I’m back from my long-weekend in the South of France, on the delightful Feel Good Feasting retreat! As a part-time foodie and full-time sustainability advocate, this retreat was the perfect getaway; a mixture of good food, good people, and damn good fun!
As a solo attendee, I was welcomed into the group with open arms and quickly made friends over the workshops and meals we shared. If you’re looking to attend a wholesome, whole-food retreat, read on to find out what’s in store, and book on to the next edition!
What Is The Feel Good Feasting Retreat?
The Feel Good Feasting retreat is a twice-annual, four-day retreat hosted by Gemma Ogston at La Belle Eco, in Carcassonne, France. I attended the first edition, hosted in early May, with the next one scheduled for 25th-28th September, which you can book onto here.
Gemma Ogston is a whole-food chef, author of The Healing Cookbook, and founder of Mama Shrooms. I’ve followed Gemma since a friend recommended her recipes, and I love that she pairs eating well with self-care. (Many of her recipes are plant-based, however this retreat also included dairy- and meat-based dishes.) I was super excited to meet her and spend a weekend learning her recipes!
On the retreat, we enjoyed the sustainable surrounds of La Belle Eco, a secluded manor house that functions as a hotel, event and retreat venue. with its very own food forest and luxury amenities. Think natural pool, outdoor hot tub, sauna cabin, yoga studio, and more! Discover more about La Belle Eco in my full review →
The Feel Good Feasting Retreat: Day-By-Day Itinerary
The Feel Good Feasting retreat takes place over four days, Thursday-Sunday, including travel time. Out of the 12 guests on the retreat, 10 of us travelled from the U.K., flying from London and Manchester airports directly to Carcassonne. The other two drove from Barcelona, only a three-hour drive. You can also get to Carcassonne by train, taking the Eurostar from London to Paris, and then south on the TGV, however I recommend booking this well in advance, as tickets sell out fast.
Day 1
16:00 Arrivals
Our retreat started from the moment we stepped out of Carcassonne Airport. In a smooth transition, Ruby met us and drove us to La Belle Eco, less than 15 minutes away. On the drive, we got a glimpse of the rolling hills and vineyards that make Carcassonne so green.
17:00 House Tour
Once at the retreat, we found ourselves surrounded by trees and birdsong. We were greeted with drinks and invited to tour the house and grounds, before each being shown to our rooms. I stayed in luxurious Flora Suite, a room we quickly dubbed the ‘princess room’ due to the princess bed and elegant seating. I especially loved the yellow, Van-Gogh style wallpaper, and French windows, which looked out on the green meadow at the front of the house.
19:00 Sound Bath
At 7pm, we reconvened at the barn for a sound bath, led by external practitioner Sophie. Here, we were encouraged to ground ourselves after a day of travel through complete relaxation, listening – and dozing – to her crystal bowls and gong playing.
20:00 Outdoor Dinner
After the sound bath, we put on a few layers and headed outside for our first feast of the retreat. We started with a beetroot gazpacho, before eating family-style, with roast chicken, cauliflower, white beans, and ratatouille being passed around. Dinner was then followed by a rhubarb fool, and then a very full, very comfortable sleep.
Day 2
7:00 Movement Meditation
While I’m not an early bird, I wanted to make the most of my time on the Feel Good Feasting retreat and got up bright and early to take part in the 7 o’clock guided meditation. This was led by Lucas, another practitioner who started the session with oracle cards, and then led a heart-rate-bumping movement meditation that awakened me and my senses for the day.
8:30 Breakfast
Next, I headed to breakfast. This was hosted in the beautiful French kitchen, with our place settings laid out exquisitely. This first breakfast began with a spicy ginger and cayenne shot that Gemma made fresh for us, and was followed with a cacao smoothie bowl, dippy eggs, buffet, and tea and coffee.
9:30 Mindful Eating Workshop
While the kitchen changed over, we were shown to the salon for a Mindful Eating workshop. This was led by Tricia, a counsellor and hypnotherapist. Sat on the vintage sofas, we were invited to meditate on the five senses involved in eating a simple strawberry.
10:00 Broth Workshop
After the brief intermission, we rejoined Gemma in the kitchen for her broth workshop. She showed us two variations – bone broth, using the leftover chicken bones from the previous night’s dinner, and a vegan option using roast vegetables.
11:30 Food Forest Tour
Once the broth was simmering, we were led out to the ‘food forest’, a large patch of land that has become a permaculture paradise. This is all the doing of live-in gardener Fernando, who led the tour, and invited us to forage edible leaves and herbs in preparation of our salads workshop.
12:30 Foraged Salad Making & Lunch
Next, we teamed up to make four different salads, featuring foraged foods, as well as other foods that will soon feature in the garden – strawberries, figs, grapes, etc. We then took these out to the front of the house for a beautiful lunch, featuring our salads and a bone-broth based minestrone made by Gemma.
