Food is an important part of life at SWAN
Guests staying for our Yoga retreats, Ayurveda programmes, Panchakarma, meditation courses and Yoga Teacher Trainings are served freshly prepared vegetarian meals as part of their residential programme.
Our kitchen works with fresh, seasonal and locally sourced produce, much of it obtained from farmers and suppliers in the surrounding region. We also grow vegetables, herbs and other produce within the SWAN campus, which are used in the kitchen when available.
The menu draws from the diverse culinary traditions of India, with an emphasis on wholesome, flavourful food suited to the rhythm of residential Yoga and Ayurveda.
Our gardens are a small but meaningful part of the SWAN campus.
We grow seasonal vegetables, herbs and other produce, depending on what the land and climate provide at different times of the year. What we grow is used directly in our kitchen whenever available.
The rest of our ingredients come from local farmers and regional suppliers.
This allows us to work with fresh produce while maintaining a simple connection between the land, the kitchen and the food served to our guests.
Cooked by people who mean it.
Our vegetarian cooking is influenced by the principles of Ayurveda and Yoga, while remaining rooted in the richness and variety of Indian cuisine.
Fresh vegetables, grains, pulses, herbs and spices are prepared in different ways throughout the week, giving guests a varied and satisfying menu.
For guests undergoing Ayurvedic treatments or Panchakarma, meals may be adapted according to the individual programme and the recommendations of the resident Ayurvedic physician.
Our chef, Mukesh, is an informally trained culinary magician with the rare ability to turn his love of taste, aroma and spice into genuinely outstanding cooking, the kind that satisfies people who arrived quite sure they would miss meat. You can learn his methods at an Ayurvedic cooking class.
The Dining Experience
Meals are part of the daily rhythm of residential life at SWAN.
Guests eat together in the dining area, creating a relaxed space to meet people from different parts of the world and share the experience of being at the retreat. Brunch is at ten and dinner at six, with herbal tea and fruit early in the morning before practice.
There is no elaborate restaurant service. The emphasis is on fresh food, a relaxed atmosphere and time to eat without rushing.
Filtered drinking water is available throughout the day, along with herbal teas such as tulsi, lemongrass and ginger. Herbs grown on the SWAN campus are used whenever available. The water comes from our own well, naturally chilled and served from traditional earthen basins.
Dietary Requirements
Vegetarian food is the foundation of our kitchen. Vegan diets and many specific dietary requirements can be accommodated with prior notice.
If you have allergies, intolerances or other dietary requirements, please let us know when making your booking so that the kitchen can plan accordingly.
During Panchakarma and specific Ayurvedic programmes, dietary arrangements may be different and will be guided by the Ayurvedic physician according to the individual programme.
What you will eat.
Dining at SWAN
All meals are included in our residential programmes. Meal timings and dietary arrangements may vary according to the programme, particularly during Panchakarma and other Ayurvedic treatments.
At SWAN, food is simply another part of the residential experience: grown where possible, sourced locally, prepared with care and shared together.
Fresh, seasonal, vegetarian, and included.
All meals are included in every programme. Tell us about dietary needs when you book and the kitchen will plan around them.