Plum Lyon Teaching Kitchen

We were looking for a special experience with our teenage son, and the market table class certainly fit the bill. First, a walk to the market, through the historic Croix-Rousse area, with stops to catch our breath and learn about the history of the area and Lyonnaise cooking. At the market, Lucy clearly knew the produce and the producers, and was very selective about her choice of ingredients. Back at the cooking school, which is a beautiful kitchen/living/dining space, we set about washing all the ingredients in preparation for cooking. One thing I liked was that we got to do everything. After a demo from Lucy, we would carry out her instructions in a relaxed, informal atmosphere, while following safe, hygienic cooking practices. As someone who does a fair amount of cooking, I still learned lots of useful tips and techniques. I'm amazed by how much we achieved and the wonderful meal we created, accompanied by delicious wines and cheeses. Thank you Lucy, for giving us a memorable experience. I look forward to coming back for more.

I wish I had my class with Plum Lyon earlier! From well-rounded class program design to seamless instruction buildup, from modernly and aesthetically equipped kitchen to Lucy’s knowledge and insights of French cooking, the one-day experience was just perfect for me. Highly recommend it to anyone who’s traveling to Lyon for a short stay or living in Lyon for a period of time. Def worth your time and ticket!

I had such an incredible time at Plum Lyon!! I did the Market Table class and it honestly ranks up into the top of my travel experiences and memories. I would go back to Lyon to take this class again and even add on a new one! Thank you so much Lucy for your incredible hospitality and enthusiasm about what you do. I can’t wait to come back!!

Lucy is a great teacher, we really enjoyed our day in the kitchen. She supplements the cooking lesson with historical stories of Lyon that were really interesting and informative. The food was amazing, we definitely plan on recreating some of the dishes at home.

If you are looking for a genuine immersive experience in French cuisine, Plum is THE place. The owner, Lucy, took us to the market in the morning and we decided to create an entire meal based on the seasonal availability of all the ingredients needed for the meal. Along the way to the market we received a bit of the fascinating history of the area called Les Pentes and continued up to La Croix-Rousse market to gather all the ingredients for our meal of Guinea Fowl and Rabbit. (Both were firsts for me!) We learned how to de-bone both critters and stuff them with Shitake mushrooms. We also created a beautiful herb salad and an caramel-Apple tart for dessert. We were at it for the entire day (9am-7pm) but the time flew by as we were very busy preparing, tidying, and socializing with the other participants. Lucy offered a delicious local cremant with our charcuterie/lunch and then two nice local wines with dinner. We were tired but very pleased with our day. If you want an expert lesson on French cuisine, Plum Kitchen is a must.

Plum Lyon Teaching Kitchen offers an excellent cooking school experience!! As a professional pastry chef, I learned so much from Chef Lucy! She shares a plethora of information and techniques that you can use throughout your cooking life. Our small group of 3 thoroughly enjoyed the market, creating the menu, and spending the day in the beautiful kitchen. I highly recommend taking a class from Chef Lucy Vanel.

Wow! What an amazing experience at Plum Lyon! I highly recommend taking the 9-10 hour market class. Lucy is an excellent instructor and so enthusiastic about the fresh products that we picked from the market to use in our meal. As opposed to some other cooking classes in the area, this one is in English so if you are not a French speaker you get the best experience as you don't miss a beat. I will recommend this class to any level of cook-- beginner to professional-- everyone will have a great day!

My wife and I recently spend a month in France and the "Plum Tuesday" class we took was one of the highlights of the trip. The dinner at the end of class was definitely the best dinner we had during our whole trip. Lucy Vanel, the owner/teacher, is a delight. She makes the whole day fun, interesting and exciting. You start off with a visit to a local farmers market. We love farmers markets but this was the best one we had ever been to. The different styles of vegetables, meats, cheeses, etc. will amaze you. As we walked to the market Lucy explained some of the history of Lyon and specifically her historic neighborhood. After the morning shopping we returned to her large apartment where we started cooking in her professional Kitchen. Everyone has their own area to work in and we all helped prepare the evening's dinner. Along the way there are snacks and wine. You definitely do not go hungry. The dinner is then served in her Dining Room and is a great time with your new friends from the class. Our class size, including us, was 7. I can not recommend this class more highly. If you have any questions or concerns, Lucy is very easy to communicate with and quickly responds. She is an American who married a Frenchman so she is very easy to understand and is knowledgeable about American concerns. If you are looking for a place to stay I also want to recommend "Very nice apartment cosy Lyon Center" hosted by Sylvie which you can find through airbnb. Turns out this apartment is in the same building as the cooking class which makes it very convenient and quick to get to. Have fun on your trip to Lyon.