THEGOODKITCHENTABLE
eat well, feel great, live longer
Thank you so much for the week in Turkey. It has proved such a game changer. I feel much more informed and armed with delicious recipes. I have lost about 11 pounds in weight and my visceral fat now has a score of 5. It was also a glorious holiday- what more could I ask for?!” (Ms T White, July 2024)
*This Retreat is now Fully Booked
Along with our daily cookery courses, there will be plenty of optional activities available onsite aimed at improving both your physical and psychological well-being. Each day, wake up with nature and enjoy an optional yoga lesson, walk in the cool morning air or simply go for a swim. We have designed our week so that after the morning’s cookery classes you can choose to be as active (or as inactive) as you like.
Join Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi, Dr. David and Judith Jehring and yoga instructor Asu Somer for an unforgettable week of Mediterranean cooking and wellness at Yenice Vadi, a serene retreat in southern Turkey. Leave with new skills, recipes, and a rejuvenated sense of well-being. Whether you seek a healthy reset or a taste of the Mediterranean lifestyle, this retreat offers a transformative journey for body and soul.
• Cooking Classes: Harvest the farm’s produce, forage for herbs, and learn to create delicious Mediterranean dishes.
• Excursions: Visit a local market to explore fresh, seasonal ingredients and enjoy a scenic boat trip with barbecue lunch and swim stops.
• Wellness Talks: Gain insights into metabolic health, nutrition, and lifestyle with daily sessions led by Dr. David Jehring.
• Optional Activities: Join the morning yoga lesson, relax by the pool, enjoy a massage or hammam or go for a walk in the hills.
Nestled in a quiet Turkish valley, Yenice Vadi offers pristine, comfortable accommodation built with traditional materials. Enjoy a 33m swimming pool, Turkish bath, bar, and restaurant. Wake up to birdsong, explore the surrounding hills, and unwind by the fire. The retreat is located just over an 1 hour from Dalaman Airport and 1.5 hours from Bodrum Airport.
Your cookery teachers for the week are acclaimed cookery writer and chef Katie Caldesi, Turkish chef and co-owner of Yenice Vadi, Çağlar Bozkurt. Between them they will teach you a wonderful mixture of healthy recipes from the East to the West of the Mediterranean. On one of our days, chef Giancarlo Caldesi will show you how to make a delicious Italian lunch. The cookery classes will be for a maximum of 14 people (non-cooking partners are welcome to join in for meals and other activities).
Embroidered aprons hanging up after a day’s work
Katie has been cooking professionally for 25 years, runs La Cucina Caldesi cookery school and is the author of 17 cookbooks. Subjects have included Italian cookery, preserving, salads and pasta. As Katie’s last 9 books have been about using a low-carb lifestyle to combat obesity and her husband Giancarlo’s diabetes type 2, we too will follow a lowish-carb diet for the week but there will be rice, bread and pasta around for those that want it!
Giancarlo will be on hand to discuss his journey into remission from diabetes type 2 by following a low-carb lifestyle. He will also teach his favourite Italian dishes on one of the days.
Çağlar owns a farm in the village as well as multiple properties, he has been in the hotel business for 25 years and is a great cook. He is passionate about his home-grown vegetables which we will pick and use each day. It has been his dream to run a cookery school to share his family’s delicious Turkish recipes.
Whether you’re a seasoned cook or new to the kitchen, this retreat offers the perfect blend of culinary exploration and health education. Indulge in Mediterranean flavours, connect with like-minded individuals, and return home rejuvenated, with new recipes and knowledge to inspire a healthier lifestyle.
Much research has highlighted the many benefits of a Mediterranean lifestyle. A diet of fresh vegetable-based meals including meat and fish, plenty of herbs, whole grains and olive oil seems to be the secret to long-term wellness. We’ll teach you how to avoid refined white grains, minimise sugar, say no to processed foods and help you bring the Mediterranean into your kitchen back home. We’ll cover a range of recipes including quick meals that can be made in under 30 minutes as well as slow-cooks for batch cooking.
Simply watch or help Katie, Giancarlo and Çağlar put the finishing touches to the evening dinner as we gather around the outside fire and grill. Dinner will be served in the main restaurant of the hotel either inside or outside. A fully stocked bar is available for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
We will be joined by Dr David Jehring, NHS family doctor and Chair of the Trustees of the Public Health Collaboration, a charity dedicated to helping people improve their metabolic health. In addition, Dr Jehring has trained with the British Society for Ecological Medicine which focusses on nutrition and environmental medicine. Parallel to his medical interests, Dr Jehring advocates for regenerative farming practices. He has actively sought knowledge from experts in the field to enhance soil quality at his farm in Worcestershire underlining the connection between soil and human health.
As Katie puts it “David is a fascinating man to be around, his knowledge of nutritional health is vast, and he will provide us with brief daily talks about wellness.” David will be joined by his wife Judith, a chartered physiotherapist, who champions a holistic approach to patient care and will join in our discussions on health.
Here’s a sneak peek into David’s daily wellness talks:
Asu has been teaching yoga classes since 2010 and believes that the transformative nature of yoga is a perfect complement to the welcoming and nurturing environment of Yenice Vadi. Her classes are designed for individuals of all ages and abilities, offering a blend of traditional practices and modern techniques to support your unique journey. We’ll explore Hatha and Vinyasa yoga, incorporating somatic movements and a touch of Qigong, with a focus on mindful movement, breath, and relaxation to cultivate balance and inner peace. Whether your aim is to improve mobility, deepen your connection with yourself, or find stress relief, these sessions provide a peaceful space to rejuvenate, unwind, and start your day.
