Anne Willan (born 26 January 1938[1]inNewcastle upon Tyne, England) is the founder of the École de Cuisine La Varenne, which operated in Paris and Burgundy France, from 1975 until 2007. La Varenne classes continued in Santa Monica, California, through 2017.[2][3][4][5]
Willan is a recognised authority on French cooking[6] and has more than 50 years of experience as a teacher, author and culinary historian. In May 2013, Willan was inducted into the James Beard Foundation Hall of Fame for her “body of work.” In July 2014, Willan was awarded the rank of Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor for her accomplishments in promoting the gastronomy of France.
She has written more than 30 books, including the influential La Varenne Pratique and the 17-volume, photo-illustrated Look and Cook series which was turned into a 26-part PBS program. Willan's The Country Cooking of France received two 2008 James Beard Foundation book awards for best international cookbook and best cookbook photography. Bon Appétit magazine named Willan its cooking teacher of the year in 2000. She was honored with a lifetime achievement award by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) in 1999 for her contributions to the world of food writing, culinary education and to the IACP itself.[7]
Willan received her master's degree in economics from Cambridge University, then studied and taught cooking in London and Paris before moving to the United States where she became an associate editor of Gourmet magazine and food editor of the Washington Star. In 1975, she moved to Paris and founded l'Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne, which later expanded to offer programs at The Greenbrier and at her home in Burgundy, the Château du Fëy. The Burgundy campus was in operation until 2007. Most of her books have been widely published in the United States and the UK and have been translated into more than 24 languages.
Willan was married to Mark Cherniavsky, an executive with the World Bank, who died in 2017. They have two children, Emma and Simon, and five grandchildren. As of 2017, Willan lives in London and France.[8]