Some projects arrive at just the right time. That’s exactly the case with Toocook—a culinary social network designed to bring together passionate food lovers, students, professionals, and recruiters. It’s not just another recipe-sharing site, but a real tool for creating meaningful connections in a sector that’s constantly evolving.
The idea came from Ludovic Nicoleau, who launched the project in 2013. Inspired by personal experience and a desire to promote healthy cooking, he set out to create a platform that would support learning, professional visibility, and community among people who love food—whether they’re amateurs or industry experts.
A platform for those who live and breathe food
Toocook allows each user to create a personal space to publish recipes, photos, videos, or tips—and take part in contests. But where the platform really stands out is in its professional features. It makes it easy to connect students, chefs, culinary schools, and recruiters.
A student can showcase their creations and training. A chef can promote their restaurant or share a job opening. Schools and training centers can build a presence to highlight their programs. The result: genuine, frictionless connections.
Showcasing skills and inspiring new vocations
Toocook isn’t about chasing buzz or trends. Its purpose is simple: give visibility to people who often don’t have any. For students in training, career changers, or job seekers, it’s a space where they can share what they’re capable of and get noticed by the right people.
Profiles are living portfolios that evolve over time. Recruiters can discover motivated individuals. Food lovers can explore new talent. It’s a meaningful bridge between people who don’t always have ways to meet.
Accessible, grounded, and human
Professional pages are available for €25/month, but they’re free for students, apprentices, and job seekers. It’s a deliberate choice to support training and help people at the beginning of their journey.
Through contests, partnerships with vocational schools, and initiatives like “100 Chefs for Apprenticeship”, Toocook is building a strong, supportive community centered around learning, mentorship, and passion.
A project built by passionate people
The platform’s technical development was led by Sami Khemsi, Toocook’s CTO. A brilliant full-stack and DevOps engineer, Sami designed a robust, scalable, and clean architecture that aligns perfectly with the product vision.
I joined the team as a Back End Developer, working on both the admin back office and the public-facing front office using Symfony. I also developed internal tools to track user activity and collect user sentiment, leveraging PHP, MySQL, MongoDB, and Doctrine.
This is also the project where I truly learned the power of hands-on experience. Being immersed in real-world needs, technical challenges, and direct user feedback gave me the foundation to grow my skills and turn theory into practical, lasting knowledge.
Toocook is a simple but powerful idea: connecting those who cook, those who teach, and those who hire. It’s a niche social network—but one that delivers real-world value.