Boat trip
We will enjoy a boat trip during the week from Akyaka which is around 30 minutes away. We will be taken and brought back by minibus. There are local shops in Akyaka which we will have plenty of time to visit after the boat trip. We will swim in a few different spots before enjoying a barbecue fish lunch.
The view from the boat and lunch on board
Market tour – join Katie and Çağlar on a trip to a local market to pick out the vegetables, nuts, cheese, olives, tahini etc for our cookery lessons. There will be opportunities to buy goods to take home such as local tahini, honey, nuts and spices.
Come with an open mind and heart
You are going to be immersed in the Turkish flavour of Mediterranean culture and lifestyle so please come with an open mind ready to absorb the sights and delights of a countryside idyll.
Daily maid service
There will be a basic daily maid service to clean and tidy your room and make your bed each day. Sheets and towels will only be changed on request and there may be an extra cost for this.
What to wear
There is a relaxed and casual vibe at Yenice Vadi, generally guests are happy to forego make-up and heels for the week and comfy clothes are encouraged. However, if you feel like putting on the razz for dinner a couple of evenings that is entirely up to you and you will feel quite at home!
Massage/sauna/ Hammam
The hotel has a traditional Hamman where guests can book an authentic Turkish bath. The whole experience lasts for just over an hour and starts with a relaxing sauna followed by a steam, a cleansing exfoliating scrub and a soapy massage. To really complete the experience, you can choose to have a full body oil massage or just relax with a glass of cay (Turkish tea).
Glucose monitors:
Some of our guests choose to wear a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) which measures your blood glucose levels. The sensor is worn on your arm and is paired to a smart phone where you can visibly see how different foods affect your glucose levels. It’s very interesting to see and compare your findings with others plus you will gain insight into what foods to suit your individual needs.
Continuous glucose monitors to track how foods affect your blood sugar (approx. £60 for 14 days).
Book your spot now and embrace the Mediterranean way of life!
As we say, “Wellness is in the palm of your hands”. Whilst learning about metabolic health, have fun with new friends, learn new skills and recipes and try out new activities. Come back home refreshed with renewed energy and the knowledge to keep up your own healthy eating and fitness levels. This is your chance to make a few healthy changes or enjoy a whole life reset on your return.
TO BOOK
Prices start at £1950 per person and differ according to your room choice and whether you choose single or shared occupancy. These prices include a £400 balance payable to the hotel for the excursions and yoga. For further details or to book please email office@caldesi.com or call Roberto or Laura on + 44 (0)207 487 0758 during office hours. You will then be sent a booking form. Have a look at the different room styles below and fill in the booking form with your deposit to secure a booking. Non-cooking partners are welcome! Call us to discuss options. Rooms will be allocated on a first-come, first served basis, depending on availability. The photographs on the Yenice Vadi site are for illustration purposes only and your room might be slightly different than the ones pictured.
Provided by The Good Kitchen Table Ltd
Accommodation in the main hotel or in the cottages in the grounds
Daily cooking classes providing breakfast, lunch and dinner
Provided by the hotel:
Daily yoga sessions
Boat tour including lunch with transport
Market tour including lunch with transport
Drinking water (do bring refillable bottles)
Daily maid service
What’s not included in the price:
Flights
Transfers
Alcoholic beverages and bottled soft drinks
Travel insurance
Massages, hammam scrub
Please select from the following room choices. Click on the different rooms to see photos and further descriptions on the Yenice Vadi site.
DELUXE TERRACE ROOM – in the main hotel on the ground floor
SINGLE £2425
Orchid and Lilac and Lily have a queen-sized bed and shaded terrace.
OLIVE COTTAGE – in the grounds of the hotel
SINGLE £2525
DOUBLE £2200
Olive is a small cottage near the farm in the grounds of the hotel. It has one large bed.
DELUXE KING ROOM WITH BALCONY in the main hotel on the first floor
SINGLE £2525
DOUBLE £2125 per person
Tulip has 1 king size bed and 1 sofabed
DELUXE KING ROOM WITH JACUZZI AND BALCONY in the main hotel on the first floor
SINGLE £2525
DOUBLE £2125 per person
Lavender and Sunflower have luxurious beds, a jacuzzi in the room and a small balcony.
DELUXE KING ROOM with fireplace
Hyacinth has a queen-sized bed, sofabed and small balcony
SINGLE £2525
DOUBLE £2125 per person
DELUXE KING ROOM WITH JACUZZI AND FIREPLACE
Marigold has a king-sized round bed with a fireplace, sofa and jacuzzi.
SINGLE £2525
DOUBLE £2125 per person
DELUXE TWIN ROOM WITH BALCONY in the main hotel on the first floor
Hydrangea has two standard single beds, a sofabed and a small balcony.
SINGLE £2525
DOUBLE £2125 per person
COTTAGES in the grounds of the hotel
SINGLE £2920
DOUBLE £2650 per person
Almond and Pine are two secluded stone cottages in the grounds of the hotel on a hillside. They have kind-sized beds, a fireplace, private terrace and outdoor, unheated jacuzzi.
SINGLE £2525
DOUBLE £2125 per person
Shepherd’s hut is in the grounds of the hotel and has either a king-sized bed or two single beds, a fireplace and terrace.
OLEANDER COTTAGE in the grounds of the hotel
Oleander is a two-bedroom cottage with its own unheated private pool. It has a king sized bed, a sofabed and a twin bedroom with two single beds. There is a fireplace and small kitchen.
SINGLE £3000
DOUBLE £2600 per person
TRIPLE £2150 per person
QUAD £1900 per person
