Not another Blog!

Here at last we launch our french-only blog. Over the coming weeks and months we look forward to sharing with you some of our deepest passions for the authentic, hand-crafted traditions of French cookware and cutlery. This blog comes from the heart of the Limousin, itself at the heart of France. It is here, less than three years ago, that our online shop, french-only, was born. We are now proud to have customers from every corner of the globe: from Canada to Austria; Norway to Australia. All have bought our fabulous, authentic copper cookware made by Baumalu or the iconic cutlery of Laguiole. We look forward to sharing with you some of the traditions associated with these giants of the kitchen.

It is sometimes difficult for the rest of the world to understand the importance to us French of food, its preparation and presentation. Charles de Gaulle famously said "un pays qui compte 350 sortes de fromages, c'est ingouvernable" (a country with 350 kinds of cheese is ungovernable). Whichever region of France you find yourself in, there is a dedication to local food production and traditions, that is perhaps unique in the world. And of course this dedication to, some would say obsession with, food has its roots far in the mists of time. In 1671, the head chef to the Prince de Condé, Vatel, killed himself with his sword because the seafood had not arrived in time for a dinner the prince was hosting for King Louis XIV.

Escoffier's Guide Culinaire, published originally in 1920, is still used in professional kitchens around the world.

While the rest of the world embraces fast food, always-available everything, here in France the seasonal arrival of asparagus and strawberries are gastronomic events celebrated in restaurants grand and simple.

So it is perhaps not surprising that when it comes to the tools of culinary art, you find the very finest are still made in France, in centuries-old, tried and tested methods that have seen little change over the years.