Meet Florence
“Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it.” Buddha
This quote has always guided me and taken all its meaning when I started to cook professionally 14 years ago and founded a catering company to bring authentic French cuisine to people in the US.
It is called Sucre & Sel which translates to “sugar and salt”. These important ingredients are all about balancing flavors and “bringing life to food”.
Today I cater private dinners, buffets as well as teaches cooking classes. I frequently travels back to France to visit family and friends and recently furthered my talents with French Cuisine at FERRANDI, a leading culinary school in Europe.
I moved to Raleigh in 2017 with my family (my husband and 4 teenagers) and started to develop new relationships in this community. Before moving to North Carolina, I had lived in Minneapolis and Chicago for 17 years. Prior to moving to the US I grew up in Paris and spent most of my summers in a small fishing village on the coast of western Brittany.
As I frequently travel back to France for short visits, I meet many people wishing they could do same. One day, I got the inspiration that I could help them experience French cuisine and culture in a personalized way.
In 2022, I created “Le Gourmet Getaway”, a guided trip to France with an emphasis on the culture and culinary aspect of my home country. Through this unique adventure I share my love for the places I grew up in and bring people into the heart of French culinary culture, its history and today’s lifestyle.
A few words from Amanda Lamb (WRAL reporter):
"Florence Melin moved to the United States with her husband, she had no idea that her love for cooking would eventually morph into a career. For Florence, cooking is about more than just introducing people to wonderful food, it's about people sitting together around a table sharing an experience that goes far beyond just eating. The mother of four has somehow managed to translate her passion into teaching others about her food and culture online, in person, in their homes, and now as an organizer who leads groups of Americans on a culinary tour of France. Whether you are a cook or not, Florence's passion for food and the French culture is informative and infectious as is her unwavering positive outlook on life.”
Listen to my interview here.
Read my interview from myfrenchlife “Living a French-American Life: Interview with Florence Melin” here.
