Detox & Wellness Retreat in the Essex Countryside with The Gavin Sisters

The Detox Barn is a converted barn in the Essex countryside, roughly an hour from London. Sharon and Lauretta Gavin have run it since around 2000 and host every retreat themselves — they cook, give the talks, lead the walks and sit up talking with guests into the evening. It's small, with a handful of bedrooms, a big kitchen, a dining area and a log fire at the centre of it.

The programme is built around food and rest rather than exercise. Lauretta does the cooking: cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and plant-based meals — soups, salads, grains, roasted vegetables. Guests often describe the food as the surprise of the trip, and one review specifically mentions learning food prep to take home. There's no alcohol on the retreat. A podcast episode with alcohol mindset coach Anna Donaghey is tied to the retreats, which tells you where the conversation tends to go. There is also an episode with Professor Valter Longo on fasting, inflammation and aging, which is roughly the territory the talks cover.

Typical days include country walks (the reviews repeatedly mention them), treatments like massage and reflexology, and group chats about healthy living. Guests describe Sharon and Lauretta as warm, funny and non-preachy — one reviewer put it as "they don't preach, they are simply so passionate about this subject." Another said the highlights were "the best night's sleep I'd had in months, country walks and the simple but blissful pleasure of sitting in front of a log fire."

What makes this different from a bigger detox retreat is the scale and the two-person operation. You're in a barn in the English countryside eating food cooked by the person who's also your host, not in a resort with a rotating staff. It's also genuinely easy to reach — multiple reviewers mention how simple it is to get to from London while still feeling properly away from everything.

The Barn runs all year round. Individual retreats go on set dates, and private bookings are available for groups. It suits people dealing with burnout, people who want to cut back on drinking or caffeine, or anyone who wants a few days of real cooking and quiet. It's not a fitness retreat — if you want training sessions this isn't it — but as a straightforward detox and reset it's hard to beat on convenience.

What's included

- Overnight accommodation at The Detox Barn - All cold-pressed juices, smoothies and plant-based meals - Cooked dinners prepared by Lauretta - Guided countryside walks - Talks and workshops on food, habits and healthy living - Fireside evening sessions - Food prep demonstrations you can take home - Expert hosting throughout by Sharon and Lauretta Gavin

What's not included

- Travel to and from the Barn - Massage, reflexology and other treatments - Alcohol (not available at the retreat) - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Extra nights outside the booked dates