About Fiona’s French Table

It may seem strange to you to come and learn to cook with an Irish born lady who has exported herself to another country, but, without sounding clichéd, I have always enjoyed cooking for others. I love French food and I love having people sit around the table, relaxed and enjoying good company, food and wine.  I left Ireland in the 90’s and headed for New Zealand where I stayed for 6 years.  A change in life circumstances brought me to the UK with my new English husband.  It is there that I stayed for 24 years and brought up our children. During this time, whilst I worked in Interior Design, I also threw my self into my other love which is cooking.  I cooked and shared recipes with friends and family, trying out new ones, doing many cookery courses, always trying to improve my skills. I began hosting cookery courses from my English kitchen where I would demonstrate many dishes and then share, at my table, what I had prepared.  During this time I also had some recipes published, one appearing in the Telegraph Food section.  But I wanted to take my skill set further.  In my head I wanted to offer more and there was one particular world-renowned cookery school that I wanted to go to – Ballymaloe Cookery School.  I enrolled for their intensive 12 week programme.  There I honed my skill set, from butchery to pastry, French classics to baking.  My day usually began at 6am where you would often find me in the bread shed, making sourdough, then onto cooking for 3 hours in the morning, presenting my food for scrutiny and followed by lectures every afternoon.  Evening times where spent going over notes and preparing for the next day – this was not a course for the faint hearted but what I learned has been invaluable.  A dream for my husband and I was realised in 2016 when we moved to France.  Firstly, to Paris and then Provence. 

Now I spend my days cooking, experimenting and teaching whilst enjoying everything Provence has to offer.