About Atelier

Chef Portrait

On Craft & Precision

I trained in the kitchens of Lyon, where precision is religion and restraint is art. The French understand something fundamental about cooking: that complexity need not announce itself, that the finest techniques are often invisible to the diner, apparent only in the perfect texture of a sauce or the clean finish of a dish.

Atelier began as a notebook—recipes tested obsessively, techniques refined through repetition, flavours balanced and rebalanced until they sang. What you find here represents years of quiet work. Each recipe has been made dozens of times, adjusted, simplified where possible, complicated only when necessary.

I believe in ingredients that speak for themselves. I believe in techniques borrowed from professional kitchens but adapted for home use. I believe that cooking well is not about performance but about care—for the food, for the people you feed, for the process itself.

This is my atelier. A workshop where craft meets cuisine. Where patience yields flavour. Where the ordinary is elevated through attention.

The Atelier Philosophy

Every recipe here follows three principles: precision in technique, restraint in presentation, respect for ingredients. We borrow from French patisserie the understanding that small details matter enormously. We borrow from Japanese cuisine the appreciation for seasonality and negative space.

These recipes are written for confident home cooks who appreciate clear instruction and thoughtful guidance. You will find no shortcuts, no compromises, no 'good enough'. But you will also find nothing unnecessarily complicated, no affectation for affectation's sake.

This is food made with care, meant to be shared, designed to nourish both body and spirit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes these recipes different?
These recipes prioritise technique over novelty. Each has been refined through repeated testing until the method is as simple as possible while maintaining professional results. You'll find detailed guidance on the crucial moments—when to add salt, how to know when something is properly caramelised, why timing matters—rather than just a list of steps.
Do I need special equipment?
Generally no. Most recipes require only standard kitchen equipment. Where a specific tool significantly improves results—a kitchen scale for bread, a mandoline for even slicing—it's noted as recommended rather than essential. Good knives, heavy pans, and accurate oven temperature matter more than specialised gadgets.
Can these recipes be scaled?
Most savoury recipes scale linearly—double or halve as needed. Baking recipes, particularly those involving specific ratios like bread or pastry, are more sensitive. When scaling is not recommended, it's noted in the recipe. For entertaining, it's often better to make multiple batches rather than multiply ingredients dramatically.
Where do you source ingredients?
I prioritise quality over exoticism. Good olive oil, fresh herbs, well-raised meat, seasonal produce—these fundamentals matter more than rare ingredients. Most items are available from quality grocers or farmers' markets. Where a specific ingredient is crucial (like lemon myrtle or Aleppo pepper), substitutions are provided.
Do you offer cooking classes or workshops?
Occasionally I run small, intimate workshops focusing on specific techniques—bread-making, knife skills, sauce fundamentals. These are announced through the newsletter when spaces become available. The focus is always on teaching principles rather than just recipes, so participants leave with transferable skills.