Sariann Lehrer

@choppedginger

I’m Sariann, a travel-loving cookbook author/ex-restaurateur obsessed with food culture. My husband David and I recently closed up our wee restaurant, trading late nights and never-ending dishwashing for quiet early mornings pottering in our garden in the bonny green hills of southern Scotland. As often as we can manage, we travel the world, get inspired, and experience new foodways.

Through Raw Milk Retreats I want to share experiences, connections, food, and drink in communities around the world. My post-graduate gastronomy studies at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh showed me how food is part of nearly everything in the human experience, how cultures and communities and families are formed and function is inter-dependent on their foodways. Join me on my next retreat to experience food and drink and a new destination in a heartfelt, authentic, and meaningful way.

Kayla DeVito

@kayladevitofineart

Kayla will be teaching painting in South Tyrol, Italy.

I grew up always yearning for something I couldn’t quite put my finger on, as if there was a melody I knew by heart but could never seem to remember the lyrics. I knew I wanted to paint, but never had the courage to really try. My beautiful coastal home in the lowlands of South Carolina eased me into it; I knew I had to try and capture what I was lucky enough to witness on a daily basis, because despite being a nationally-published photographer, I could never quite capture the emotions and beauty that sprawled before me like dense fog kissing the top of every wave on its way out.

When I did finally begin painting, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew I was stepping into what I was meant to do.

I am a self-taught artist with years of relevant experience in photography and design. Vast, moody landscapes drenched in history are my ultimate muse, and I am positively thrilled to be teaching a workshop in such a place as the Cotswolds. My teachings rely heavily on emotion and capturing an essence rather than a scene, and I hope I can help others find solace in a newly-discovered passion for the arts.

Aidan Lehrer

@aidan_lehrer

Aidan will be guiding fly fishing excursions in South Tyrol, Italy.

Having spent my childhood exploring and canoeing through the Connecticut Valley, my passion caught fire in high school, growing into a lifelong love for exploration, conservation, and beautiful fish. Fifteen years into my fly fishing career, I’ve explored fisheries throughout New England, Montana, California, and the British Isles. I’ve found my place in more excursionary trout fishing trips, most recently trekking through the Sierra Nevada mountain range in search for the famed California Golden Trout. 

On excursions into the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts and the Green Mountains of Vermont, I found the answer to an age old question – size does not, in fact, matter. My fishing trips typically involve multi-day backpacking excursions to find hidden gems, moving away from catching big fish to catching beautiful fish. Lines cast several miles deep in Shenandoah and Kings Canyon National Parks drove home the fact that beautiful trout live in beautiful locations. I’ve gained a love for the holistic experience that is being an outdoorsman…I’m just lucky enough to know how to cast a fly rod.

Booth Hardy

Booth is the owner of Barrel Thief Wine & Provisions, an award-winning wine shop located in Richmond, Virginia. He will be joining us in the Loire Valley, France.

Growing up, I was torn between two career paths: food and music. I chose music after high school, and after a stint studying at Berklee College of Music and playing drums in Boston, I found myself without any upcoming gigs. A winemaker family friend mentioned needing help making his wine in California, so I drove out for the 2005 harvest in Sonoma County. The combination of art, science, and steady work hit me just right after years of lugging my drums to gigs. At the end of that first harvest, the cellar crew shared a celebratory bottle of 1996 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne standing on the crush pad. It was the best thing I had ever tasted, and I was hooked. 

I moved back home to Virginia to take a job at a new wine bar and shop called Barrel Thief in Richmond. I learned, studied, tasted, and chased all the pins and certifications I could find. I judged Virginia wine competitions like the Governor’s, Shenandoah, and Monticello Cups. Meanwhile, I took every opportunity to travel the world visiting regions and producers, learning their stories and experiencing their food and culture. Trips taught me so much more than I ever learned from books, and the amazing travel memories I have stick with me while many of the facts I memorized are gone. 

I bought Barrel Thief in 2023 and continue to enjoy discovering new wines and producers. I’ll always be chasing that feeling I had with the glass of Taittinger. 

Alanna O'Neil

@Alannaoneilphoto

Alanna will be teaching photography in Co. Cork, Ireland.

Alanna O'Neil is a photographer based in Maui, Hawaii, originally hailing from the Green Mountains of Vermont. She has found a peaceful home in this island paradise, where her work centers on visual storytelling and seasonal living inspired by nature. With a focus on capturing the essence of place and moment, her photography reflects a deep connection to nature, conveyed through thoughtfulness, curiosity, and sensitivity.

Alanna's background in design, having worked as a designer for Calvin Klein in New York’s fashion industry, naturally transitioned into her photography career. She has created visual stories for notable food and lifestyle brands, including Francis Ford Coppola, Vermont Creamery, and Sofia Wine. In addition to her commercial work, she mentors emerging photographers and is the author of two cookbooks.

Sam Wilkin

@cellarmansam

Sam will be co-hosting our Cheese & Cider retreat in the south of England.

Sam Wilkin is an experienced cheese expert working across the industry for the last ten years.  He now works as a freelancer helping small scale producers to tell their stories.

Sam has collaborated on the hugely popular, cider washed Yarlington Cheese with Tom Oliver and Cheesemaker David Jowett of King Stone Dairy. And this year saw the release of the second edition of Cheddar on My Mind, a cider made in collaboration with Tom Oliver to pair with Cheddar.

Sam is the producer of The Cellarman Podcast and The Westcombe Project as well as producing a series of video shorts going behind the scenes of Fen Farm Dairy. Sam is a judge at The World Cheese Awards and has made multiple appearances on BBC Radio 4 The Food Programme and Food FM A Slice of Cheese.