When I arrived in London 5 years ago, there was one area I wanted to see first, Notting Hill. I don’t know why, the film probably as I didn’t have any interest at all for England (sorry). In my London’s guide in the chapter ‘Notting Hill’ they talked about ‘Books for Cooks’… Since then, I go there regularly as I live 10min away…

Notting-Hill has in its epicentre a mix of boutiques bohemian-afro-chic which sometimes, don’t get through time, trends and recession. Still, there are a few exceptions on the scene around Portobello Road and one of those is ‘Books for Cooks’.

Opened in 1983 by Heidi Lascelles, what was considered as an utopia, British cooking was at the time a standing joke the world over, earned within a few years a large international clientele. Heidi was neither a chef nor a professional bookseller but endows with great determination started what would be the greatest adventure of her life. Wanting to live her passion, tracking down a wanted book from whatever the corner of the globe to send them to her customers, she soon acquired an international clientele and settled down in a boutique in order to test recipes and bring her books to life.

Eric Treuillé, actual owner and his wife Rosie are convinced that the Test Kitchen is the key of shop’s success. Recipes can be tested every day from books filling the shelves from floor to ceiling. They can put theory into practice and talk about book in which they know recipes really work. Food fictions, history, nutrition and biographies delight epicureans, inexperienced and curious.

The first one to hold the test kitchen was Annie Bell, followed by the future ‘Fat Lady’ Clarissa Dickson Wright. What was initially a simple ‘cooking afternoon’ became a four- year reign! Clarissa’s encyclopaedic knowledge of food established the shop reputation as the epicurean temple. When Clarissa left Books for Cooks in 1994, Rosie took over the running of the shop, followed one year later by Eric Treuillé, chef, who walked into the shop one day and stayed as he also walked into Rosie’s life.

Cooking classes also run since then. Eric the owner, Tom Kime chef and consultant, Italian cookery books author Ursula Ferrigno, Japanese-born and food writer Kimiko Barber just to name a few are resident chef at Books for Cooks and thrill the eyes and taste buds of customers more and more numerous. Classes extend and diversify over the years. Workshops last three hours, you receive a recipe booklet, taste dishes demonstrated with a glass of wine.

In 2001 Heidi left for Tuscany (where she now organises cookery holiday), and gave the keys of the shop to Eric and Rosie.

Books for Cooks very often called the most appetizing shop in the world is the perfect boutique for passionate. You can still meet Eric and Rosie in there and will probably have a chat with them on what to cook for supper.

Open : Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm. 4 Blenheim Crescent London W11 1NN.