Les Caulins Holiday Let & Cookery School

Idylic French Living & Boutique Luxury

“Les Caulins” built in the 18th century, is a typical French country house, formerly a vineyard and a farm. Peacefully located among the rolling hills of the Lot-et-Garonne countryside & the perfect place to relax and unwind by the sun soaked pool or under cool shady terraces, with far reaching views, clear blue skies and a long warm Spring, Summer & Autumn. Les Caulins was purchased in December 2015 by Emma and John Gilchrist and after a 15 month restoration opened in June 2017.

“Before we moved to France our hectic work load was often overwhelming and we, as everyone does, craved for the Summer to arrive when we could look forward to a break to re-charge our batteries. All we wished & dreamed of when searching for a holiday was somewhere nice to sit in the sun and in the shade,  a nice comfortable bed, spacious bathrooms, with “posh” hotel showers  & a nice glass of wine with some good food alfresco ……”

“The idea of spending a morning at a local market or sampling some wine at a nearby vineyard, followed by a afternoon by the pool and supper watching the sunset was a dream we could not resist. We craved a simpler, less materialistic life, decided France was for us, sold our restaurant & house & our search began for a home & a holiday gite”

“We made it our goal to offer our guests a holiday home that is charmingly French, totally relaxing, informative, a little rustic, very comfortable and affordable with surprises of luxury. A typical French house that hadn’t had the life and soul ripped out of it, a little piece of France that you could, upon arrival, feel right at home in. Sooooo…..”

Great food, great showers & great beds……
oh! And a little wine.

This area is one of the best in France for our passions, food and wine. The quality of the produce: truffles, strawberries, plums prunes, melons, figs, pork, beef, duck, foie gras, the list goes on……… This combined with some of Frances best markets and the abundance and diversity of some of the best known and least known wine regions in France. Places to explore, new sights to see, a simpler life and the glorious weather were too much for us to ignore.

Cooking in France

We have been living here, at Les Caulins, in the beautiful South of France since March 2016. Our home is a separate small house so if needed we can be available to give local information or help in any way we can to make your holiday enjoyable and memorable.

The area is one of the best in France for our passions, food and wine. The quality of the produce: truffles, strawberries, plums, prunes, melons, figs, pork, beef, duck, foie gras, the list goes on……… This, combined with some of France’s best markets and the abundance and diversity of some of the best-known and least-known wine regions in France. Places to explore, new sights to see, a simpler life and the glorious weather were too much for us to ignore. Here it is relaxing, peaceful, with far-reaching views and, if we want, plenty around us to do, and the opportunity to share our passions is our perfect way of life.

We have been in the catering and hospitality industry for 35 years. Emma since the age of 9 wanted to be a chef and John is nuts about wine. Emma began her cooking career at Midsummer House in Cambridge then honed her skills with spells in Italy, Switzerland, Barbados and London restaurants: Blanford Street, Sally Clarke, l’Oranger & Nicole Farhi. Emma is passionate about seasonal, fresh food with her gutsy approach to enhancing simple flavours.

John a former UK Sommelier of the year and winner of the Mondavi award for the best wine list in the world met Emma at Midsummer House before working at some of the Worlds best restaurants and hotels. Sandy Lane Barbados, In London: The Berkley, Browns Hotel, Nico’s, The Savoy, Scotts of Mayfair, Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Hambourg and Raffles Singapore. John is bonkers about wine with some 35 years experience in the industry. An enthusiast for the little wine producers and seeker of unknown gems.

Prior to aquiring Les Caulins in 2016 Emma and John ran their own successful restaurant in Buckinghamshire. Winning many awards including the 50 best destination restaurants in the UK, Wine pub of the year, British Cheeseboard of the year and Buckinghams best restaurant for 8 years to name a few.

We love to entertain and cook for our guests. If you would like any prepared for you when you arrive, need a special meal to celebrate a special occasion, want us to cook in our wood fired oven or just a simple lunch then this is the ideal place for you.

Good food, some wine and great company.

Our house is available to rent on a self catered or catered basis for a 7 or 14 nights, or more, during July, August & September.

If you would like to book directly with us then please search our calendar for availability then contact us using the form below. Prices start at £2200 per week, Saturday to Saturday please. If you prefer to reserve using a booking agent then scroll down the page for the links. Using a booking agent involves paying their fees usually £200 plus.

Prefer to reserve using a booking agent.

If you would prefer to book through a booking agent then no problem. please visit the VRBO booking site using the link below. The prices on booking sites, because of their booking fees, will be up to five hundred pounds per week more than we charge if you booked directly with us.

If you wish to contact us directly;

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UK Mobile 0044 (0)7714467213

French Landline 0033 (0)553208411

Mail info@lescaulins.com

Address 261 Les Caulins d’En Haut, 47120, Saint Sernin de Duras, France

Terms & Conditions/ Rental Agreement