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Women's Self-Love Food Retreat

connect to your heart through the love of food 

A weekend of joy through cooking, vegan feasting, beautiful activities & sharing

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

Why you will love this retreat

Food Workshop

FOOD LOVER

You’re a total foodie. And believe food is a portal to the heart. You’re keen to add scrumptious vegan recipes to your repertoire.

Friendship

CONNECTIONS

This is about connecting back to your heart. You also enjoy connecting with others and sharing ideas & experiences. You're positive-minded and caring.

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 LOVELY LOCATION

You feel that it’s high time you took a weekend away. 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 would love to make your own pasta from scratch, getting tactile with your food and stimulate the senses. Your idea of self-love is creating decadent desserts.

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EXPERIENCE

You like having hands-on fun. You also like to balance upbeat times with quieter, slower moments. To breathe, listen and reflect. 

an abundance OF VALUE!

The retreat includes

  • 2 Nights in 4-star accommodation.
     

  • Hands-on full sensory cooking workshops, including HOME MADE PASTA with swoon-worthy sauces and DECADENT DESSERTS. A foray into the foods of love.
     

  • ALL GOURMET MEALS INCLUDED!
    delicious vegan meals and drinks (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, supper).

    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 vegan food).
     

  • Sensory tea ceremony meditation.
     

  • Food for the soul journal memoir writing.
     

  • Indulgent dessert mindfulness session.
     

  • Feel good pamper night, making DIY natural spa products.
     

  • Fun ‘Masterchef’ food pleasure challenge.
     

  • Connecting with heart-centred people.
     

  • Relaxation, inspiration, indulgence, fun.
     

  • Discussions, insights and socialising over cuppas or perhaps a glass a vino or decadent hot chocolate!
     

  • Take home goodie-bag. 
     

  • Mountains of food and laughter.
     

  • Cooking tips and consultation.

    Bring your cooking questions and Nadia will answer them (and provide you the information after the class). We may even get to have some impromptu cooking sessions.
     

  • Opportunities for you to whet your appetite for life, to infuse your food with love, experience eating with pleasure. 

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

RECONNECT WITH WHAT YOU LOVE AND CHERISH. LEAVE WITH YOUR HEART FILLED TO THE BRIM!

THE DETAILS

PRICES ARE  ALL INCLUSIVE 
(per person, including 2 nights accommodation, all meals, classes and activities). 

ROOM OPTIONS 

Shared room (great for friends!)
2 single rooms available​​

 

LOCATION

Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

(location announced soon)

Cancellations:

Please note that by booking you knowledge 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. 

Limited places available. However the retreat must reach a minimum number of participants in order to go ahead.

Our Retreat Photo Album

Give back your heart to itself

Love After Love

The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

Derek Walcott 

Is this a retreat for me?

It’s a retreat of pleasure.


This is about sensory pleasure. Food for the heart and soul. 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. There will be lots of homemade meals, including homemade pasta. 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 (but we can provide gluten-free packaged pasta which you can enjoy with our delicious home-made sauce). 

It’s a retreat to have fun and connect with yourself and 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, sharing of our stories and an openness to follow our heart’s and soul’s desire. You are encouraged to take the opportunity to give yourself all the love you can handle. All the joy. All the space to reinvigorate your heart. We’re mostly doing all this 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, pampering, discussion and various activities, such as a spa pajama night. 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 heart-centred and designed for self-, 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 will be asked to lend a helping hand.


This isn’t a hotel with a bed making service and room service. I think you’ve figured that out by now! We’re the onsite chefs (because we love to cook and think we serve up food that’s even better than a chef’s!). So you will be part of the prep, the cooking and sometimes, even clearing dishes. So things like washing out your cup, popping things away. But don’t worry, you won’t be asked to clean the house when you leave! Nor will you spend the time glued to the kitchen. It’s not a focus but it’s important you know this isn’t one of those places with servants. More like a getaway with your girlfriends.

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.

Meet your host

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Nadia Fragnito

Nadia first went vegan in 2001 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.

Nadia created this retreat to celebrate self love and giving attention to our own pleasure and joy. To reconnect with our hearts through the communion of feasting. To stimulate our appetite for life. What she is most passionate about is designing food experiences that create connection, warmth, discussion, joy and hospitality.

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.

Fiona / Food Lovers Retreat

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.

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

Thank you to our November sponsors

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