Elsa Marie

I grew up in the countryside. My mother worked, but she also cooked, and we ate very well – always a starter, main course and dessert. I’m sure that had an effect on me, but I didn’t start cooking myself until I was 18. I was studying by then (Elsa Marie read Humanities) and mum didn’t cook for me anymore, so I started making food for myself and my friends. It became a bit of an obsession, and I decided that was what I wanted to do. I spent just a year at the Ferrandi school. I thought of carrying on, but I’d already had 3 years of postschool education, and wanted to get stuck into the real world.

After 3 weeks, I decided that this was not for me. I had a dreadful job with impossible hours. The pay was poor, and we were treated horribly. But at the same time, I loved the work. It was the only place where time seemed to fly, and I was learning something new every day. I could easily have stopped then though, taken time out and done more writing.

I met Gregory Bach and Florent Ciccoli, who have a number of restaurants in Paris. They had a very different attitude. They were much more human, they trusted me and gave me more freedom. I worked with them for two years at Pères Populaires, and now I’m at their latest restaurant, La Vierge.

Chefs always end up going around in circles, we always think the grass will be greener somewhere else. I was nearly 30, I wanted to go somewhere far away, somewhere hot, where life would be easy. So, I packed my rucksack and headed for Australia. I did a bit of cooking, but mainly I was interested in permaculture and biodynamics.

In Australia, I met my husband Julian, who’s also a chef. He had just returned to Australia from France, but wanted to go back to Auvergne for the cuisine and the cheese. He’s always wanted to make cheese, but it’s never worked out all that well. Now whenever Julian and I talk about where we’re going to live, we both agree it’s got to be somewhere where they have cheese!