Meet Julie Belcher of Rêverie

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Belcher.

Hi Julie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
The idea of Rêverie came about while Lisa and I were cooking together for an artist retreat back in 2o18 in the South of France. Lisa had been invited as a guest chef for a trip with the painter, Emily Leonard. I was living in the Loire Valley at the time, and Lisa invited me down to join her for the week. We spent our time shopping in the markets, cooking the most beautiful foods.

When a few of the guests mentioned wanting to spend the week in the kitchen with us, we kind of looked at each other and said, “Oh, DUH. Let’s do this!” So we planned our first retreat for June of 2020, which got canceled, but when the world started to open back up, we re-launched in 2022 with two retreats in France, we did four this past year in France, and next year in 2024 we’ll add on two new destinations – Western Ireland and the island of Saint Lucia.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The pandemic through some bumps in the road. Since the idea of world travel was wiped off the map, we had to throw in the towel and we weren’t thinking of continuing.

However, as soon as things seemed to be opening back up, Lisa gave me a call and said, “We have to do this!” Thank dog she did because here we are now. I had just had a baby, too, and the idea of launching a business sounded near impossible. But it came together, as though it were *meant to be*.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Rêverie?
Rêverie is a travel company that specializes in culinary-focused retreats and regional exploration in some of the most beautiful corners of the world.

We like to stay in magical places (think fantastical castles and fairy-tale villas), cook and eat the best meals ever, and have a great time while doing so. Rather than taking our guests on a tour of a country or region and only getting a small taste of the place, we like to dive deep into the place we are staying by meeting local artisans, cooking local recipes, and drinking the local wines.

Our goal is to share with our guests what it means to BE in a new place, not just to visit a new place. Rêverie has also begun inviting new people to host our trips, such as chefs, bakers, artists, and writers. These weeks give our guests the opportunity to get to know the people who inspire them the most – from learning in workshops to sharing meals at the dinner table.

We are proud of the human side of our business. If you call the phone number listed for us, you will speak to a human, ready to answer your questions. If you look at our website or our online presence, you will see us, the people behind the company. In a world that is packed with corporate, distant business, we are happy to remain a company with a face (or faces!) behind the name.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.reverieforever.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reverieforever/

Image Credits
Victoria Quirk