Parisians are renting others' grandmothers, here's why

Parisians homesick for their grandmother’s inimitable Sunday Roast Chicken and Ratatouille can now rent out a substitute stand-in.

Parisians homesick for their grandmother’s inimitable Sunday Roast Chicken and Ratatouille can now rent out a substitute stand-in through a recently launched personal chef service that will send a ‘mamie’ (grandmother in French) to their kitchen to whip up an old-fashioned home-cooked meal.



After moving to Paris from the south of France, founder Alizé Delbes says she found herself homesick for her grandmom’s cooking. And despite its reputation as the gastronomic capital of the world, Delbes said she was unable to find a restaurant that could evoke nostalgia of her mamie’s Veal Blanquette and Chocolate Mousse.



That led to Lou Papé, a site created to bring authentic French dishes into the homes of local Parisians in search of comfort food from their childhood.

Parisians are hiring grandmothers to cook them homemade food. (Shutterstock Image)

The concept is simple: The host can choose from a selection of chefs and their proposed menus.

After sorting out the details — date of the dinner party, venue and the number of guests — the chef will prep, cook and serve the meal in the host’s home.

Clean-up is also included. So far, the selection of chefs is small. If language isn’t a big issue, travellers in search of a truly authentic French meal may want to consider booking a grandmother if they’re staying in a short-term vacation rental with a kitchen.