Many of you will know Lorne as the founder of Flavours Holidays, but fewer people know how the story really began.

As a student travelling through Italy, Lorne fell in love with the dolce vita way of life — long lunches, warm hospitality, and the feeling of being welcomed into local communities. She wanted to share that experience with others, not as a typical holiday, but as something more authentic: small groups, beautiful hand-picked villas, and the kind of local knowledge that allows you to truly experience a place.

In the early days, Lorne built the business from the ground up — travelling across Italy to meet villa owners, explore regions, and carefully choose locations that captured the true “flavour” of each destination. From the beginning she was also clear about one thing: solo travellers should never feel penalised with extra costs, because travel should feel welcoming and accessible to everyone.

The business grew alongside Lorne’s family, and her son Calum has been part of the Flavours story from a very young age. He often jokes that Flavours has always been the “main child,” as the business steadily grew while Lorne balanced family life with running the company.

Today, Calum still plays a part in the business. You may find him hosting on some holidays, supporting Nordic walking groups, or capturing the photos and videos that bring our villas and experiences to life online. Many guests will have met him along the way.

That sense of family has remained at the heart of everything we do, and it’s often what our Amici guests say makes Flavours feel so special — a place where people return not just for the holiday, but for the friendships and community.

“Building Flavours was never just about travel; it was about creating a community. Calum has grown up with the business, so he instinctively understands what matters to our guests and the care that goes into every Flavours holiday.” — Lorne