OUR TEAM
Rosa Jackson
After working as a food writer at a daily newspaper in Canada, Rosa Jackson moved to Paris where she became an interpreter at the world-famous Cordon Bleu cookery school. She went on to become editor of the Time Out Paris Eating and Drinking guide and founded the food tour company Edible Paris.
In 2003 she moved to Nice and created the cooking school Les Petits Farcis, which she still runs today. Her cookbook Niçoise, featuring French Mediterranean recipes she has perfected over the past two decades, was published in April 2024.
Friso van de Vijver
Friso van de Vijver trained as a chef de cuisine in the Netherlands before he discovered his passion for pastry. A self-taught pastry chef, he has worked for Michelin-starred restaurants in the Netherlands and at high-end restaurants in Monaco, where he has lived for the past six years.
He now runs his own private chef service, La Madeleine de Proust, in addition to teaching pastry and cooking classes at Les Petits Farcis.
Viktorija Todorovska
An accredited sommelier with many certifications in French and Italian wine, Viktorija teaches wine courses and leads cooking classes and tours for Les Petits Farcis.
Viktorija has written several books on the food and wine of Italy and France. Her latest book, Provence Food and Wine: The Art of Living introduces readers to the different styles of rosé, with tempting recipe pairings. When Viktorija is not teaching or writing, she can often be found cycling the Grande Corniche on her beloved road bike, Lulu.
Elisabeth Ayala
Born in France to Spanish parents, Elisabeth has a background in journalism and an insatiable curiosity about food. She fell in love with cooking while living in China for two decades, and trained as a pastry chef in Nice a few years ago.
Elisabeth completed her apprenticeship at the Elysée Palace, where she turned out pastries for the French president and his guests. She teaches the Macarons and Choux Pastry classes at Les Petits Farcis.
Karine Brun
Raised in the mountains behind Nice, Karine pursued an international career in Paris and Brazil before returning to her roots in Nice.
A certified chef and herbalist, she recently released a book of poetry inspired by the natural world, La Percée.
Karine currently leads Private Street Food Tours and teaches the Fresh Pasta Class at Les Petits Farcis.
Céline O'Donnell
Born and raised in Nice, Céline grew up surrounded by the city’s markets, traditions, and Mediterranean way of life.
Before becoming a guide, she worked as a designer and design teacher.
Her love for Nice and its history inspired her passion for sharing the city’s cultural heritage and historical sites with visitors. As well as offering her own cultural walking tours with Nice By Heart, she guides street food tours for Les Petits Farcis that showcase the authentic flavors and hidden corners of Nice.