Andrew F. Smith

Willan, Anne

Appears in
Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America
Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America

By Andrew F. Smith

Published 2004

  • About
In addition to being considered one of the world’s authorities on French cooking, the cookbook author Anne Willan (1938–) is a pioneer in the development of the modern cooking school and has influenced modern food writing.

Born 26 January 1938 in Newcastle, England, Willan earned a master’s degree in economics from Cambridge University, but decided to follow her love of cooking by earning a diploma from the Cordon Bleu in London in 1960, then staying on to teach. After moving to Paris and while working at the Château de Versailles, Willan earned a Grand Diplôme from the Paris Cordon Bleu in 1964. She moved to the United States that same year and became an associate editor of Gourmet. She became a U.S. citizen in 1970.