Eat Well - Free-range Food
"Exceeded all expectations! Really creative and inventive dishes, and I never felt that 'no meat' was an issue" - Simon Egan, Dublin
We understand the importance of good, quality food while on holidays. This is why we take such care in developing delicious menus for you to enjoy while with us.
The Algarve hosts a wealth of wonderful fresh produce, which makes our job easier. At Free-range Holidays all of our food is vegetarian and mostly organic. Sourcing produce from local farmer’s markets, we tend to cook seasonally; showcasing a particular vegetable that is in season and building a cast of supporting pulses, vegetables and grains around it.
Because the flavours of the east lend themselves so easily to vegetarian dishes, many cooks will often overlook European cuisine in favour of Asian, Indian and Middle-eastern styles. Our menus reflect a balance of influences from around the globe. However, we deliberately avoid fusion cooking and create vegetarian dishes with european style.
We fully embrace the role of food in the Mediterranean lifestyle. For this reason, all of our meals are social occasions that usually occur outdoors. Large communal tables are set and, on Gourmet Yoga Holidays, meals are preceded with an aperitif hour and served with carefully selected wines from all of Portugal’s wine regions. The informal setting provides the perfect opportunity to recap the events of your day with the other guests. Imagine having a dinner party with a dozen friends, but you don’t have to host, cook or clean up.
We cater for special dietary requirements, but require advance notice in order to insure you are accommodated.
Free-range Holidays menus fall into three main categories:
1. Gourmet Yoga Holiday - The food is healthy but not diet-food; scrumptious and delectable, but not overindulgent. Olive oil, fresh greens, seasonal vegetables, and fresh herbs with modest amounts of butter and cream tantalise the taste buds and delight the appetite. All served with carefully selected wines from all regions of Portugal. We also use one evening to take a trip into Lagos to savour the gourmet delights of one of its many excellent restaurants.
2. Bootcamp - Even the kitchen scale gets a workout as each portion is precisely weighed to restrict your caloric intake to 1200-1600 per day, depending on your individual requirement. Menus may not be as sumptuous as on a Gourmet Yoga Holiday, but we make sure that your calories come in generous portions of tasty fresh salads and homemade soups.
3. Ayurvedic Detox - Our kitchen and Ayurvedic consultant work together to create menus full of options for each of the three constitutions. Spices are carefully blended to encourage proper digestion. The buffet-style dinners aren’t restricted to eastern and Indian flavours, but also borrow from traditional Portuguese and other European recipes.
What People Are Saying About The Food
"Superb! Some really exquisite touches, but never too fussy. Emphasis on real vegetables not overshadowed by sauces or complex blends" - Paul Woods, U.K.
"Excellent, sufficient, varied, colourful, tasty, inspirational and healthy all at the same time" - Viv Davidson, U.K.