Taste Life With Me

Through flavours, travels, stories and memories that make life rich

HOSTED FOOD & CULTURE JOURNEYS
COOK WITH ME
ABOUT ME
HOSTED FOOD & CULTURE JOURNEYS
Why Join a Hosted Food & Culture Journey

Tired of complicated travel planning? Longing for authentic experiences without the stress of organizing every detail?

Join a small group of no more than 14 like-minded food lovers for an expertly curated culinary adventure in the Mediterranean. Whether you’re traveling solo or as a couple, you’ll discover authentic flavours, learn hands-on cooking techniques, and explore local culture with confidence and ease.

Return home with new skills, wonderful memories, and perhaps a few new friends too.

Upcoming Hosted Food & Culture Journeys
Marrakech Food & Culture Journey (with Pilates)

Marrakech Food & Culture Journey (with Pilates)

31Jan - 7 Feb 2027
Limited Places Available
Agadir Food & Culture Journey

Agadir Food & Culture Journey

10–17 Nov 2026 – Sold out
17–24 January 2027 – Limited Places Available
Sicily Food & Heritage Journey

Sicily Food & Heritage Journey

21st – 28th September 2027
SOLD OUT
Sicily Food & Heritage Journey

Sicily Food & Heritage Journey

20th – 27th April 2027
Reserve your place
Crete Food & Culture Journey

Crete Food & Culture Journey

19 - 26 June 2027 - Reserve your place
ABOUT ME
About me

I’m Irini Tzortzoglou, a Greek-born chef and winner of MasterChef UK 2019, passionate about blending my Cretan food heritage with a love of cooking, culture, and human connection. I grew up in a small village in Crete and spent over 30 years in London before reinventing my life around food after MasterChef. Since then, I’ve become an author, olive oil and honey sommelier, columnist, and host of culinary retreats. Based in the Lake District, I lead food-focused retreats in Greece, Morocco, and beyond, where I celebrate storytelling, shared meals, and the joy of cooking, while championing food as a source of memory, identity, and community.

Guest Experiences

Dear Irini, you gave us a marvellous week. It was so much better than I could have imagined, with every moment packed with fun, knowledge and friendship. Your organisational skills are superb. It couldn’t be better because of your passion, enthusiasm, care and values. Bravo!”

LCCrete Retreats

Absolutely one of my favourite holidays of all time — great food, new friends, amazing location and being spoilt rotten. I could not ask for anything more.

PH.CCrete Retreats

Thank you for all your hard work planning and presenting a superb view of Cretan culture and foods. Your recipes are sensational — I’m already planning Friday family dinners inspired by you!

Anne HCrete Retreats

Being on your October retreat was an amazing experience Irini. I cannot thank you enough for your energy, passion and love – the food wasn’t bad either!

Robert TCrete Retreats

This holiday has to be one of the best I’ve ever been on. Crammed full with gastronomic experiences, awe-inspiring visits, and the warmest hospitality from Irini and John

AnonSaga Holidays

Irini gave us not just cookery skills, but also an insight into Greek culture and life. Everything she arranged was excellent — a truly exceptional holiday.

AnonSaga Holidays

Irini is a bright light. Her storytelling, her joy, her knowledge of food and culture filled us up in every way — hearts, minds, and stomachs. I feel like I’ve made a close friend.

Becky DWayfinding Women

You are a joy to know and learn from. Thank you for sharing your love, your time, and your gifts. You are a true blessing

Julie VWayfinding Women

The perfect reset in the dark days of winter. Irini’s inspiring cookery sessions alongside Hilary’s Pilates created a week that was both productive and restorative. I came home rejuvenated and ready to take on the world.

Deborah D.L.Morocco Retreats

Such a fabulous time — stimulating, refreshing, and full of culinary and cultural discoveries. Thank you so much.

Diane CMorocco Retreats
COOK WITH ME
Recipes for every occasion
Buttery Cinnamon Apples With Brandy

Buttery Cinnamon Apples With Brandy

This is one of those simple recipes that is useful in far more ways than you first expect. The apples cook gently under a cartouche, so they soften without collapsing,…
Spiced poached pears

Spiced poached pears

I was leaving our home in Cumbria to travel to Crete where I was hosting a culinary week for Saga Holidays and the pears on our espalier tree were not…
Rhubarb, orange and ginger compote

Rhubarb, orange and ginger compote

I was in the process of cleaning my big chest freezer and left out by mistake a small amount of rhubarb I had bought at the Cartmel Allotments open day. …
Insights & Inspiration
The Candle That Follows Me to the Mediterranean.

The Candle That Follows Me to the Mediterranean.

The Candle That Follows Me to the Mediterranean. I love beautiful ingredients, but my appreciation of quality goes far beyond food. It might be a silk-printed cushion, a beautifully made…
Know Your Olive Oil

Know Your Olive Oil

The Ultimate Olive Oil Glossary: A Sommelier’s Guide to Buying, Tasting and Understanding Extra Virgin Olive Oil Olive oil is one of the world’s oldest foods and a superfood, yet…
The beauty of what has been broken.

The beauty of what has been broken.

You rarely expect a quiet craft to stop you in your tracks. But that is exactly what kintsugi did — and it happened, as many of the most significant things…