Title Image

Your Hosts

Your Hosts

are delighted to show you the Aix-en-Provence of your dreams !

Mathilde PLOIX

Mathilde’s love of cooking and fresh seasonal produce was gained at a very young age amongst long-established family traditions.  As a small child, she watched as her grandmother prepared “foie gras” for Christmas, and in the summer she cooked tasty tomato sauces and preserved fruits and vegetables. Her mother, Brigitte, a fine cook who was also a culinary critic instilled in her an uncompromising desire for top quality produce.  Now, as an adult, preparing a meal for gatherings of family and friends is one of Mathilde’s greatest pleasures. 

After an 18 year career in Marketing and Sales management, Mathilde moved to Aix-en-Provence with her family and runed her own cooking school, the Atelier de Cuisine de Mathilde, in Aix en Provence from 2013 to 2022.  After a year working alongside her colleague, Jennifer, the founder of Tastes of Provence, Mathilde then acquired Tastes of Provence, continuing to provide and develop gourmet walking tours Nothing gives her greater enjoyment than sharing the wonderful and varied produce offered by stallholders and traditional small food shops with visitors, which brings alive the colorful and delicious character of Aix-en-Provence.

With her love of the city of Aix, through Tastes of Provence, Mathilde naturally provides an immersive experience.  She ensures that, by discovering the town through a local’s eye, her guests discover the same magic that makes her want to call Aix-en-Provence home.

Gourmet Walking Tour Founder

Jennifer Dugdale

Jennifer grew up in sunny California, with a family heritage including a French grandmother.  Her parents travelled to France every year and brought back tales of Michelin starred restaurants and family-owned wineries.  It’s no wonder that Jennifer ended up following a career in group tourism and incentive travel.  Through her profession, she enjoyed extensive travel opportunities within North America, the UK, Europe and the Middle East.  She eventually settled with her young family in Provence in 2004.  Jennifer loves to discover countries through their cuisine and, as a passionate cook, she was entranced with Provence and its vast market garden.

Captivated by the wonderful cuisine, produced with colorful, seasonal produce that “actually tastes real!”, Jennifer wrote a monthly recipe column for a local magazine, and used her tourism background to launch Tastes of Provence.  As THE gourmet walking tour of the top “foodie” city of Aix en Provence, Tastes of Provence quickly enjoyed success and remains a wonderful experience for visitors and an authentic way to discover the local culture across one’s tastebuds.

Janicke LEMIERE

Janicke is Norwegian and at the age of 19 she decided to do like her ancestors, the Vikings, did before her:  leave Norway and discover France.

She chose to go to Aix-en-Provence and rapidly fell in love with the town and a Frenchman and she never left !

Janicke absolutely loves sharing her passion for France, and the markets in Aix in particular, as they represent a never-ending enchantment of colours, tastes and smells.

On her tours, she always adds some historical facts and anecdotes about the town, as food and history walk hand-in-hand in France.

Tasting specialities, learning about traditions, seasonal cooking and discovering and chatting with the local vendors is all part of the experience.

Janicke’s goal is for you to have a wonderful time in hopes you will want to come back for an even bigger “taste” of Provence!

Send a request

    Required date