Tuscan Nonna Cooking Apprenticeship
Season: Available much of the year, depending on host schedule and seasonal kitchen rhythm
Tuscany, Italy · Apprenticeship
Tuscan Nonna
Cooking Apprenticeship
For a few days, you stop being a tourist. You become a nonna's apprentice — pulling pasta by hand each morning, walking the garden for tonight's herbs, learning recipes that were never written down.
All-inclusive. Lodging, meals, and instruction with Nonna Lucia.
- LocationGreve in Chianti, Tuscany
- Group size2–4 apprentices
- Skill levelTotal beginners welcome
- LanguagesItalian + English
- SeasonApril – October
"You don't learn to cook from a book. You learn from the hands that cooked before you."
What this is
Not a cooking class.
An apprenticeship.
You'll live at Nonna Lucia's farmhouse — a 200-year-old stone home on a hillside above Greve in Chianti. There are no menus, no recipe cards, no chef's whites.
Each morning you're in the kitchen by 8. You make the pasta the family will eat that night. You break down a chicken, fold tortelli, stir polenta until your arm aches. By the end of your stay, you're not following along — you're cooking.
This is for someone who has cooked their whole life and wants to go deeper. It's also for someone who has never cracked an egg. Lucia teaches both.
A typical day
From dawn to the long table
Coffee in the courtyard
Espresso, fresh bread, and Lucia's apricot jam. The day's plan over the kitchen table.
Morning kitchen
Fresh pasta, sauces, breads, or pastries — depending on the day and the season. You work alongside Lucia, hands-in.
Lunch with the family
Whatever you made that morning. You eat it the way it's meant to be eaten — slowly, with bread, with wine.
Walk, market, or rest
Some afternoons we drive into Greve for the market. Others, you walk the vineyards. Some, you nap.
Evening cook
The bigger meal — a braise, a roast, a hand-shaped pici. This is where the technique stacks.
Dinner at the long table
Family, neighbors, sometimes ten people. Always candles. Always wine from the next farm over.
What's included
Everything but the flight
Included
- Private room at Lucia's farmhouse
- All meals, every day
- Wine with lunch and dinner
- Daily instruction with Nonna Lucia
- Recipe journal you take home
- Airport transfer from Florence (FLR)
Outings
- Greve farmer's market visit
- Olive mill tour (in season)
- Vineyard walk and tasting
- Optional truffle hunt (Oct only)
- Trip to a working pasta workshop
Not included
- Flights to Florence
- Travel insurance
- Personal extras & gifts
- Restaurant meals on free days
- Visas (none required for most)
Your host
Nonna Lucia
Lucia has cooked in this kitchen for forty-three years. She learned from her mother, who learned from hers. Her recipes are not written down — she teaches them by hand, by smell, by the sound the sauce makes.
She has welcomed apprentices to her farmhouse since 2014. Many come back. A few have come back four times.
"I don't want students. I want people I can feed, who feed me back with their attention."
Choose your stay
Three, seven, or fourteen days
3 days
A taste
$1,190
per person, all-inclusive
- 2 nights at the farmhouse
- 4 hands-on cooking sessions
- All meals included
- Greve market visit
- Florence airport transfer
7 days
The apprenticeship
$2,650
per person, all-inclusive
- 6 nights at the farmhouse
- 10 hands-on cooking sessions
- Olive mill or vineyard outing
- Recipe journal you take home
- Florence airport transfer
14 days
Deep stay
$4,900
per person, all-inclusive
- 13 nights at the farmhouse
- Full kitchen rotation
- Optional truffle hunt (Oct)
- Day in a working pasta workshop
- Florence airport transfer
Questions
Before you book
Do I need to know how to cook?
No. About a third of apprentices have never cooked a full meal before. Lucia teaches from zero. The other two-thirds are home cooks who want to learn the way it's actually done in a Tuscan kitchen.
Do I need to speak Italian?
No. Lucia speaks enough English to teach. Her daughter Anna lives nearby and joins for translation when needed. Most of the learning is in the hands, not in words.
What about dietary needs?
Vegetarian and pescatarian work well — Tuscan cooking is plant-forward. Strict vegan or gluten-free is harder; tell us before you book and we'll be honest about fit.
Can I bring a partner who isn't cooking?
Yes. Non-cooking partners are welcome at lunch and dinner. There's a $890 stay-and-eat add-on for 7-day bookings.
How do I get there?
Fly into Florence (FLR). Airport transfer to the farmhouse is included. Pisa (PSA) and Bologna (BLQ) work too — train into Florence.
Cancellation policy?
Full refund up to 60 days before. 50% refund 30–60 days before. Within 30 days the booking is non-refundable, but we'll work with you to reschedule into the same season.
Step into Lucia's kitchen.
Small groups, real apprenticeships. Tell us when you'd like to come — we'll confirm dates within 48 hours.
Pick your dates aboveWhat’s Included
● Hands-on participation in the daily rhythm of a Tuscan kitchen
● Learning alongside an experienced family cook or host
● Breakfast each morning
● Lunch each day
● Accommodation, depending on the option selected
● Pre-arrival information and booking coordination
Dinner is not included unless otherwise specified by the host.
Lodging Options
You may choose the stay that best fits your travel style:
Option 1
Stay at the farmhouse, agriturismo, or host property
Included in the price
Option 2
Stay at a nearby inn, guesthouse, or village hotel
Included in the price
Option 3
Book an Airbnb or hotel of your choice
Not included unless otherwise arranged
Extras You May Add
These can be scheduled separately and are not included in the apprenticeship price.
Food-related
Market visit with your host
Wine tasting
Olive oil tasting
Cheesemaking visit
Bread or pastry session
Truffle hunting, depending on season
Cultural
Day trip to a nearby Tuscan town
Artisan visit
Ceramics experience
Private driver for countryside exploration
Outdoor
Countryside hike
Bike ride through the hills
Scenic picnic experience