Central American destination spa Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico, is to launch a spa cooking school this year called Cocina Que Canta.
The 4,500sq ft (420sq m) school will launch in the spring next year and be located at the resort’s six-acre organic farm, Rancho Tres Esrellas.
The cooking school idea was born after spa residents increasingly began to request that the existing cookery classes occured more often than once a week.
The architecture of the Cocina Que Canta building has been inspired by the Mexican love of indoor/outdoor living, complete with terracotta brick walls, artisanal tile, hand-hewn open beam ceilings, open courtyards and fragrant gardens.
The new cookery programme will offer a series of hands-on classes followed by meals over a four-day period alongside a special a la carte programme tailored to individual needs. All recipes and cooking will be rooted in the principles of fresh, organic nutrition.
Cocina Que Canta will also boast special guests from the celebrity world alongside top restaurant and local chefs.
The owners of Rancho La Puerta eventually intend the cookery school to host one-day programmes for local residents and partner a number of culinary institutes in both the US and in Mexico to help further the education of aspiring young chefs.
Rancho La Puerta was founded by owners Edmond and Deborah Szekely in 1940 as a retreat dedicated to mind, body and spirit wellness. The ranch boasts more than 3,000 acres of nature reserve alongside 40 miles of hiking trails around the property. Details: www.rancholapuerta.com
