Recent articles for The Times / Sunday Times
As a regular contributor to The Times and Sunday Times, I have been proud to dig out some unusual stories and be the first to report on certain subjects in the UK media. These include: A family travel piece about the Atlantic Riviera, on the Pays de la Loire coast. It featured a visit to […]
Cheltenham Literature Festival
Since the publication of Amuse Bouche: How to Eat Your Way Around France, I have been really enjoying hosting events and talks about the books and French food. A recent highlight was hosting an event at the bookshop Hatchards for the Cheltenham Literature Festival 2025. We had a full house and my audience had the […]
Club Oenologique Magazine
I loved working with the team at Club Oenologique magazine on this feature about vegetable-forward chefs for their France special. They asked me for some ideas along some themes suggested by their guest editor Hélène Darroze, and we landed on this feature, which leaned heavily into my knowledge and expertise about French cuisine and 20 […]
Corsica’s wine regions (Decanter Magazine)
I was delighted to contribute to Decanter Magazine again with this article on touring Corsica’s vineyards. Read the article here
The pastis of Provence: the revival of the aniseed aperitif
In a brief pause to travel restrictions in summer 2020 we dashed through France to Provence and while the family lounged by the pool I explored the fascinating story of pastis in Provence. From the 1960s when Paul Ricard put the drink on the map, to the newer distillers putting their own mark on their […]
Where to buy French booze in the UK
My curiosity for drinks that belong to particular corners of France, be it an aperitif, digestif, liqueur or wine, means I’m always bringing home little bottles of random drinks from my trips. This can often make for a very heavy suitcase, which is fine when driving and going by ferry, but if I’m flying or […]
A taste of France in six drinks
Story for National Geographic Traveller Food: link The French have had winemaking down to a fine art for centuries, but so too are they experts at creating liqueurs, spirits, aperitifs and digestifs. Each region has its libation of choice and each will tell you something of the land around you, its history, its produce and, often, the families who have been making […]
Exploring the vineyards of the Luberon and Vaucluse
Wondering which vineyards make the best wines in the Luberon but also offer an enjoyable visitor experience? My article from Decanter magazine covers this abundant area that encompasses several different wine appellations, along with hotel and restaurant recommendations. Read the pdf here: Travel-Luberon-Ventoux_draft-CB 1 This is a slightly longer version of the main article: As […]
About the France Traveller newsletter
This newsletter, what’s all that about then? As you’ll have seen from this website, I write about France travel, food and drink for national newspapers and magazines (and a few websites too!), but as there are always more tips, ideas, photos and videos than I could ever cram into my articles, I’ve given them a […]
A weekend in Montreuil-sur-Mer
When it comes to a foodie weekend in France, there are certain things on most wish lists: markets, wine, cheese, Michelin stars if you can, some seafood if possible and something to take home (preferably more wine). So it is most convenient that the small town of Montreuil-sur-Mer has reinvented itself as “La Destination Gastronomique” […]