Raymond Blanc joins Scenic culinary sailing

Guests can join chef Raymond Blanc on a culinary river cruise in the south of France this summer with Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours. 

They will enjoy regional delicacies from Blanc’s homeland as they sail along the Rhône. The special eight-day Tastes of the Rhône river cruise on board Scenic Sapphire sets sail from Lyon to Marseille on July 14. 

Blanc is a popular face on numerous TV programmes, the author of several best-selling books, and the founder of Le Manoir, a restaurant that has trained more than 35 Michelin starred chefs, including Marco Pierre White and Michael Caines.

During the cruise guests will join Blanc for an interactive cookery demonstration and tasting, pick up his kitchen secrets during a Q&A session and complimentary book signing, and enjoy a dinner selected by Blanc. 

They will also sample some of the region’s most famed gastronomy. In Mâcon, they can meet a local truffle farmer and their specially trained dog to uncover the tricks of the trade, before enjoying a tasting of their delicious produce. 

They can taste ripe regional delicacies at an olive farm in Les Baux, or shop with a Scenic chef at Avignon market before returning on board to cook in the kitchen while learning about French cuisine.

The cruise is in partnership with Tripsmiths and prices start at £2,995pp, with savings of up to £500pp when booking and paying in full before March 31. 

This year Scenic will also launch a culinary cruise in the Bordeaux winemaking region.  

Scenic Group recently appointed former MSC Cruises head of retail Andrea Stafford as director of trade sales and made five new hires.