14:30-18:00 Free Time
After lunch, we had a few hours of free time. Most of us spent this by the natural pool, chatting and sipping on drinks from the Honesty Bar in the pool-house. This is also the time you can use the sauna cabin, hot tub, or take a pre-booked massage.
18:00 Cacao Ceremony
After towelling off and changing, we reconvened in the barn for a Cacao Ceremony. This was jointly-led by Gemma and yoga practitioner Anahí, where we drank thick cacao and meditated as a group.
20:00 Outdoor Dinner
After this, we took dinner outside again. This time, we had roast potatoes, straight from the outdoor oven, with lots of different toppings to choose from, including homemade beans and pickles.
Day 3
7:00 Yoga
On the Saturday, I skipped yoga and slept in. Despite the wellness activities, I was feeling tired out, and decided to meet everyone at yoga. However, if you’re a yoga bunny (like I am usually!), you’ll be able to practice yoga with Anahí at this time.
8:30 Breakfast
Breakfast was hosted in the kitchen once more, and this morning we were treated to freshly made smoothies by Gemma. In these, she included Mama Shrooms Day Capsules, so we could boost our focus and energy for the day.
10:00-12:00 Farmer’s Market
At 10 o’clock, we headed to a local town’s farmer’s market. Here, we toured the fresh fruits, vegetables, and cheeses on offer, and tasked with each bringing back one element of the group’s lunch. I went for nectarines with cheese and honey – and I even used my rusty French to haggle with a honey farmer!
14:00 Fermentation Workshop
Once back at the house, Gemma led us through a fermentation and pickling workshop with some veggies from the market. We made pickled cucumber, radishes, and sauerkraut!
15:00 Outdoor Lunch
Then we prepared our food for a decadent outdoor lunch. This was complemented by two salads – chicory and walnut, and bread and tomato – made by La Belle Eco’s resident chefs Sara and Ozzy.
15:00-17:00 Free Time
After this, we had more free time, by which point the sun had come out, so again, we headed to the pool. Here we swapped stories, and I read a few pages of my book.
17:00 Flower Foraging
At five, we met in the hall to go foraging for flowers. We were shown around the grounds by Mya, who took La Belle Eco’s dogs with us to search out flowers and foliage alike.
18:00 Table-scaping Workshop
Armed with our baskets of flora, we were then invited into the kitchen by Sara, who explained the art of table-scaping. While I doubt I’ll ever have her skill, I did enjoy putting together a small vase that then featured on the banquet table at dinner!
19:00 Cocktails & Dress Up
Before we headed to dinner, Ruby led us into the dressing-up room to add some sparkle to our banquet outfits! From costumes to accessories, it was a treasure trove of vintage frocks and we really enjoyed frolicking about in silly combinations before each choosing something to model for the night.
20:00 Banquet Dinner
And then, onto the banquet! This was the culmination of the retreat, and after posing in our outfits outside, we sat around the table before enjoying a semi-civilised three-course meal of steamed artichoke, locally-farmed trout, and berries and cream.
Day 4
9:30 Breakfast
On the final day, Gemma and Ruby agreed to a slightly reduced itinerary after the night’s previous antics. We started with a late breakfast, before chatting about our favourite elements of the retreat. It felt like the end of a great school trip – we’d all become friends and had such beautiful shared memories.
10:00 Guided Meditation
While the team got ready for our departure, we sat by the pool one last time for a guided meditation taken by Tricia. At one point, the hot sun and chirruping frogs became too much of a distraction, and Tricia laughed us out of the meditation and instead had us reminisce on the trip.
11:00 Home Time
Finally, it was home time. We all smiled (and some cried) as we separated into cars, and headed in different directions. It was such a fantastic time!
My Rating of the Feel Good Feasting Retreat: 9/10
As I said on Instagram, what a (re)treat! Throughout the Feel Good Feasting retreat, we were invited to experience La Belle Eco with all five senses. The hotel is visually stunning and the interiors are an eclectic homage to the manor’s original features. It is tastefully decorated with original artwork, antique mirrors, candlesticks and of course foraged flowers.
Yet the other senses are also treated too, with the sound of birdsong and chatter, the earthy scents of wild woodland and the outdoor pool, the taste of delicious food and drink, and the feel of the sun dappling down onto the skin, be it when sunbathing, in the hot tub, or simply with a window wide open in your room.
I’ve rated the retreat 9/10, as I think the early-morning meditation and yoga sessions could have been better attended if moved to the afternoon. Outside of this, it was all pretty perfect. If you’re looking for an eco-friendly retreat, this is my top recommendation!
Book your place on the September edition of the Feel Good Feasting Retreat on La Belle Eco’s website.
