Join BRET’S TABLE on a curated culinary tour for an experience of a lifetime, reveling in the extraordinary beauty of France, immersed in the food, wine et la belle vie (and the good life)!
Bret Bannon, a self-professed Francophile and longtime cooking instructor in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota has been traveling to this region for some 20 years. It started with the good fortune of traveling to La Pitchoune (the former home of Julia and Paul Child) when friend Kathie Alex was the owner. It was cooking alongside Kathie as often as possible for some 10 years that he became entranced with Provençal cuisine and the beauty of the French Rivera. More About Bret
Bret has spent a lifetime cooking and learning from others along the way. He was very fortunate to have apprenticed at the Park Avenue Café in New York with then-pastry chef Daniel Budd and with award-winning Chocolatier BT McElrath, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. During the past 30+ years, he worked with many notable chefs and cookbook authors, including Suvir Saran, Marcus Samuelson, Anne Willian, Joanne Weir, and Zoë François.
Everyone is Welcome! You don’t have to be an experienced chef or even know the difference between a paring and a chef’s knife. Students come from every background and each can learn something new, no matter their level of expertise. A sense of adventure and enjoying exquisite food and wine are the only requirements for a Bret’s Table Culinary Tour.
Come with your dearest friend, your spouse, partner, or come by yourself. BRET’S TABLE can also arrange an exclusive tour for your group. Depending on our destination, participation in a particular tour is limited to 6 – 8 students so everyone gets lots of personal attention and hands-on experience.
My Culinary Tour Philosophy
I like to find unique, yet lovely and comfortable places to stay, explore the markets, relax at cafés, learn about the region, shop with the locals and eat where they eat. Above all, I enjoy learning how to cook the regional specialties, utilizing what is locally-grown and in season. Oh, and of course I also enjoy eating the great regional cuisines as well!
Itineraries & Scrapbooks
Click on the Culinary Tour locations below to see a sample itinerary as well as photos from previous trips.
Once you choose the trip in which you are interested, let me know and I will send you a reservation form or contact me for any additional information. Then, all you have left to do is pack your bags for a culinary adventure of a lifetime.
Join BRET’S TABLE on a curated culinary tour for an experience of a lifetime, reveling in the extraordinary beauty of France, immersed in the food, wine et la belle vie (and the good life)!
Bret Bannon, a self-professed Francophile and longtime cooking instructor in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota has been traveling to this region for some 20 years. It started with the good fortune of traveling to La Pitchoune (the former home of Julia and Paul Child) when friend Kathie Alex was the owner. It was cooking alongside Kathie as often as possible for some 10 years that he became entranced with Provençal cuisine and the beauty of the French Rivera.
Bret has spent a lifetime cooking and learning from others along the way. He was very fortunate to have apprenticed at the Park Avenue Café in New York with then-pastry chef Daniel Budd and with award-winning Chocolatier BT McElrath, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. During the past 30+ years, he worked with many notable chefs and cookbook authors, including Suvir Saran, Marcus Samuelson, Anne Willian, Joanne Weir, and Zoë François.
You don’t have to be an experienced chef or even know the difference between a paring and a chef’s knife. Students come from every background and each can learn something new, no matter their level of expertise. A sense of adventure and enjoying exquisite food and wine are the only requirements for a Bret’s Table Culinary Tour.
Come with your dearest friend, your spouse, partner, or come by yourself. BRET’S TABLE can also arrange an exclusive tour for your group. Depending on our destination, participation in a particular tour is limited to 6 – 8 students so everyone gets lots of personal attention and hands-on experience.
My Culinary Tour Philosophy
I like to find unique, yet lovely and comfortable places to stay, explore the markets, relax at cafés, learn about the region, shop with the locals and eat where they eat. Above all, I enjoy learning how to cook the regional specialties, utilizing what is locally-grown and in season. Oh, and of course I also enjoy eating the great regional cuisines as well!
Itineraries & Scrapbooks
Click on the Culinary Tour locations below to see a sample itinerary as well as photos from previous trips.
Lyon, Epicenter of French Cuisine
Beaches and Bistros
Wine and (Michelin) Stars!
Paris and the Champagne Region (Working on Itinerary now)
Marrakech, Morocco
Reserve Your Space
Once you choose the trip in which you are interested, let me know and I will send you a reservation form or contact me for any additional information. Then, all you have left to do is pack your bags for a culinary adventure of a lifetime.
Read the Reservation Form Terms & Conditions for more details.
Photographs by Carolyn Cherry