Farm Cooking Classes: United Kingdom (2023)

Not many people will know that there is a small wine-producing industry in the valleys of South Wales, but there is, and the luxury Llanerch Vineyard Hotel in Hensol, Vale of Glamorgan, is definitely a highlight, with top-quality accommodation in a beautiful setting. THE ACCOMMODATION: Their rooms and suites are five-star luxury; spacious and stylish, they are all en-suite and have a dining and sitting area with a study desk and flat-screen TV and WiFi as standard. Outside there is plenty of space to relax in the well-kept gardens and terrace, where weather permitting you can dine on the terrace also. THE FOOD & THE WINE: Once that surprise has been overcome the next surprise is that, despite the difficulties with, amongst other things the disagreeably inconsistent Welsh weather, the wines are actually good. They produce a range of award-winning Cariad wines, all white at the moment due to the cool climate, though they say they have ambitions to produce a red in the future. So, a stay at Llanerch can teach you a lot about wine, with vineyard tours and tasting sessions for example, but it can also teach you about food, having a superb restaurant and bistro where celebrity chef Angela Gray heads the kitchen, and you can also join one of her almost daily cookery classes where you can learn a whole range of dishes, most with a Mediterranean twist, that fit their wines well. THE LOCATION: Such is the lovely, unique environment at Llanerch Vineyard Hotel that many people don’t venture much outside the grounds at all, but for those that do the countryside around the Vale of Glamorgan is famously lovely, with plenty of hiking trails through peaceful hills and woodlands. For golfers, the nearest course is at Creigiau, about 10 minutes away by car. Note: No children and no pets allowed! WHAT OTHER GUESTS SAY: “Fantastic one night stay as attending a wedding locally. Beautiful, cosy rooms with huge comfortable bed. Hot, powerful shower and spotlessly clean. Staff were really friendly and the breakfast was delicious….” “What an amazing find, beautiful place just off the M4 but in the middle of beautiful surrounding vineyards. READ MORE