Anne Willan (born 26 January 1938[1] in Newcastle upon Tyne, England) is the founder of the École de Cuisine La Varenne, which operated in Paris and Burgundy France, from 1975 until 2007.
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.
[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.