Cooking Class & Retreat Testimonials

My Testimonials

Bess from Missouri and Sandra from Florida who came on the June 2025 retreat.

April 2024 retreat!

Leanne from California who attended the April 2025 retreat.

I had the pleasure of attending this retreat hosted by Katrina Billard and The Empowered Kitchen at the end of April 2025 and it was above and beyond my expectations! Katrina is a lovely host and the location in Chartres is just beautiful. The combination of cooking classes, daily excursions and some free time to enjoy the environment was perfect.

The 5 days flew by yet did not feel rushed or overwhelming. The excursions were so much fun - from the visit to a master baker and learning about traditional baguette/croissant baking, to a bee farm along with a trip to the village of Chartres to explore its many charms was an excellent way to enjoy a French holiday.

As a solo woman traveler, I felt safe and enjoyed meeting new people at the retreat. Friendships were formed fast and we did lots of bonding over the daily cooking lesson and then enjoying the fruits of our labors. The meals were SO good!!

I highly recommend this retreat to anyone who has a love of food, travel and new cultures. Katrina has a well thought out itinerary with the goal of giving her guests a memorable experience. Not to mention she is such a wonderful person.

The Empowered Kitchen was for me, one of my best travel experiences.....don't hesitate....life is short! Eat the food, drink the wine and enjoy the company - Bon Voyage!

Shelley R. (Canada), Spring 2025 Retreat Attendee

We hired Katrina for an online team building cooking class. The experience was incredible. Everyone on the team raved about the experience. As we struggle to find meaningful connection opportunities for our team in Covid, this one really delivered!

Rob S., Colorado Non-Profit Team Building Cooking Class

Fabulously good time and yummy food we made in our cooking class. Would love to take a future class. Highly recommend if you are looking for a virtual cooking class.

Marlene W., Team Building Cooking Class Participant

Our cooking class was AMAZING! Katrina tailored the class to what we wanted to learn to cook and showed us that fresh spices make a HUGE difference. She took the overwhelming out of being in the kitchen and encouraged us to just cook while having fun. It's the perfect day date for anyone looking to expand their cooking horizon.

Rachel W., In-Person Cooking Class Participant

I attended a foodie retreat with Katrina in Nov. 2024 and it was wonderful. It was a jammed pack week full of learning opportunities and new friendships.We visited a goat farm and made goat cheese, went to the farmers market, took an edible plants hike, had a candy-making demo, learned about honey production, enjoyed dinner at a Michelin starred restaurant, and of course cooked a lot of scrumptious food.Katrina was very careful with folks allergies and food preferences (we had some vegetarians, mustard allergy, gluten-free, etc.).The estate on which we stayed was lovely and comfortable.This was my first time in France and it was a joy to see it in this manner.I would definitely do this again.

Julie M., Fall 2024 Retreat Attendee

I took the cooking retreat with Katrina and it far exceeded my expectations. Such a wonderful stay and amazing food. I can't say enough about it. Katrina worked with my dietary restrictions and I learned so much. Can't wait to try my homemade mayo and gougeres (minus the cheese). We really ended up with more than 3 cooking classes because we were able to watch and help her with most of the other meals that she had in mind for us. Top points for the boat ride in Bonneval and the whole evening in Chartres (wonderful dinner, great walk and the lumiere show in Chartres). Trips to the farms and bakeries were just icing on the cake.

Mary B., Spring 2024 Retreat Attendee

I joined one of Katrina's virtual Cooking Circles and learned how to make French Macarons. It was a really great class where I was able to bake right along with Katrina, from the comfort of my home. She made the seemingly impossible, possible by breaking down the steps into easy to accomplish tasks. I really enjoyed the class and can't wait to join for another soon. thanks!

Juliette O., Online Cooking Class Participant

"I gave the gift of cooking classes with emphasis on meal prep to my 2 sons in law. It was a risk to do a virtual class, esp with the time zone change as we are on the east coast. Have to tell everyone it was amazing. They absolutely loved chef Katrina and learned so much. The variety of foods, the teaching of proper utensils and methods ...wonderful. Chef is an excellent instructor and I highly recommend her classes. This was the best gift I have ever given!"

Stephanie P., Baltimore, MD

"Katrina is so talented and knowledgeable! My husband and I did a Valentine’s Day cooking class with her and we learned a ton and had a blast! We cooked dishes we had never made before including salmon tartare, gnocchi, pesto and chocolate soufflé. Katrina is patient and kind. She skillfully taught us new knife skills, gave us tips on using new kitchen tools and gave us insight on the food we were cooking. We can’t wait to take another class!

Holly N., Denver, CO

Katrina has taught my Dietetics and Nutrition several times. The courses were oriented towards vegetarian and zero waste cooking and the students were delighted to learn professional techniques and discover new flavors. Taking cooking classes in English was a real source of motivation for them. We will hire Katrina as often as possible to allow them to develop their professional skills while having an excellent time of sharing and exchange.

Coline K., IUT Senart-Fontainebleau, France

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