We are extremely proud that Claire Ptak will be returning to Rocca delle Tre Contrade for the third time. Claire is a baker, food writer and food stylist, and runs the renowned bakery 'Violet Cakes' in London's East End, where she serves local residents as well as preparing her creations for big events and even royal weddings.

Claire will be holding several pastry master classes during our culinary week, covering pastry making, baking and gelato making, and tapping into local seasonal ingredients, such as citrus fruit, orange blossom, pistachios, almonds, strawberries and sheep's milk ricotta.

Your Host

A California native, Claire Ptak worked as a pastry chef for Alice Waters at Chez Panisse before moving to London. Here she quickly became a food stylist for celebrity chefs such as Yotam Ottolenghi, Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver, before renovating a derelict building in East London and setting up her shop and café 'Violet Cakes' in 2010.

Her fourth cookbook, 'The Violet Bakery Cookbook' was shortlisted for the Fortnum and Mason Best Cookery Book 2016. Claire regularly contributes to The Guardian and The Observer and her work has also been featured in Vogue, Bon Appetit, Observer Food Monthly, Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

Special guest

Claire will be joined by fellow Chef David Tanis, who also spent many years working with Alice Waters at her Chez Panisse restaurant. He has worked as a professional chef for over four decades and is the author of several acclaimed cookbooks, including A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes, which was chosen as one of the 50 best cookbooks ever by The Guardian.

As a teacher, he has worked with the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland and Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School in Sicily. He writes the monthly City Kitchen column for the Food section of the New York Times and has also written for other publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Bon Appétit, Fine Cooking and Saveur.

Passionate about simple, seasonal home cooking – real food – he finds inspiration in the fresh offerings at farmers’ markets.

Scroll for highlights from the week's programme >>

Claire will be holding several pastry master classes during the week – covering pastry making, baking and gelato making – and is joined by special guest David Tanis, who will share his passion for the simple, seasonal home cooking of Sicily, adding insights from decades of experience as a Chef, teacher and food writer. Our own in-house villa Chef Dora will share the recipes for her own secret Sicilian specialities!

Hands on lessons and Master Classes

Learn from Claire, David and from our own Dora, in the purpose-built demonstration kitchen of the villa. There will be daily sessions of hands-on cooking and demonstrations.

Sicilian pastry traditions and afternoon tea secrets

Experience true Sicilian patisserie traditions while learning how to create a captivating afternoon tea display from the master herself.

True Italian geato making

The secrets of ho to make Italian gelato. The flavours will be up to your own imagination and we will taste the freshly made gelato ice-crea, straight out of the villa's vintage Carpigiani ice-cream maker.

Local markets and farms

Visit the local vegetable and fish market and learn what is in season. Gather the ingredients, produce and wild greens that inspire us. See winemaking, ricotta and cheesemaking and high altitude farming on Etna – Europe's largest active volcano.

Please note that the programme is subject to changes based on local weather conditions and unforeseen circumstances.