Aly’s Story…

What am I about? Well…my focus is on helping people realise that they can create dishes that look and taste amazing, even when using everyday ingredients you have in the cupboard and fridge. No hard to find ingredients. No big budget shopping. Just great recipes for your family through the week, special occasions and festive holidays.

Aly is a classically trained chef, tutor and food writer originally from North Wales, now living in the French Alps.

My late Mum, Iris, was largely responsible for my interest in cooking, and I remember cooking with Mum and taking in everything she taught me.. and did in our family kitchen from a very early age. There was always chutney bubbling on the stove, or a cake baking when I got home from school. When I was 7 or 8 years old she would make curries, homemade pizzas and  lasagne for when friends came over, and back then in the mid 70s that was pretty special!

I began my hospitality career at 16 years old, first at catering college and part time jobs. From there it was onto uni for some more hotels and catering training followed by a year studing Cordon Blue Cookery at what was The Tante Marie School of Cookery. By the time I was 21 years old I had progressed to the role of private chef in chalets and private houses, and onboard yachts cruising the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and the Caribbean.