Patricia Gendreau, founder of A Taste of Etiquette

Years ago, while teaching languages and intercultural communication in the Middle East and Asia, Patricia Gendreau discovered—through much trial and more than a few errors—that harmonious intercultural communication depended on far more than a knowledge of one another’s cultural beliefs, values, and customs. To avoid offending and potentially alienating international partners and customers, one had to learn and practice the etiquette embedded in the cultural make-up of the host country.

Upon her return to Canada, Patricia let this insight lie dormant until 2022 when it occurred to her that Canada’s unprecedented population growth presented a new and interesting opportunity.

Inspired to help Canadians from all walks of life, permanent residents and recent immigrants, foreign business people, and diplomats posted in Canada achieve and maintain intercultural harmony, Patricia founded A Taste of Etiquette, which offers eight unique programs, each built around a strong cultural component.

Educational Background and Training

After graduating from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts in history and French language and linguistics, Patricia earned a Certificate in Education from l’Université du Québec à Montreal. Over the years that followed, she completed graduate courses in intercultural communications in Switzerland and the Unites States. However, it was her hands-on training in etiquette and protocol that gave her the expertise needed to open A Taste of Etiquette.

Spanning 15 years, Patricia’s etiquette and protocol studies took her from Canada and the Unites States to Britain, France, Belgium and Switzerland. Of the various programs, she remembers three with particular fondness for their exceptional content and lasting inspiration. In Carouge, Switzerland, she learned much from private training sessions with La Baronne de Rothschild at l’Académie Nadine de Rothschild. In Washington, D.C., she enjoyed individual training sessions with Mrs. Letitia Baldrige, the former Social Secretary to Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy at the White House. And in Charlbury, England, she studied privately under Mr. Rick Fink, a British butler with more than 50 years of experience and the owner of the Butler Valet School.

Having been taught by some of the world’s most well-respected masters of etiquette in Europe and North America, Patricia Gendreau has an abundance of knowledge and experience to share. She is confident that A Taste of Etiquette has the perfect program to meet your needs, whether they be business-related or social in nature.