. 

HEARTFELT EXPERIENCES

Whether you're shaping your own tortellini pasta, sipping on freshly brewed tea, sitting in front of a crackling fire, intentionally tasting wine or breathing in the country air - you want to experience heartfelt moments. A little mindfulness meditation and open-hearted sharing with likeminded women is just what you need to slow you down and reconnect to that peaceful, joyful part of you. 

IMG20191117110102_edited.jpg
base_icon_transparent_background_RED.png

CONNECTION

You love connecting with others, sharing ideas and experiences. You're positive-minded and caring. You also connect to your own heart. A smaller group allows you to really get to know others and also gives you that extra instruction and care, especially with the masterclasses.  

WHAT'S INCLUDED

IMG_9382_web.jpg
  • 2 nights in beautiful accommodation
     

  • Hands-on cooking  masterclasses, including pasta making, pasta sauces and high tea style treats.
     

  • Special guest workshop: wine and food pairing experience led by wine guide and educator Olga Dee @winederella
     

  • All vegan meals and drinks (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, wine & cocktails)

    We will be cooking up a storm every day and enjoying the fruits of our labour for many of our meals. So you must enjoy cooking (or have a desire to learn how to cook!)

     

  • Tea mindfulness ceremony 
     

  • Wine & cheese pairing masterclass
     

  • Welcome cocktail and wines throughout your stay
     

  • Take home goody-bag
     

  • Printable recipes 
     

  • Practical knowledge of wine appreciation, tasting and food pairing
     

  • Skills on mastering regional pasta shapes, pasta dough and sauces
     

  • Learning how to create decadent, easy vegan sweet treats

PRICES ARE  ALL INCLUSIVE 
(per person, including 2 nights accommo
dation, all meals, drinks, activities). 

ROOM OPTIONS 

Shared twin rooms 

OR

Single rooms

BOOK ROOMS HERE 

PRICES 
from $799-$1050 pp
(prices subject to change)

LOCATION

Victoria, Australia (address supplied at booking)

Cancellations:

Please note that by booking you acknowledge that this is non-refundable. In the event that you cannot attend, you may transfer the ticket onto someone else.
In the unlikely event we cancel the retreat you will be refunded fully. 

The retreat must reach a minimum number of participants in order to go ahead.

Snapshots from a food retreat

Is this retreat for me?

It’s a retreat of pleasure & indulgence.


It is not a ‘health’ retreat. There won't be any yoga or juice detoxing. There be wine, pasta, coffee, tea, chocolate and cake. This is about celebrating food. But nor is it filled with junk food. There will be homemade meals, made with love. All food, drink and meals will be 100% vegan. Apologies that his retreat is not suitable for gluten intolerances or severe allergies.


NOTE:
If you have any specific dietary requirements, please contact us. 

It’s a retreat to have fun and connect with others.


It’s not a retreat to work through health issues or do deep inner work (but please contact us for recommendations for therapy if this is what you are looking for). However, there is mindfulness, reflection and opportunities to follow your heart’s desire. We’re mostly doing it through the beautiful prism of food and hospitality.

It’s a retreat for women, where we can support and share together.


There will be no gents at this retreat this time. We’ll be celebrating femininity through food, cooking, feasting, discussion, and various activities. This is about soaking up all the joy and good food you can handle. Let this retreat stimulate your own life, how you cook, approach food and create connection through the warmth of hospitality.

There’s a program of activities we’ll be following.


The retreat has been very carefully curated to ensure all activities can be enjoyed at just the right pace. So you will be encouraged to follow the program and kindly asked to keep to schedule (so when you’re deep in conversation hanging out on the couch but it’s time to cook up a storm, you’ll be asked to join on in). However, if there’s a moment when you’re needing some time out (introverts, I get it) – then feel free to have some time away from the group and revive and join us for the next activity. But the activities are relaxed and wonderful, so having said that, you probably won’t want to miss a thing!

You’ll be lead and hosted by me, Nadia.


While I will be facilitating the activities and hosting you, every woman is a leader, a teacher and nurturer. The weekend will be shared with our stories, our knowledge, our qualities, our gifts. We will be a smaller group, and in this way, each of you can share the moment and be valued. But with gorgeous stronger personalities, you will be encouraged to listen, to take turns, sometimes step back, to create a balanced environment, where all voices can be heard. That includes me!

You may like to capture the moments.


