Linda Wearn
Chef and Proprietor

Born and bred in south London, I always had a passion for food. Encouraged by my parents, and inspired by our family trips to France, I attended catering college in Weybridge. I spent a number of years working for catering companies, broadening my skills and experience and then in 1993 I was hired by a ski, lakes & mountains company to train teams of people to cook and maintain their chalets. I only planned to do this for a season but ended up staying all year round, for six years. I definitely had the bug to travel and when I finally left in 2000, I took some time out and back-packed around the world. 

In 2000 I also bought a little house in Peyriac Minervois, fulfilling another dream to have a holiday home in France. Returning to the UK after my backpacking adventures, I trained to be a florist, working with my Mum for five years, getting married and starting a family. My daughter Emily was born in 2005. In this period, we spent more and more time in our french home and I knew I wanted to offer Emily the opportunity to experience a different way of life, so in 2009 Emily and I moved here permanently. 

Whilst buying some wine one day at Borie de Maurel, the owner mentioned that he needed a chef so I cooked for them for a short period. I realised that with my cooking skills and management experience I could set up my own catering company here in the Minervois. I started La Table D'Emilie in 2010, offering catering services and continuing my passion for french food, two years later I opened the restaurant in Caunes Minervois. My son William arrived in 2014. After 8 successful years of running the restaurant, I decided it was time for a new challenge. 

I have such wonderful memories of training people to cook back in Austria, that I decided to transform the restaurant space into a Cookery School. Clients come and cook at their own workstations using seasonal fresh products and enjoying the fruits of their labour in our private dining area or on our pretty terrace. Accompanied, of course, by some of our delicious local wines. 

Whether you need our catering services or want to learn something new in the Cookery School, I look forward to helping you experience all that this wonderful region has to offer.