The cooking class market - France

1.2 Domestic market

Due to the lack of data on the market size of cooking classes in France, we resort to estimations. First, we assume the average price is €** per hour in the entire France based on the national average. [***] It is important to underline that there are regional disparities; for instance, the average price per hour is closer to €** per hour in Paris, whilst in Rennes consumers pay €** per hour. 

The number of hours spent on each cooking class can range from just a few to classes which lasts weeks. However, canalvie estimates that the average time spent in cooking classes is four hours.

Moreover, in **** **,*** cooking classes were held in Paris; this is equivalent to *** classes per day.  [***]

Finally, to compute the market size in France, we use all components from above. In particular, we begin by assuming that the Parisian average of *** classes per day applies to France in general. In ****, the same year which this data is from, Paris represented **.**% of the total population in France (***) to reach a market value of €**,***,***.**.

This figure is subject to estimation error given the fact that there are probably more classes in Paris per day than in the rest of the country, since ...

1.3 Le marché français des cours de cuisine (estimation)

Il est difficile d'établir une taille de marché pour les cours de cuisine en France mais nous pouvons réaliser une estimation à l'aide d'un code NAF regroupant des activités de formations professionelles hors éducation et système scolaire. 

En effet, sur le site de l'INSEE, on trouve le Groupe **.* : "Autres activités d'enseignement". Ce groupe comprend la formation continue générale et professionnelle, à des fins professionnelles, de loisirs ou de développement personnel. Ce naf nous a permis ainsi d'estimer le marché à ** millions d'euros de chiffre d'affaires.

Le prix d’un cours de cuisine en France varie entre ** et ** euros, et le prix moyen varie beaucoup sur le territoire : Paris est en tête des prix avec une moyenne horaire de ** €, suivie par Bordeaux (***).

En raison du manque de données précises sur la taille du marché français, on l'approche ici grâce à des estimations. Le prix moyen d'un cours de cuisine en France s'élève à ** € de l'heure. Le temps d'un cours varie, de quelques heures à plusieurs semaines (***). Le temps moyen d'un cours de cuisine est de quatre heures selon canalvie. Sur l'année ****, ** *** cours de cuisine ont eu lieu à Paris, ce qui équivaut à *** cours ...

1.4 L'impact du COVID-19 sur l'industrie

En ****, l’enquête du magazine B.R.A Tendances restauration, accompagnée par le cabinet Food Service Vision, a présenté les chiffres du marché de la restauration commerciale. Le chiffre d’affaires global du secteur en France a généré environ ** milliards d’euros. Mais, en **** avec la crise du coronavirus, Food Service Vision a publié une revue et : [***]

On observe une baisse de ** % du chiffre d’affaires pour la restauration commerciale en avril ****, de ** % pour la restauration collective et de ** % pour les commerces alimentaires. Soit une perte totale estimée à *,* milliards d’euros jusqu’à fin avril ****. ** % des Français ont consommé en restauration dont ** % se sont fait livrer, ** % ont pratiqué la vente à emporter et ** % le drive.

En ****, le marché des cours de cuisine en France a donc grandement souffert de la pandémie du COVID-**. Aujourd'hui, l'activité a repris en restant toutefois sujette aux restrictions sanitaires: le pass vaccinal et le port du masque sont obligatoires pour assister aux cours, des tabliers et gants à usage uniques doivent être utilisés, les apprenants doivent amener leurs propres récipients, les plats préparés lors des cours ne peuvent pas être consommés sur place et les mesures ...

2.1 Demand Analysis

Overview

Source: ****

The graph above depicts the view on cooking in France in ****. From this we learn that **% of respondents have no interest in cooking. However, **% are positive towards the activity.

According to an IFOP survey, only *% of people see cooking as a chore.

This speaks for the cooking class industry which can reach a large crowd of potential customers through the right combination of marketing, product offering, and pricing.

Source: ****

Moreover, cooking is amongst the most popular hobbies in France. Close to **% of the population stated that this was their main hobby in ****, which was the second most popular choice after travelling.

This statistic is important for the cooking class industry as there is tangible demand to capitalise on. In other words, the potential in the domestic market is large.

Source: ****

The graph above again confirms the cooking class industry's potential to reap customers based on the French's interest for cooking. Amongst the most popular activities which respondents believe can improve family relations are sharing meals and cooking.

In other words, food is viewed as integral in a social context, which again is something cooking classes can benefit from, since they most of the time occur in social gatherings. There ...

2.2 Demand Trends

Cyclicality

Source: ****

The graph above represents the proportion of searches for a given term in a given region during a specified amount of time, compared to when it was the most searched (***). Thus, a value of ** means that the keyword has been used less often in the region concerned, and a value of * means that there is insufficient data for this keyword.

