Food Expert guide in Paris
Carole is the creator of the concept behind La Route des Gourmets and manages the agency’s daily activity. She’s most notably an expert guide for Food Tours of Paris, an activity she carries out through the gourmet walking tours and visits offered by her agency.


Her background
Graduate of Business School with a Master’s degree in International Commerce, Carole Metayer started her career working in exports. At this time, she travelled quite frequently and spent several months living abroad in Asia and Latin America. Since this time, she has particularly enjoyed learning more about these cultures and studying the history of their food and regional cuisine.
When the story begins
Pushed by her curiosity and desire to dig deeper into the study of food, Carole received a Master’s degree in Food and Food Culture from the Institute of Geography at the Sorbonne University of Paris. The multifaceted education was led by well-known historians, geographers, sociologists, and nutritionists, Professors and researchers dedicated to the study of French cuisine.


Meanwhile, her desire to integrate cuisine and tourism began taking the form of La Route des Gourmets in 2012. This innovative concept is a perfect balance between discovering French cultural history and sampling delicious food and wine. You’ll experience both during gourmet food tours and gastronomic visits.
Additionally, she has become a guide at Rungis International Market, a role she particularly enjoys. Her academic background allows her to fully explore the French concept of “terroir” local products, trends in the food industry and new paths of distribution. This allows her to manage food retail tours for food professionals.
Rewards
Member of the Association des Femmes du Tourisme, Carole Metayer received their Trophy 2014, for her innovative concept aimed at promoting French culinary heritage and better hosting foreign visitors. .

Engagements
As a part of her daily life, Carole is an advocate of the Slow Food ideals. This international organization calls for education of the palate because only informed consumers conscience of the impact their choices have on the food system can become co-producers in a new agricultural system that is less intense and more respectful of the living, which produces “good, clean and fair food” .
Since June 2016, Carole participate in the Scientific and cultural Committee for the construction of the future City of Gastronomy Paris Rungis.
To share her experience and knowledge in the field, Carole Metayer regularly intervenes at conferences and round table discussions related to Culinary Tourism sector. She also propose consulting services as an expert of food tourism and regional development.
At least, Carole proposes some “Retail Food tours” for food professionnals that needs more information about the French food trends.
Latest conferences and lectures
2022
- December 6th : Conference Les Rencontres Franciliennes – Culture et Tourisme, organized by the Ministry of Culture, the Regional Board of Cultural Affairs of Île-de-France and the Paris Île-de-France Regional Tourism Committee.
Intervention Workshop 3: Renew and diversify the offer: new fields to explore for cultural tourism.
https://www.culture.gouv.fr/Regions/DRAC-Ile-de-France/Actualites/Actualite-a-la-une/Culture-et-tourisme-Les-premieres-Rencontres-franciliennes
2021
- Organisation of severals Market food tours, requested by the City of Paris, for the event ” la fête des Marchés 2021″
https://laroutedesgourmets.fr/blog/le-marche-un-plaisir-savoureux/1905/
2020
- October 15, 2020 Les Instants T du Tourisme organized by Rhône Tourisme, Department of Rhône – 2-day seminar organized for professionals from the Tourisme sector. Intervention workshop : Gourmet tourism: trendy products and customer expectations. Overview in France and internationally: how to develop food and wine products that awaken the senses and trigger emotions? What are the advantages of the most popular services? For which customers?
https://www.rhonetourisme.com/espace-pro/les-instants-t/editions-precedentes/edition-2020/ - during COVID, video conferences ” Café Alliance” for the French Language school ” Alliance Française Paris” : The french and French gastronomy, presentation of French pastries, bread and viennoiseries, French Culinary Christmas traditions.
2019
- November: Lecture “The development of Food tourism in Paris” CELSA Paris SORBONNE Master 2 Information & Communication, option Cultures and Tourism
2018
2017 – Trip to Bolivia
- Consulting services for Lapaz Tourist Office, willing to develop food tourism to become a new gastronomic travel destination.
- Conference during the National Forum of Substainable Tourism in Cochabamba city
- Video Youtube AFP de Lapaz destino gastronomico
- Article : Experta francesa colabora a la Arcadia de Lapaz
- Article : La paz se impulsa como un destina gastronómico
- Article : La Paz Bolivia destino gourmet
- Article : Lapaz se impulsa como un destino gastronomico internacional
- Article : Desde alturas de la Paz Bolivia se ofrece al mundo como destino gourmet
2015
- Conference “voyage en gastronomie : la cité de la gastronomie Paris-Rungis, un projet touristique majeur pour l’Ile-de-France”, organized by the Comité Départemental du Tourisme du Val de Marne
- Youtube video of an interview in National TV channel 5, about food tourism in France
2014
- Conference« Patrimoine Culinaire et Tourisme de demain », organized by the Comité Départemental du Tourisme du Val de Marne.
- French Women Association Award 2014 « Wealth and strength of France, how to attract foreign visitors».