RHIANNON Taylor only opened her B&B at Little Trewern, near Longtown three months ago, but her guests have been so enthusiastic about the home-made French croissants, the tartes tatins, the brioche, as well as the sweet and savoury eclairs that she serves, that they have asked her to teach them how to make them.

From this month, guests will be able to learn French patisserie whilst staying at the stone-built farmhouse with views of the Black Mountains.

Rhiannon is a fluent French speaker from a Celtic-French family, and believes that her most importance heritage is the culinary skill that she learned when she stayed with her French family during long summer holidays.

She also has deep roots in Herefordshire, and loves to combine the best of France with the best of Herefordshire.

Her particular favourite – and a huge hit with guests – is her Woodman’s Cottage Tarte Tatin, named in honour of her parents’ cottage on Stockley Hill near Peterchurch.

This tart combines the wonderful flavour of Herefordshire Russets with the exquisite pastry of a French patisserie.

She shares the recipe, below, with us.

Guests who are keen to brush up on their French language can combine their patisserie course with one-to-one or one-to-two tuition.

The baking courses can be made to order, but need to be booked well in advance, with September already fully booked.

For further details and availability, contact Rhiannon on 01873 860749, email littletrewernfarm@ gmail.com or visit littletrewern.co.uk.

Woodman’s Cottage Tarte Tatin

2 oz butter, 2 oz golden caster sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinammon, 6 medium Herefordshire russets (or Cox’s orange pippins), about 14 oz home made puff pastry, 200ml crème fraîche, 2 tbsp icing sugar, 1 tbsp Calvados.

Preheat the oven to 220°c/200°c fan Gently melt the butter in an ovenproof frying pan (non-stick ideally).

Gradually stir in the sugar and heat until it just starts to caramelise. Then stir in the cinnamon.

Add the Russets peeled and cored, and cut into about eight to 10 pieces, depending on the size of the apples.

Do not slice the apples too thinly.

Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the oozing apple juices mix with the caramelised sugar, then remove from the heat once you have a thick sauce of juice and sugar.

Roll out the puff pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin and cut into a circle just a bit bigger than your frying pan.

Then prick it all over with a fork.

Lay the pastry over the apples in the pan, and trim away any excess to leave an overhanging rim of about 1 inch.

Tuck the pastry down around the apples and down the inside of the pan.

Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for about 20 – 30 minutes, until the pastry has risen and is golden-coloured and firm.

When the tarte is cooked, leave in the pan for a few minutes, then carefully run a blunt knife or heat proof spatula, around the edge, before turning the pan upside down over a large plate and dribble any juices onto the apples.

Serve with brandy cream made from 200ml crème fraîche, 2 tbsp icing sugar and a good slug of Calvados.