Many of our travelers have enjoyed private French cooking classes with Brigitte Dumant at her beautiful home in Normandy. Brigitte kindly agreed to answer some questions for us to help our readers get to know her a little better!

In this interview, she tells us more about her classes, and shares some of her best tips for cooking and sourcing the freshest ingredients

You may also like to browse our sample Gourmet Food Tours to get more inspiration for your next trip to France!

Brigitte and travelers in her garden after a cooking class
Brigitte with travelers Marcia, Elliot, Evelyn & Steve after a cooking class
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Marcia, Elliot, Evelyn & Steve

How did you learn to cook?

I learned from my mother, and my family owns six restaurants in Paris! I always loved cooking and having friends home for dinner - isn't it a good combination??

What's special about Norman cuisine?

In Normandy, you can find the best creamy ingredients: cream, cheese, the best apples, and the best Calvados (apple brandy) to flambé what you are cooking!!

Brigitte in her home kitchen, where she teaches her cooking classes
Brigitte in her home kitchen, where she teaches her cooking classes
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Brigitte Dumant

Where do you source your ingredients?

My husband is busy with the vegetable garden, which includes artichokes, zucchinis, eggplants, squash, tomatoes, and different herbs.

I go to a special farm to buy chicken and I buy local fish (such as scallops, sole, shrimps and crab) from fishermen’s wives at Trouville. They sell the fish their husbands have caught during the day or night directly from the boat, and of course, the fish is very fresh!

My favorite local markets are at Pont-l'Évêque or Deauville, where many local producers sell their products.

Fresh scallops from Normandy
"This morning, I went to the open market at Deauville and I bought scallops in their shells directly from the boat." - Brigitte
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Brigitte Dumant

Can you share your favorite cooking tip?

I love to teach travelers how to make sauces, to make dishes extra special. When I prepare a sauce, I always begin slowly and carefully. The secret is to cook it gently and slowly for a long time and not to do it too fast. No hurry!

What are your favorite cooking ingredients? 

I love to use different herbs, such as fresh oregano, chives, tarragon, thyme, and rosemary, to enhance the flavor.

Do you have a favorite restaurant in Normandy?

I go to restaurants to have fun with friends or family - this is the most important thing for me - so any restaurant with a special and good atmosphere! We usually go to Les Vapeurs in Trouville, which is a brasserie and an institution.

Brigitte's house in Normandy, where she teaches her cooking classes
Brigitte's house in Normandy, where she teaches her cooking classes
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Brigitte Dumant

We are very grateful to Brigitte for taking the time to answer our questions!

For us at France Just For You, it's important to us that our travelers have the chance to immerse themselves in French culture, with lots of opportunities to interact with local French people, like Brigitte.

We can arrange private tours with expert local guides; specialist activities like truffle-hunting; wine-tastings; and private cooking classes with local culinary experts, all of whom speak good English and will make you feel welcome in France.

If you would like to book one of our self drive tours in Normandy and include a cooking class with Brigitte, let us know - we would love to hear from you!

France Just For You

Experts in self-drive tours in France

Travelers Reviews

5.0
Kris & Kristina
Thank you so much Emilie for all your hard work on our anniversary trip to St. Emilion and the Loire Valley! We had such a great time and everything you planned for us was just perfect. Having traveled to Paris and Nice many times, this was our first time exploring the countryside and we had a blast. We cannot thank you enough for everything! Kris …
Joel
We highly recommend Emilie’s services. She put together an excellent itinerary. She made all the arrangements and the guides she retained for us where top notch. The B&B accommodations were very good, the hosts were terrific and we enjoyed the other travelers we met at breakfast. We did two table d'hote dinners which were excellent and her …
John
In May we travelled to France for our second trip with Emilie and France Just For You, and it was just as wonderful as our first adventure! Emilie's planning is so thorough and detailed that not a thing is left to chance. The B and B's were lovely and the hosts delightful; the routes were carefully planned to give us a complete taste of Southern …
David
Emilie was a joy to work with - we were completely pleased with our experience! Do not hesitate to use her services - she will do everything to make your trip perfect. We don't care for group/bus "one-size-fits-all" type of tours - but I didn't feel confident enough with my grasp of French to go it alone. France Just For You is the perfect solution …
Carolyn
We had a truly remarkable adventure across France. France Just For You created an amazing itinerary that captured the essence of France. Their planning and support made the trip effortless and enjoyable. Each B&B offered a home like atmosphere and allowed us to meet people across the many different regions of France. We were able to experience so …
Kelly
My husband and our friends spent two weeks travelling around Northern France, the Loire Valley and Paris. Emilie provided us with a detailed itinerary that exceeded our expectations. The accommodations were excellent and unique providing us with a variety of B & B's. Her recommendations for tours and sights took into consideration our interests and …