WIN a signed copy of Good Taste: A Life of Food and Passion by Alain Ducasse

From humble beginnings in the French countryside to being awarded 21 Michelin Stars internationally, Good Taste: A Life of Food and Passion by Alain Ducasse offers an intimate and honest insight into the life of one of the world’s greatest chefs.

At twelve years old, Alain Ducasse had never been to a restaurant.

Less than fifteen years later he received his first Michelin star, kickstarting the beginning of an incredible journey to the top of gastronomic stardom.

With 34 restaurants around the world, 3 of which were awarded three Michelin stars, Alain’s reputation is one that is respected and revered from chefs internationally, with many asking how he reached such unbelievable culinary heights.

For the very first time, Alain shares his extraordinary journey with the release of his highly anticipated book, Good Taste, capturing the essence of his illustrious career and the core of his philosophy, inspirations and creative processes.

 

Explaining the importance of the book, what it means to him, and what he hopes readers take from Good Taste, Alain revealed: “This book is basically about sharing my experience. Why did I make it? Because I have two secret hopes. One is to encourage vocations amongst the youth."

He added: “My trade and cooking, offers huge opportunities to learn, to travel, to meet people – in one word: to build an exciting life. The second hope is to make a large audience aware of what eating implies.”

A Rural Upbringing

Good Taste takes the reader back to Alain’s modest childhood in the French countryside where he picked mushrooms with his grandfather and found a passion for cooking with his grandmother.

After falling in love with cooking, it wasn’t long before his journey in becoming a chef gained significant momentum, with the book detailing tales of Alain’s apprenticeships across France, as well as heartfelt stories of mentorships under celebrated chefs.

Discussing his journey from a rural upbringing in the French countryside to travelling across renowned food capital across the world, Alain revealed his extensive global career was fuelled by his deep passion to learn and experiment.

“Life is a journey. I wasn’t predestined to become what I eventually became. This journey has been fuelled by passion. This is the passion which gave me the energy, the desire to learn, to discover, to experiment,” Alain explained.

Reflecting on his rustic upbringing in Les Landes, Alain explained that he rarely looks back and instead holds a great connection with a variety of different places across the world.

“I’m not nostalgic and don’t look very much in the rear view mirror. Long years ago I fell in love with the Mediterranean shore and planted my roots in Monaco,” he revealed.

Alain added: “I also love Paris though and the truth is that I feel very good in a number of other places, from New York to Tokyo, from Rome to London.”

Good Taste: A Life of Food and Passion by Alain Ducasse

The book also serves as a poignant ode to the humble vegetable that Alain's cuisine seeks to elevate.

It explains how his early years growing up on a farm fed into his philosophy of 'Naturality’ and his connection to the land, producers and growers.

This pioneering approach to a sustainable, vegetable-based style of cuisine was many years before its time.

Looking at the writing process behind Good Taste and the team who he worked with, Alain revealed that the book represents more than 10 months of conversations documenting his significant life and achievements.

“I worked with my editor Anne-Sophie Stéfanini at JC Lattès. Together we spent long hours of conversation, over more than 10 months, which Anne-Sophie put on paper. I am very grateful to her,” Alain explained.

Readers are granted exclusive access to behind-the-scenes moments that have shaped Alain's life, which lead him to set up groundbreaking restaurants and schools across the world.

Discussing which parts of the book particularly resonated with him, Alain explained how he enjoyed writing about his future plans and projects, indicating his refusal to slow down professionally. 

“I always look at the future, so I would say my next projects like the “Maison du Peuple” in Paris– the People’s House, or the opening of Il ristaurante by Alain Ducasse at Romeo Roma in February 2024," he revealed

Changing Attitudes and Future Projects

Good Taste also sets out Alain's personal commitment to never stop creating and trying new things, as well as his vision for the future, as he passes on his passion and knowledge to the next generation of chefs.

However, not only does the book document the life of one of food’s most respected figureheads, Good Taste seeks to achieve something bigger, with Alain hoping it will provide people the confidence to make more informed choices in the future.

Discussing this aim in more detail, Alain said: “I do hope that it can make more and more people re-think their food habits and opt for healthier, more sustainable ones.”

As well as setting up schools, creating artisan factories and opening restaurants across the world, most notably in Japan, the United States and London; Alain has written several cookbooks over the years, hinting that more could be in the pipeline in the future.

On the subject of writing more books in the future, Alain said: “Nothing like “Good Taste” but my publishing house, Ducasse Edition, keeps releasing cookbooks."