toulouse with CHERYL DAY AND NICOLE RUCKER
june 2 - 7, 2025
YOU SOLD US OUT ON NUMBER ONE WITH THESE TWO beauties, SO HERE WE ARE BRINGING THEM BACK IN FOR a second 2025 retreat. JOIN THE QUEENS OF SOUTHERN BAKING in the south of france for an early summer pastry party - you will not be disappointed!
june 2 - 7, 2025
6 Days, 5 nights
For this retreat, we’ll spend the week in the Château de Labusquière in the Gers region of Southwest France with its rolling vistas and stunning sunsets. Cheryl and Nicole have a host of baking workshops planned for your pleasure, and the Reverie team will have the pleasure of showing you around the region. You can plan on a week you’ll never forget, and don’t be surprised if you come home with new life-long friends.
From $4,800 USD
What will you do?
Cheryl and Nicole will be your hostesses for the week both in and out of the kitchen. You can look forward to an ample education (with loads of good fun!) during your workshops as your baker queens take you through the ins and outs of their baking styles. When you’re not in workshop mode, you’ll have plenty of time to relax and explore the château grounds and dip your feet in the pool. You can enjoy walks through the perfect French countryside and we may even have some fresh forest fruits available to throw into dessert! We’ll show you to a traditional French market so you can get to know what the true France looks like. And we will, of course, take you to the invigorating city of Toulouse. You’ll have a day to explore the shops, the history, and the bakeries however you like. As always, everything on the itinerary is optional, so you can create your own personal perfect balance between relaxation and activity.
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While we hope everyone will participate, all experiences are optional! Please feel free to take time for yourself whenever you like.
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Rêverie has carefully selected activities and experiences that we believe represent the best of the region and our own expertise, aiming to provide an optimal experience for the participants.
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Eating and drinking are communal! You’ll have the opportunity to cook food, taste wines and learn from experienced teachers. We can’t wait to welcome you for our workshops!
your guest hosts
Get To Know your guest hosts!
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Cheryl Day
Cheryl Day is a New York Times bestselling cookbook author and a James Beard Award nominee for Outstanding Baker in 2015. She is an unabashed American legacy baker, known for her homespun approachable style, and cofounder of Back in the Day Bakery in Savannah, Georgia for 22 years. Her book, Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking received the IACP award in the American cookbooks category and was nominated for a James Beard Award for Baking and Desserts in 2022. Cheryl lives with her husband Griff, her baking soul mate; Story, their beloved dog; and a vast collection of vintage cookbooks in Savannah. Keep up with Cheryl on Instagram at @cherylday, where she lives out her mantra to “Slow down and enjoy the sweet life.”
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Nicole Rucker
Nicole Rucker is Chef / owner of Fat + Flour Bakery and award nominated author from Los Angeles. Formerly the pastry chef of the Gjelina Group (including G.T.A. and Gjusta), Rucker is known internationally for her rustic desserts and has won several awards for her homespun pies. In 2012, she won blue ribbons in the National Pie Championship, KCRW Good Food Pie contest and a Star Chef award for baking. Her book ‘Dappled: Baking Recipes for Fruit Lovers', was nominated for a James Beard Award for baking and pastry books in 2020.
YOUR ITINERARY
*Please note that changes to the itinerary may occur between now and your retreat start date*
DAY ONE
monday 6.02.25
Welcome to Southwest France! As you approach the beloved Château de Labusquière, you’ll feel swept away by the inviting vistas and the wheat fields. You’ll be welcomed with a glass of champagne and some post-travel snacks. We’ll show you to your château quarters for a brief freshen up, and then we’ll gather for a welcome lunch in the courtyard to kick off the week. You’ll have the afternoon to yourself for a post-travel nap, exploring the grounds, or a dip in the pool with it’s breathtaking views. Come evening, after cocktails by the pool, we’ll sit down to our first dinner at the château in the grand dining hall prepared by the Rêverie team. Yes, it will be as lovely as it sounds!
DAY two
tuesday 6.03.25
On our second day, following a fabulous French breakfast spread, Cheryl and Nicole will lead you in your first baking workshop - Baking for Brunch - in the château kitchens. You’ll eat your way through your own preparations at the lunch table, and then you’ll have the afternoon to rest and digest all that you’ve learned. In the evening, our friend Virgil from Le Merle Moquer, a natural wine bar in Auch, will lead you in a discovery of some of his favorite natural wines. We’ll follow with dinner in the grand dining hall, digestifs in the old kitchen, and maybe some card games for those with a wild hair. ;)
DAY three
wednesday 6.04.25
Wednesday - market day !! After your palatial breakfast of local pastries and fresh fruits, our coaches will escort us to the countryside village of Gimont where they host a traditional market every Wednesday with fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses and the like. We’ll be on the hunt for fixins to elaborate your creations in the next workshops, so keep those eyes open wide! After a stroll around the market and perhaps a bistrot coffee, we’ll head back to the château where the Reverie team will have your lunch spread waiting. Following lunch, it’s back into the workshop kitchen for an afternoon of baking with fresh fruit - your market finds! Then we’re on to dinner (dessert’s on you, of course) and after-dinner drinks if you so desire.
