Meet Florence Rebattet, CEO of En Cuisine Cooking School

Meet Florence Rebattet, CEO of En Cuisine Cooking School. Hello everyone, I hope you are well. In today’s post, I want you to meet Florence ReBattet, CEO of En-Cusine Cooking School. Florence recently started Cooking classes for children from 3 to 18 years old—offers include Afternoon clubs in schools and nurseries, Birthday parties, Private tuition and Holiday camps. I was very excited about this, and wanted to learn more about Florence and her goal.

Meet Florence Rebattet, CEO of En Cuisine Cooking School

Hello Florence, It Is a Pleasure To Interview You. Tell Me Something Important About Yourself

I never give up! Even if it is hard, I always find the inner resource to analyse the situation and make it work. It might be different from the original plan, but I keep my objectives in mind and move forward with a smile.

What Inspired You To Start En Cuisine – Cooking School And Focus On Teaching Children About Healthy Cooking?

I have always been passionate about cooking and never understood why parents keep educating their children’s pallets with sweet dishes instead of healthy food.

When I started cooking school, I wanted to feed my students (i.e., your children) as I feed my son. That means healthy food with in-season ingredients.

Why did I choose children instead of adults for building my cooking school?

While it is a niche market that requires even more effort than a typical cooking school to get off the ground, I chose it because I love challenges and working with children. They have absolutely no filters. They like you. Or they don’t. They like your food, or they don’t. And they are simply straightforward. It would be best if you were an excellent chef to motivate them to experiment with food, plus you have to be a good entertainer. You can’t hide behind your kitchen or extensive explanations about a recipe to impress them. They will eat or not what you have cooked with them. It is that simple.

As A Parent, What Challenges Did You Face In Finding A Healthy Cooking Club For Your Son Before You Started School?

When I arrived in London 12 years ago with a 6-month-old baby and broken English, I found accessing good products for children difficult. You have massive ranges of baby food in this country but with unusual combinations of ingredients. How do you expect your child to like kale and spinach from a pouch with no flavours except the kale and spinach? Even adults wouldn’t enjoy this food, so why start feeding your children these flavours? I was cooking everything from scratch for my son, even when travelling.

The baby-cook device came with us on many trips, and then my son started discovering new flavours by eating local products from different countries. When he started eating solid food, the restaurant staff were shocked that we ordered him a dish from an adult menu, not the children’s. How many times I have heard, “Wow, this child is spoiled. Will he have a proper grow-up meal”? I don’t think it spoils my child to let him choose what he wants to eat on a menu instead of giving him a plate of French fries and fish fingers. It gives him a choice between fish fingers, steamed fish with vegetables and fries, or a piece of meat.

Healthy Cooking Club

So finding a healthy cooking club for my son over a decade ago wasn’t an option. The only cooking classes that you could find were about baking. Let’s face it, it is way more accessible, as a business, to promote and sell a baking class than a class with vegetables. First, the profits are higher as you are using essential ingredients and second, you play on the fact that the parents have the guarantee of giving their children a “good time”, as every child will eat biscuits or muffins at the end of the workshop. When you promote healthy cooking classes, trust me, you cannot guarantee that the children will eat when they have cooked – primarily when I work with cabbages!

How Do You Ensure Children Learn Cooking Skills And Develop A Genuine Interest In Healthy And Seasonal Foods?

I only recruit experienced and professional chefs with years of experience in restaurants and fine dining. When the children see a genuinely skilled chef who knows what they are talking about and can give them proper cooking tips, they enjoy the sessions. You captivate the children when you can explain where the ingredients are from and why it is essential to eat in season (because of the impact on your body). They are curious and want to understand. But, to answer the dozens of questions children will ask about food, you need good, detailed knowledge.

What Culinary Activities And Themes Do You Incorporate Into The MasterChef Parties, And How Do They Encourage Teamwork And Creativity?

In the MasterChef Party, we have different themes. The most popular is the baking, just above the pasta and BBQ parties.

Children work in teams, with a time limit and one chef per team. They must develop ideas following our recipes and guidelines to win the competition. At the end of the birthday party, we judge the best team/dish and share the food with everyone. It is always a good atmosphere and good-natured competition between the chefs! I always want my team to win, so I am very excited and motivate them.