We love celebrating food. And taking photos of good food. We’re going to be making some deeelicious photo-worthy food. So feel free to bring out your phone, snap away. Or bring along your camera. But if you’re not into having your photo taken in the likelihood it’ll end up on social media, then we totally respect that too. So make this known. And we’ll make sure you’re not in the shot. Also, this isn’t necessarily a ‘no-phone’ retreat. However, to get the most out of your time and connection to the food, each other and your experience, you’re encouraged to pop it aside during the activities (except for photos) and especially during experiences for mindfulness and discussion.

STILL HAVE A queSTION?

Thank you for your enquiry! 

Your query will be answered soon.

Meet your host

Headshot.jpg

Nadia Fragnito

Nadia Fragnito is an in-demand vegan Italian expert and author of two Italian cookbooks A Vegan Summer in Southern Italy and Discovering Vegan Italian. She first went vegan in 2001 and shares her passion for veganising Italian classic recipes through her blog and socials, The Vegan Italian Kitchen. Nadia is a regular guest on Channel 10s Freshly Picked with Simon Toohey and Everyday Gourmet with Justine Schofield and competed on SBS’ The Chefs’ Line Season 2. Nadia has contributed recipes and articles to SBS Food, Nourish magazine, as well as best-selling UK magazines Vegan Life and PlantBased. She was born in South Australia to an Australian mother and Italian father but now lives in Melbourne and travels to Italy for ‘culinary research’ whenever she can. Alongside The Vegan Italian Kitchen, Nadia is a registered secondary school teacher, published playwright and writer. 

Nadia has created this retreat to bring like-minded women together, to celebrate food and cooking, in an inspiring and creative space. What she is most passionate about is designing food experiences that connect to the heart.

Meet our guest expert

0A7A3289-Original.jpg

Olga Dee 
@winederella

Anchor 1

Olga's interest in wine began like many others, when she became curious about the unique and diverse qualities of wine. However, since the only options available for learning about wine were professional courses, she ended up earning her WSET2 with Distinction and WSET3 with Merit certification (an international wine professional certification). Eager to apply her skills and learn more, she started working as a sommelier. That is when Olga noticed that people often lacked knowledge about their wine preferences, how to communicate them and how to choose wine, so she decided to help people learn more about wine through simple and practical tips at fun and interactive events and classes. Her belief is that wine appreciation should be accessible to everyone, without the need for excessive spending or drinking.

Olga and Nadia have created a beautiful experience for you this retreat.

What we'll learn in our masterclass:

- why not all wine is vegan, and what vegan wine really is

- explore why wine is an individual experience and discover what their unique wine tasting preferences are (it's more than "I like Pinot Noir")

- learn how to pair food and wine to turn every meal into an experience 

- what makes vegan grazing boards different from the

non-vegan ones when it comes to wine pairing

TilesComboSeamless copy.jpg

TESTIMONIALS

Becca / Food Lovers Retreat

We ate and drank, walked in the countryside, shared stories and laughter, we stared at the stars, we made the most beautiful pasta I have ever seen and then ate it all, outside in the winter sun. We learnt about vegan wines and paired them with yummy vegan cheeses. We drank hot koko outside in the frost. We were present, mindful and thankful. What a weekend and what a tribe. I smiled, a lot. I ate, a lot. I loved it, a lot. My cup is full. 

Jet / Food Lovers Retreat

It wasn't just the food that made this retreat so special. It was the people. The kind of people who inspire you to be your best self, who make you laugh until your belly aches and by the end of the day you feel like you've known them forever...Do yourself a favour and book ASAP. You won't regret it. Trust me, your taste buds and your soul will thank you.

Michelle / Food Lovers Retreat

Thank you for this great retreat Nadia! Filled with laughter, relaxation, amazing cooking and lots of eating. I did not expect to meet a bunch of adventurous and hilarious women. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and passion and bringing out the best in us.

Freyja / Food Lovers Retreat

What an absolute dream! Thank you for sharing your time, energy and skills with us. Such a unique, special experience.

Tess / Food Lovers Retreat

Thanks once again to our 'hostess with the mostess' Nadia for a truly memorable weekend...Your warm, welcoming and gentle way with everyone is quite unique, and you were the perfect hostess for the retreat. 

thank you to our key sponsors

LK_CMYK_LOGO.jpg
FIA_LVK_0093.jpg
Dilectio_Extra_Elements-09.jpg
Product photos-4.jpg
Dilectio Products-2 (1).jpg
Dilectio--13.jpg
bottom of page