FamilyFirst

Budding Chefs on the French Riviera

Kid's cooking on the French Riviera

Children have always enjoyed baking but thanks to the new generation of young, trendy and charismatic chefs such as Britain’s Jamie Oliver and France’s Cyril Lignac, and the creation of DS and Wii games, cooking has become one of today’s most fashionable activities.

Kids are no longer contented with making cakes and biscuits but are eager to try their hand at elaborated meals, from A to Z.

Surfing on this trend wave are various cooking clubs, exclusively or adapted for youngsters, in different towns on the French Riviera.

One of the pioneers: Cuisine sur Cours, a boutique style kitchen workshop located in the north of Nice that organizes group lessons for children alone or with an adult and culinary birthday parties. From the age of 6 years. Tel: +33 (0)4 93 96 17 29

One of the most prestigious: Café Le Notre, in Cannes, for easy gastronomic lessons from the age of 6 years, on Wednesdays and for birthday parties and events such as Christmas. Tel: +33 (0)4 97 06 67 62

One at your home: Christian Vinciguerra gives cooking lessons and organises cooking birthday parties at your home all over the region: bread, pizza base, fougasses, and chocolate fougassettes or other special breads. Tel: 06 88 90 99 17

One in the country side: This organic, working farm in St. Jeannet, has a cooking club for the 4’s and over on Wednesdays and sometimes during school holidays. Well worth a visit with children even if you do not want to cook. Graine & Ficelle. Tel: 06 85 08 15 64

One in a sweet factory: Children from 8 years may come to a 2 hour session baking cakes, making pancakes and other goodies. Special parent-child workshops are also organised for special occasions such as Mother's and Father's Day. Confiserie Florian in Tourrettes-sur-Loup. Tel: +33 (0)4 92 11 06 94

One of the most recent: Les P’tits Epicuriens, in St. Romain de Bellet, calls all future chefs aged 5 to 12 years, during school holidays and for birthday parties, where cooking, nature and decoration are combined to make fun and original recipes. Tel: 06 64 32 64 18

To find more children’s cooking clubs and other creative activities on the French Riviera connect to www.familyfirst.fr (French and English).

If you would like to cook with your children at home you can buy everything you need (cooking utensils and kid's recipies) from www.cookinette.fr, created by a mother of three from Grasse. She also organises from 1 to 4 cooking workshops a month. The dates vary from month to month and are updated on her internet site.

Photo credits: 1) Cuisine-sur-Cours by Misseri 2) Les P'tits Epicuriens

Article written in Febuary 2010. Warning: The information and images are not legally binding and may change without notice.