Writing about French food and travel has been part of my work for more than 20 years, but Amuse Bouche: How to Eat Your Way Around France brings all that knowledge together into a single book. Published by Profile Books in 2024 and named Book of the Year by both The Times and the Financial Times, and the 2026 Inspire Travel Book of the Year, it travels throughout France region by region, exploring the dishes, ingredients, producers, chefs and traditions that make French cuisine what it is.
Writing about French food and travel has been part of my work for more than 20 years, but Amuse Bouche: How to Eat Your Way Around France brings all that knowledge together into a single book. Published by Profile Books in 2024 and named Book of the Year by both The Times and the Financial Times, and the 2026 Inspire Travel Book of the Year, it travels throughout France region by region, exploring the dishes, ingredients, producers, chefs and traditions that make French cuisine what it is.
Amuse Bouche is the book I’ve spent a career working towards. Spanning every region of France and divided into more than 200 separate vignettes, it blends food history and travel, personal anecdote and recipe and has enchanted readers since its publication in 2024. It brings together 20 years of knowledge, three additional years of research and hundreds of kilometres of groundwork, including dining in restaurants for every budget, as well as tables d’hôtes, bars à vins and picnic spots. I talked to hundreds of producers, bakers, cooks and chefs to get a better understanding of their products and cuisines and how to enjoy them. I donned hairnets to visit dairies, tramped across farms and browsed dozens of markets to gain a deep understanding of the ingredients, signature dishes, food culture and drinks of France’s regions.
My first book explored the local cuisine of France through the stories and recipes of 65 French chefs, cooks and bakers – each sharing a favourite recipe for a classic dish from their region. Although it is now out of print, all that I learned from all its research, including all the chef interviews and extensive recipe testing, is still very much alive in my work as I share further food and travel experiences throughout France.
I am currently developing my third book. Details to follow – watch this space, or sign up to my France Traveller newsletter to be the first to hear.
See my virtual bookshop for my favourite books about France: from travel and food, to history and culture.