DAY four
thursday 6.05.25
If we’ve done it right by now, the Château will start to be feeling like a home away from home. Thursday will be our last full day at the château, so breathe it in deep and make sure you’ve explored every corner of its history (Did you sit in the chapel yet? Maybe play the pump organ? Go on a hunt for forest fruits?). You’ll have your final workshop with Cheryl and Nicole after breakfast where you’ll focus on making a puff pastry from scratch and using that to make delicious savory showstoppers. After lunch, you can take the afternoon to rest and begin packing before our big bangin’ Reverie grill party! Keep those fingers crossed for good weather so we can smash a tournament of pétanque (that’s French for Bocci Ball), dip our toes in the pool with cocktail in hand, and enjoy some of France’s finest grill numbers and snack foods. We love to throw a party!
DAY five
friday 6.06.25
Friday already?? Let’s make it count! After breakfast, our lovely drivers will sweep us away to the rosy, bustling city of Toulouse. We’ll drop you off in the city for a day of exploring, tasting, and shopping. Don’t worry - we’ll give you some good pointers! You’ll have the option to take a sandwich lunch on Reverie or check out one of Toulouse’s fantastic restaurants on your own. At the end of the day, we’ll head back to the château for a quick freshen up before heading to a fine-dining dinner down the street at the delicious Maison Despouès. Our final supper will be one you won’t forget!
DAY six
saturday 6.07.25
Today, we depart from our home for the week, and we soak up every final breath we can of the wide-open air of Gers. Breakfast will be served, and we will say our goodbyes as the vans arrive to shuttle you back to the airport in Toulouse. Au revoir, les amis!
workshops
The undeniable duo of Nicole Rucker and Cheryl Day will guide you through three pastry focused workshops in the château kitchen. Talk about a treat! For your first morning workshop, they’ll share with you some brunch recipes and secrets for perfecting your cheese boards, and then we’ll have a midday courtyard feast. For your second workshop, you’ll find the juiciest seasonal fruits during our market visit in Gimont and bring them back for a hands-on workshop in baking with fresh fruits. And on your last day in the château, you’ll spend the morning perfecting your puff pastry before turning into a savory masterpiece - le vol-au-vent! A good time is guaranteed, and you may never eat better.
WORKSHOPS
French-inspired brunch baking! - quiche, cheese plates, hot drinks and breakfast spreads!
Baking with Fresh Fruit! - we’ll load up at the market and Cheryl and Nicole will guide you in baking something delicious with your finds.
Let’s get salty! - A basic course in puff pastry that we’ll turn into adventurous savory tarts and Vol-au-vents!
* Due to the nature of the experience we wish to provide, we can accommodate vegetarians, but will be unable to accommodate any further dietary restrictions.
EXPLORE
This has become one of Reverie’s favorite regions of France, and we look forward to introducing you and discovering it through a fresh lens! We’ll head out early in the week to the nearby village of Gimont to visit their traditional open air market and source fruits and veg for the week’s workshops. After we’ve workshopped our hearts out, we’ll end the week with a day out in Toulouse and plenty of time to explore the city’s history, restaurant, bakeries and shopping. For our last supper, we’ll take you to La Maison Despouès, a charming and delicious restaurant in an unforgettable countryside setting with a wine list we love.
OUTINGS
Visit the traditional open air French market in Gimont to source fresh goods for our workshops
Explore the exciting city of Toulouse, filled with history, great bites, and plenty of good shopping ;)
Dinner out as a group at one of our favorite local restaurants
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Everything! Well, everything except for your big ride across the ocean and to the chateau’s nearest airport. But once you arrive, we got you.
Transfers to and from the château from the Toulouse Blagnac airport.
Workshops and all materials associated
Recipes galore!
All meals, unless you go rogue
All wine and beverages, unless you wanna have your own after hours party ;)
Private coach transportation while on retreat
All scheduled outings and events during our week
Chateau lodging, naturally
GETTING HERE
Airplane
Several planes fly direct to Toulouse Blagnac airport (TLS) every day from Paris and other cities around Europe. We will arrange for an airport pickup on the first day of the retreat at 11:00 a.m., and we will drop you off on the last day at 11:00 am. All you have to do is get to Toulouse and we’ll take it from there!
*If you choose to arrive after our arranged pickup time or to leave earlier on the last day, we would be happy to help you arrange for a private driver for an additional fee.
*Cost of airfare to the Toulouse Blagnac airport is not included in the cost of your reservation. Please let us know if we can offer any support or guidance with your travel plans - we’re happy to help!
Car
If you’re the seasoned-traveler type and you’d enjoy having your own transportation, then please - rent a car in Paris and drive down! Have a stopover in the region of Dordogne for a foie gras tartine and make a pitstop for the wild view of the old cliffside city in Rocamadour. You could then keep your car for the week and choose your own destiny, or drop off at the Toulouse airport on the first day of the retreat and we’ll come grab you.
Train
Trains are another option for those who feel comfortable traveling around on their own! Please note that if you take the train to the Toulouse Matabiau train station, you will need to take a taxi to the Tououse Blagnac airport (20 minute drive) for our scheduled pickup time.
Travel Reservation
If you would like guidance with booking your travel to the Chateau, please reach out.
We are here to help make this part easy and smooth.
If you would like to extend your stay in France, we are delighted to partner with The French Travel, a locally owned and operated trip designer based in Paris. They are true experts who will help you perfectly plan your before and/or after Rêverie experience. Check them out for more info!
Our friends at Coucou offer some incredible online French language classes - whether you’re looking to brush up on your high school French or looking to learn a few phrases to feel more comfortable with travel, Coucou is the way! Check out their website for more information.