From this graph, it is clear that the search interest for cooking classes follows a cyclical pattern. Indeed, interest increase up until christmas where it also peaks. This can be explained by the fact that cooking classes are bought as a gift for relatives. There is a clear dip in interest during the summer months (***) which can be explained by the fact that these are common vaction months. 

Anyone operating in the cooking class industry must be aware of this cyclicality in revenues.

Television programs fuelling growth

Culinary programs have invaded television programs in recent years: "Masterchef", "Top Chef" or "Le Plus Grand Pâtissier". These programs promote gastronomy and the art of cooking in France and make spectators want to cook themselves. The precursor program was that of Maïté and Joël Robuchon in the ****s, who ...

2.3 Analyse de l'audience

Décomposition de l'audience par âge France, ****, % Source: ****

    L'analyse de l'audience du marché étudié par rapport à la population française montre plusieurs tendances. L'audience du marché est principalement composée de personnes âgées de ** à ** ans (***). [***] MARCHÉ DES SITES DE RENCONTRE- Décomposition de l'audience par sexe France, ****, % Semrusg   L'analyse de l'audience du marché étudié indique une tendance globale où les femmes représentent une part majoritaire, avec **,**% de l'audience totale. Les hommes, quant à eux, représentent une part plus petite, avec **,**% de l'audience. Cette répartition souligne une nette prédominance du public féminin dans ce marché.  Décomposition de l'audience par sexe et âge France, ****, % Source : Semrush   L'analyse des données montre une tendance globale où les femmes dominent l'audience du marché étudié dans toutes les tranches d'âge. La plus grande différence est observée dans la tranche d'âge **-**, où les femmes représentent **,**% de l'audience, contre **,**% pour les hommes. Les hommes ont la plus grande représentation dans la tranche d'âge **-**, bien qu'ils soient toujours minoritaires avec **,**%. La différence la plus faible est observée dans la tranche d'âge **-**, où les femmes représentent **,**% et les hommes ...

3.1 Market structure

In section *.* we estimated the French cooking school market to value at around €** million. This growth comes both from an internal market in France together with a large demand from foreign tourists who are intrigued to take part of the renowned French cuisine. 

The market for cooking classes is competitive and fragmented; in France the market is made up of many players, most of which operate on a local scale. Here we find the likes of Atelier des Sens, or the Atelier des Chefs, who propose a wide range of services ranging from standard cooking courses for beginners, to advanced content creation for multinational food companies. 

The fact that this market's players are diverse in this background is evident from the fact that Ritz Paris is investing heavily in this category. Indeed, it is one of the first luxury hotels with an in-house cooking school, and upon reopening their premises after a four-year renovation they had added a third demo kitchen and refurbished the entire facility. In other words, they see potential in this market proven by their investments. [***]  

Finally, the cooking class market is expanding through online platforms. Indeed, this has become a new channel of distribution, where customers value ...

3.2 Distribution

Distribution of cooking classes can be divided into three broader segments: first we find traditional cooking classes which are hosted in workshops. Secondly, a smaller and less common distribution channel is home cooking. Finally, we find online classes, a segment which is gaining in prominence. 

Several actors expand their services to abroad as a means of diversfying and enhancing distribution. For example, the Chefs' Workshop opened a branch in Dubai and London. Le Cordon-Bleu has established itself in Korea, Japan and other Asian countries such as China and Malaysia. Le Cordon Bleu created a school in Shanghai but also in Tokyo in **** (***) and in Thailand in ****. 

Below is an overview and descritpion of the three categories:

Traditional group classes

Traditional cooking classes take place in an external setting which hosts kicthen facilities. In general, the structure of the class varies greatly; group classes can last between a few hours and many days. The size of the class also depends, and can range from small individual classes to larger group gatherings. It is difficult to quantify the share of distribution which these types of classes hold.

Home cooking

Some actors propose courses of cooking which take place in the customer's kitchen. In ...

4.1 Product Overview

As have been stated previously, cooking classes vary widely in terms of the length of the class (***), to themes, and prices. To diversify in this setting, it becomes essential to provide original services, such as including chefs as a means of marketing, using onlines courses, or offering premium cooking classes.

In general, cooking classes need the following products:

real estate which is rented; an equipped kitchen (***); produce (***); a proffessional.

4.2 Price Analysis

In January ****, the average price in France was €** per hour of cooking class. [***] However, prices vary greatly depending on the chef, the location, and type of cooking; Star of Service puts the price range between €** and €** per hour. For cooking classes which take place at the home of the client, the price range is higher and between €** and €***. Below follows a regional overview of prices: 

Source: ****

Another breakdown which can be made is per supplier (***) to get an overview of where players place themselves in terms of pricing. The table below applies for prices in ****. 

