Mark Hix has spent more than three decades championing the best of what the land and sea can offer, from Dorset crab to Isle of Wight tomatoes, from a Lyme Regis fish house to the kitchens of The Ivy. Now, for one small group of ten guests in September 2026, he turns his eye south.

The Culinary HIXperience is a three-night, four-day retreat through the food culture of Andalucía, built around the landscapes, producers and ingredients that make this corner of Spain so quietly extraordinary. This is not a cooking class. It is the experience of travelling with a chef who has spent a lifetime understanding what makes an ingredient worth cooking, and discovering what Andalucía does with its own.

The retreat opens in Málaga with a private tasting of D.O. Sierras de Málaga wines, a lesser-known appellation producing some of southern Spain’s most interesting bottles, followed by a welcome dinner.

The next morning, Mark leads the group through Málaga’s markets, sourcing the ingredients he will cook that evening at the group’s private historic villa in Cuevas Bajas. Lunch is at Arte de Cozina in Antequera, one of Andalucía’s most celebrated regional restaurants.

Day three ventures further into the Andalucían interior. The morning brings a private olive oil tasting at a traditional cortijo with a female organic producer. In the afternoon, the group travels to Riofrío, home to Europe’s oldest organic sturgeon farm and the world’s first certified organic caviar, for a private caviar and Champagne experience that has no equivalent on any standard itinerary. The retreat concludes that evening with a farewell feast prepared by Mark and local cooks: a celebration of everything the week has uncovered.

Limited to ten guests. September 2026. This is a chef-led food and wine experience in southern Spain for those who travel to eat and understand food is the key to a culture.

This retreat is conducted entirely in English and is designed for international guests.