I learned the foundations: how to make a good jus, how the kitchen hierarchy works and how to make a Saint-Honoré. I have professionally trained in both cuisine and pastry at L’École Ferrandi in the centre of Paris, and before this at Ashburton Cookery School in Devon, UK. Following this, I spent time doing service in restaurants. I now have a deep understanding of this exciting industry, though there is always more to learn.

I eat out often, especially when I travel, always by choice and wherever the wind takes me, and have done so for well over a decade. I pay for all my own meals and photograph each one myself; every image here is edited with passion. When I am not in a restaurant, I am with my local suppliers, gathering ingredients and cooking meals at home. I enjoy it immensely and believe in cooking for yourself, above all for taste and the deep satisfaction it brings. I relish spending several hours in my kitchen making a chicken stock or tackling a difficult recipe, or constantly tweaking how to develop the best gluten-free sourdough. Food is always around me in one way or another, and it always will be.

Another obsession has always been fashion, and here as well I bring the two worlds of food and fashion together. Dressing well is part of the pleasure of dining, so with each story I guide you on what to wear there: a dress code for every place. Come with me, and let’s see where we end up…