Source: ****

Again, the price of cooking classes and education in this paradigm in general is positively correlated to the chef in particular; the more renowned he or she is, the higher the cost of these services. For instance, the top-of-the-range cooking courses provided by the Chefs' Workshop is considered premium and more pricey than more basic alternatives. In particular, a single dish is priced at more than €***. This trend is also refelcted in educational matters within cooking in general; the star chef Anne Saint Pic provides a two-day internship at the rate of €***. Cooking schools offer very expensive training: for example, education in the school Cordon ...

4.3 Supply Trends

Diversification of players and services

Several shifts can be noted in the market for cooking classes. First, we find that services are diversified in order to be original and stand out against competition. For instance Vorwerk through its product line in Thermomix (***). [***]

Another popular means of diversifying services to not only include the cooking lesson itself is to offer the possibility to purchase the tools and ingredients which have been used during the class. For example, Alain Ducasse, offers utensils and delicatessens on the way out of cooking classes. These by-products range from customised aprons to pepper pots and homemade jams to accompany each dish.

B*B is becoming more integral in this industry. In particular, cooking classes leverage various digital platforms to create content (***). This is done through co-operation with players such as Carrefour, Alvalle, Régilait or Heineken which boost revenues. 

Finally, building on this shift towards more digital solutions, YouTube is becoming prevalent in the cooking class industry. In ****, France had the third highest number (***). [***] Although this new platform is limited in the sense that it doesn't offer the same social setting, nor does it provide tools and food, it is appealing since it can reach a large ...

5.1 Regulations reserved for vocational training

Cooking workshops that are not intended to offer real professional training leading to a diploma are not subject to direct regulation. Any private individual with the necessary means in terms of space and kitchen utensils may offer culinary services, be it at home or in workshops.

Despite official regulations governing these non-professional cooking workshops, the course facilitator must ensure that he or she complies with several essential rules to ensure the hygiene, safety and health of his or her audience: strict compliance with the cold chain and the rules for preserving fresh produce, hygiene and systematic cleaning of equipment. Although no standards therefore actually apply to cooking courses per se, compliance with health and safety rules is necessary. The facilitator can in particular use the methodology proposed by the HACCP (***). 

Cooking courses are given as part of vocational training or with the aim of preparing for a future profession and are regulated by the Regional Directorate for Enterprise, Competition, Consumer Affairs, Labour and Employment. [***] A declaration of activity to the DIRECCTE must be made using a file processed within ** days. This activity can be exempt from VAT under several conditions explained on the DIRECCTE website. 

When opening a catering establishment in ...

5.2 Quelles sont les formalités pour créer son entreprise de cours de cuisine ?

Le chef à domicile choisit fréquemment le statut d’auto-entrepreneur. Vous serez alors un cuisinier indépendant avec une activité libérale, inscrit à l’Urssaf. L’avantage réside dans la simplicité des démarches, même si le chiffre d’affaires est plafonné.

Le code APE (***). Vous pouvez également proposer le CESU pour financer ces services à la personne.

Vous avez une équipe de cuisiniers ou d’associés ? Optez pour une SAS ou une SARL, avec apport des autres porteurs de projet. Si votre entreprise prend la forme d’une société par actions simplifiée, le code NAF est souvent le ****B (***).

Il vous est possible de bénéficier d’une aide à la création d’entreprise (***) pour vos cours de cuisine. N’hésitez pas à contacter Pôle Emploi. Cela vous permettra de réduire le taux d’exonération des charges sociales. [***]

6.1 Segmentation

• Ritz Escoffier
• Ecole de Cuisine Alain Ducasse
• Chefsquare
• Paul Bocuse Groupe - Institut Paul Bocuse
• Du Bruit dans la Cuisine (MDF Kitchen)
• La Cuisine de Paris
• Ecole de cuisine Tsuji
• Atelier Guy Martin
• CFA Médéric
• Chef en ligne
• CMH
• Ecole de Paris des métiers de la table
• Ecole Ferrières
• Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne
• Ferrandi
• La Source Foodschool
• Chef Club
• Atelier des chefs
• SERVICE COMPRIS
• Lenôtre (Sodexo Groupe)
• Alain Ducasse Groupe -De Gustibus
• Tunon Ecole (Eduservices)
• Fauchon
• Atelier Philippe Conticini
• Les cours avec Nicolas Bernardé
• La villa des Chefs
• Alain Cirelli – Evenements culinaires
• Cercle Culinaire
• Gastronomicom