Some of the best meals in Provence don’t happen in restaurants.
They happen in the kitchen of your holiday villa, prepared by someone who understands the land, the seasons, and the art of making guests feel like they’re dining with a friend - not a stranger. Meet Cheffe Lucie, one of our talented private chefs available to Provence Holidays guests. A self-taught chef with a story as rich as her cooking, Lucie brings instinct, warmth, and a deep respect for seasonal ingredients to every meal she prepares.
From Paris tech to Provençal kitchen
Lucie’s path to becoming a chef wasn’t conventional. She began her career in the software industry in Paris - a world away from the sun-drenched markets and herb-scented kitchens of southern France. But cooking had always been part of who she was. As a child, she spent her Wednesday afternoons baking alone in the kitchen, simply for the joy of it.
That quiet passion eventually became impossible to ignore. While still working as an employee, Lucie trained for and passed her CAP Cuisine - the French professional cooking qualification - to give structure to what she already knew by heart. She then took the leap, leaving her desk behind to cook for yoga retreats, private dinners, events, corporate seminars, and even theatre festivals. She also holds a diploma from a hotel management school, a background that gives her an instinctive understanding of hospitality and the guest experience.
Her time in Arles proved formative, opening the door to a range of collaborative projects and inspiring encounters that shaped her style. She has worked at Le Relais du Castelet, a restaurant nestled in the garrigue near Fontvieille, and even ran a restaurant for six weeks in the Sainte-Baume national park.
A cuisine rooted in season, simplicity, and sincerity
Lucie describes her cooking as instinctive, simple, and centred on seasonal produce. There are no unnecessary complications - just beautifully balanced dishes that let the ingredients speak for themselves.That duality - between the refined and the generous, the light and the comforting - is what makes a meal with Lucie so memorable.
Provence itself is her greatest influence. As she puts it: “It’s a sun-drenched, vibrant cuisine that celebrates the raw flavour of ingredients - raw fish, delicate carpaccios lifted with olive oil and citrus, colourful plant-based plates bursting with fresh herbs. But also those slow-cooked family dishes, full of sunshine, that you place in the centre of the table and share together.”
What to expect when Lucie cooks for you
Booking a private chef during your Provence holiday is one of those experiences that elevates a trip from wonderful to unforgettable. With Lucie, guests can expect market-fresh, seasonal cooking that feels generous, balanced, and deeply personal. Every plate is crafted with care but served with ease - the kind of dining where you feel at home, just with an exceptional attention to detail.
Lucie also offers cooking classes, structured around three courses: a starter, a main, and a dessert. The recipes are deliberately approachable - flavour-packed dishes designed to be recreated at home long after the holiday ends. Expect a relaxed, hands-on session where Lucie shares her techniques, seasoning instincts, and the kind of tips you only learn from someone who truly loves what they do.
For something extra special, Lucie can take you on a guided market visit. She has done this at the stunning Saturday morning market in Arles, introducing guests to her favourite artisan producers - a baker friend here, a trusted market gardener there - and sharing advice on choosing the best seasonal produce. It’s part food tour, part cultural immersion, and the perfect way to begin a day that ends around your villa’s dining table.
A taste of Lucie’s cooking: Roasted beetroot with sage emulsion, Treviso, pomegranate, and pistachios
To give you a flavour of what Lucie brings to the table, here is one of her signature starters - a beautiful dish that balances earthy sweetness with herbal freshness and crunch.
Serves 4
Roasted beetroot: 6 beetroot (a mix of red and golden if possible), roasted at 180°C for 45-60 minutes with olive oil, fleur de sel, and pepper until tender, then peeled and finely sliced.
Sage cream emulsion: 20 cl of full-fat liquid cream, gently heated with 6–8 lightly bruised fresh sage leaves, left to infuse off the heat for 10–15 minutes, then strained. A pinch of salt, a few drops of lemon juice, and a quick blitz with a hand blender just before serving transforms it into something light and airy.
To finish: Treviso leaves dressed with persimmon vinegar and olive oil, scattered pomegranate seeds, lightly crushed pistachios, and a grating of orange and lemon zest.
It’s the kind of dish that looks like a painting, tastes like Provence, and makes you wonder why you ever settled for room service.
Whether it’s an intimate dinner for two, a family feast, a hands-on cooking class, or a morning exploring the market with an expert by your side, Lucie brings something genuinely special to a Provence Holidays experience. Get in touch with our experiences team to arrange a private chef experience with Cheffe Lucie during your stay. It might just be the highlight of your holiday.
à bientôt,