Private Cooking Classes In The Comfort Of One’s Home Sound Like A Personalised Experience. How Do You Tailor These Classes To Suit Each Child’s Needs And Interests?

Private tuition is one of my favourite activities. You have to push your boundaries and make sure you understand the client’s requests. It would be best if you tailored a five-week menu to satisfy the family’s expectations AND the child’s tastes and motivation to discover new flavours. It would be best to have a lot of patience and diplomacy, as sometimes parents have an exact idea of how you should teach their children or the recipes they should make. The first phone call and meeting is critical. If you don’t ask the parent in charge of booking the cooking classes the right questions, and if you are not listening correctly, then there is every chance you will fail the menu proposition and miss the sale.

How Do You Address The Importance Of Healthy Eating To Children And Their Parents In A World Filled With Fast Food And Convenience Options?

Take-away food delivered to the home and grab-and-go foods are taking up more and more space in my clients’ lives. I always hear, “I don’t have time, I am working, so I have no time for cooking!” Well, I understand very well as I work almost seven days a week and am a single mum, so trust me, the organisation is critical to making my life and my son’s easy and healthy.

I always encourage families to do some batch cooking on Sunday, and instead of seeing that as a chore, why not turn it into a joyous time for the family? Don’t think that we have crazy elaborate meals at home in our daily life. I don’t have time for that. But, I take time to chat with my son and involve him during the meal preparation. How often have I used the recipe books as the reading matter while cooking dinner? How often have I used the scales and the cooking preparation to practice maths…? I use the French recipe book to help him improve his French while we cook. You can choose to make the cooking time fun and bonding.

I also explain to my clients that by making a good tomato sauce in large quantity, they can then use it to make a chilli con carne, some pasta and then a shakshuka. With one recipe base, you can have three different meals.

Looking Back At Your Remarkable Journey So Far, What Advice Would You Give Other Young And Aspiring Entrepreneurs Facing Similar Challenges And Obstacles In Pursuing Their Dreams?

Believe in yourself as no one, absolutely no one, will hold your hands to help you. If you think you are right and can make it, go for it. Do not give up when you fail. Failing is part of success. I keep failing and learn from that. It is the only way to keep improving yourself, as the competition is stiff. You must always be on top if you want to turn your dream into a living!

Can You Share Any Heartwarming Success Stories Of Children Who Have Attended En Cuisine – Cooking School And Its Positive Impact On Their Lives?

I have a few.

A little girl started cooking with me when she was four years old by joining the cooking clubs at her school. She is now 12 and determined to become a famous Michelin Star Chef thanks to En Cuisine – Cooking School. I love to see that passion ignited in a child.

I also have a preteen joining the cooking camps in the professional kitchen for two years. As with many children on the autistic spectrum, he has food issues. It is challenging for him to touch some textures, smell, and taste new food. He pushed my boundaries, made me question myself and think carefully about making my cooking classes attractive and pleasant for him. I cried the day I received an email from his therapist telling me that ‘D’ was passionate about food now, and she could see his confidence growing. Thinking that I have helped him become more independent for his future still makes me very emotional.

I Am Sure Some Aspiring Entrepreneurs Are Reading This. What Advice Do You Have For Them?

Choose something you are passionate about, and never give up!

Last But Not Least, Do You Have Any Questions For Me?

I’d love to know more about your blog, how you got started and how you generate an income from it. It’s a great blog, looks lovely and has super content. Well, I am done!

My Response

Thank you so much for your kind words about my blog! I’m happy to hear that you enjoy and find the content helpful. To answer your questions, I started my blog as a personal project in college in 2017 and gradually grew into something more. As for generating income, I primarily use affiliate marketing and sponsored content, but I always make sure to only partner with brands that align with my values and that I believe in. It’s much work, but I love what I do and am grateful for the opportunities it has brought me. Thanks again for your support!

I want to say a massive Thank You to Florence for the interview and wish her all the best.

If you are interested in Florence’s services, please visit her website: https://kidsencuisine.com/ or her Instagram: @encuisinecookingschool.

I hope you enjoyed that.

Talk soon.