Carolyn Boyd

Finished this brilliant book while hiding from the heat… bravo @lukebarr on this incredible body of research woven into a compelling story about the French chefs who changed the course of France’s culinary history. Many of the stories about Paul Bocuse, Michel Guérard, Pierre Troigros etc were familiar to me but there’s a second thread here about the female chefs who were also hugely important in the 60s, 70s and 80s, whom I knew very little about. And there’s another fascinating thread, too, about Robert Courtine, Le Monde’s longstanding restaurant critic, who hid a very dark past.

While reading it, too, I had another thread running through my mind: what was happening in the UK through this era, particularly thanks to Michel and Albert Roux. Their story echoes the French history so strongly, and I couldn’t help thinking of all the @roux_scholarship winning chefs who trained under these big French chef names in the earlier days of the competition; how we welcomed Michel Guérard as an Honorary President of Judges and also how the @bocusedor was inspired by @roux_scholarship itself after a conversation between Michel Roux OBE and Paul Bocuse.

Elsewhere, my heart leapt at the part when @lukebarr details how Michel Guérard was inspired by China, as I remember so clearly and fondly when Chef Guérard told me this himself when I interviewed him for my first book. My memories of eating at the incredible @lespresdeugenie and meeting Christine Guérard, who welcomed us to the restaurant.
What a privilege to be witness to a simultaneous history on this side of the Channel.

Anyway, a great read and brilliant follow up to his other two excellent books Ritz & Escoffier, and Provence 1970.

#frenchculinaryhistory #frenchcuisine #frenchchefs #frenchhistory #lukebarr

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