CARE AND FEEDING
WITH LAURIE WOOLEVER
A memoir, food, & travel writing retreat in West Cork
SEPTEMBER 21 - 26, 2026
Join New York Times bestselling author Laurie Woolever for a special writing retreat on a private island in West Cork
LIMITED TO JUST 12 GUESTS
Indulge all of your creative senses on this bespoke 5 night writing retreat featuring Laurie Woolever, the author of the memoir Care and Feeding. Our all-inclusive experience includes craft workshops on topics such as recipe writing and the purpose and function of food and travel writing, as well as individual feedback sessions. We’ll meet local artisans and chefs and spend time in nature as we hone our craft.
Our all-inclusive writing retreat takes place on a small private island in the heart of West Cork, Ireland’s food artisan capital, complete with 50 acres of woodland walks, a walled garden, and an indoor pool!
ABOUT LAURIE WOOLEVER
I’m a writer, editor, public speaker, and former cook. For nearly a decade, I worked as the lieutenant to the late author, TV host and producer Anthony Bourdain.
I’ve written for the New York Times, Vogue, GQ, Food & Wine, Lucky Peach (RIP), Saveur, Bloomberg, Dissent, Roads & Kingdoms, and others. In 1996, I earned my bachelor’s degree at Cornell University, after which I moved to New York, dicked around for a few years, then completed the professional training program at the French Culinary Institute, where chef-instructor Pascal Béric gave me the single best piece of advice I’ve ever received: “Don’t freak out! Freaking out is not gonna help.”
I’ve been a private cook, nanny, caterer, writer, busgirl, recipe tester, farm hand, video store clerk, and a food editor. I worked as Mario Batali’s assistant from 1999 to 2002, during which time I contributed to the writing of his books Holiday Food (2000) and The Babbo Cookbook (2002). I edited and recipe-tested Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook (2004), and then spent several years as an editor, at Art Culinaire and Wine Spectator.
In 2016, Ecco (an imprint of HarperCollins) published Appetites: A Cookbook, which I co-authored with Anthony Bourdain. Our second collaboration, World Travel: An Irreverent Guide, was published by Ecco in April 2021, and hit the New York Times bestseller list at #1. In September 2021, Ecco published Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography, which debuted on the New York Times bestseller list at #7. Appetites, World Travel and Bourdain have each been translated into more than a dozen languages.
I recently co-authored, with Richard Hart, the James Beard Award-winning Richard Hart Bread: Intuitive Sourdough Baking, published by Clarkson Potter in November 2024. My memoir, Care and Feeding, was published by Ecco in March 2025, and debuted on the New York Times bestseller list at #8. I co-host a food-focused podcast, Carbface for Radio, with affable shit-stirrer Chris Thornton, and am a writer for Flaming Hydra, a creator-owned newsletter collective.
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
Writing workshops; incredible, responsibly-sourced food, including all breakfasts and most lunches and dinners; private transportation; private tours with local guides & experts; behind-the-scenes visits with artisanal producers, farmers, & chefs; exclusive access and tastings; guided activities & adventures; Bog & Thunder guides at your disposal for the duration of the trip; unique hotel accommodations.
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?
International airfare; transportation to trip’s starting point; food & beverage not specifically included in itinerary; hotel incidentals; alcoholic beverages not specifically included in itinerary; personal spending money; gratuity for tour leaders or local guides.