Women's Food Lovers Day Retreat

A whole day of joy & connection through vegan food, cooking, feasting & sharing

Nadia, thank you. What a beautiful space you created for us to dive deep into this delicious food journey. You will always hold a special place in my heart for gifting us this beautiful experience.

- Fiona, Food Lovers Retreat

Why you will love this retreat

Food Workshop

FOOD LOVER

You’re a total foodie. Like really really obsessed. You adore vegan food. You’re keen to add vegan recipes to your repertoire.

Friendship

CONNECTIONS

You love connecting with others and sharing ideas & experiences. You're positive-minded and caring.

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TREAT YOURSELF

You feel that it’s high time you took a day for yourself. You deserve this. Because life should include more joy.

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COOKING 

You get excited about cooking. There’s something special when you get into the kitchen and create something from scratch.

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MASTERCLASSES

You want to become a pasta making master. You think making your own pasta from scratch is exciting. And delicious.

Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony

EXPERIENCE

You like having hands-on fun. You also like to balance it with slower mindful activities. It's all good!

The retreat includes

  • Full day experience, jam packed with foodie fun
     

  • Hands-on cooking workshops, including homemade pasta and sauces and Italian dessert
     

  • All delicious vegan meals and drinks 
     

  • Tea ceremony meditation.
     

  • Food memoir workshop
     

  • Chocolate mindfulness session
     

  • Fun ‘Masterchef’ challenge
     

  • Connecting with new people
     

  • Connecting with your own joy
     

  • Digital copy of Discovering Vegan Italian cookbook
     

  • Inspiration, indulgence, fun
     

  • Discussions, insights and socialising
     

  • Special access to recipes after the class
     

  • Mountains of food and laughter
     

  • Cooking tips 

    Bring your cooking questions and Nadia will answer them (and provide you the information after the class)
     



This retreat is about connecting to our joy, our shared love of food, simple pleasures, creativity, filling our heart and soul and enjoying wonderful company.

Reconnect with what you love and cherish. 

Become a pasta maestra

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Is this a retreat for me?

How is this retreat different?


It's a single day getaway, a getaway for the soul...and the taste buds! It's not about location in the country (that's for our weekend retreats) but it's about carving out some time for ourselves amid the busyness of life. You'll have the space to feel, connect, embrace and taste all that you love about food and your own experiences. It's a food journey - in every sense of the word.  

It’s a retreat of pleasure.


It is not a ‘health’ retreat – there will be some wine, caffeine, refined sugars and flour, oils, chocolate and lots of pasta. But nor is it filled with junk food. All food, drink and meals will be 100% vegan.


NOTE:
If you have any dietary requirements, please contact us. Please note that the pasta masterclass isn't gluten free (this is a large part of the day). Also some sauces include nuts, like walnuts.

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


It’s not a retreat to work through mental health issues or do deep inner work (please contact us for recommendations for therapy if this is what your soul is craving). However, there is meditation, mindfulness and an openness to follow our heart and share (which may bring about a few cathartic tears). We’re mostly doing it through the beautiful prism of food and hospitality. 

It’s a retreat for women, where we can support and lift each other up.


There will be no gents at this retreat, so we’ll be celebrating femininity in the forms of food, cooking, discussion and various activities, such as a meditative tea ceremony. 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. However, if there’s a moment when you’re needing some time out – then feel free to have some time to revive and join us for the next activity. But the activities are relaxed and fun, 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 all our stories, our knowledge, our qualities, our gifts. With gorgeous stronger personalities, you will be encouraged to listen, to take turns, sometimes step back, to create a beautiful balanced environment, where all voices can be heard. That includes me!

You may like to capture the moments.


We love 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 meditation. And placing your phone on silent allows for the symphony of our own wonderful voices and cooking sounds.

Still have questions?

Meet your host

Nadia has been cooking vegan food for 18 years and loves to share her passion for recreating Italian classics through The Vegan Italian Kitchen. In early 2019, she published her cookbook Discovering Vegan Italian. She has also just returned from 3 months in Italy, learning about regional vegan Italian cuisine. Nadia’s greatest inspiration in the kitchen (apart from her big appetite) is her Italian heritage; her father was born in the small southern Italian village of Molinara in the Campania region. She runs cooking classes, is a presenter, food consultant and has been featured on ABC and 3AW radio stations. Nadia has written articles on Italian food and vegan travel for Nourish, The Australian Vegan Magazine, Vegan Lifestyle Magazine and Segmento magazines and Vegan Travel. In 2018, Nadia competed in Season 2 of the SBS reality TV program The Chefs’ Line where she cooked up a storm with her vegan Eggplant Parmigiana for Italian Week. Alongside The Vegan Italian Kitchen, Nadia is also a school teacher, published playwright, poet and actress.

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Nadia has created this retreat to bring like-minded women together, to share in the love of food and cooking, in an inspiring and creative space. What she is most passionate about is designing food experiences that create connection, warmth, discussion, joy and hospitality.

Constance / Vegan Italian Cooking Class

Tess / Food Lovers Retreat

TESTIMONIALS

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.

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 

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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. 

Constance / Vegan Italian Cooking Class

The day was such a “jewel” ( women, food, ambience, values). Tonight I made more pizza & pasta, last night I duplicated the frittata with silver beet. The tiramisu was delicious! Mille Grazie

Laura / Vegan Italian Cooking Class

THE NITTY GRITTY 

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A full day retreat

 9-5pm

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Price is all inclusive of food, drink, masterclasses, activities & a unique specially edited video record of your Masterchef experience! 

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LOCATION

Melbourne, Victoria

(location announced soon)

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WHAT DO I BRING?

An appetite, take away container (there may be pasta leftovers!) & a water bottle. Please wear enclosed shoes and long hair tied back.