Rachel Allen is a professional cook and busy mother. She lives by the sea in East Cork with her husband and two young children.
Brought up in Dublin, at the age of eighteen she left to study at the renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School. After graduating she worked for some time in the kitchens at Ballymaloe House. Following this she spent time travelling and working abroad. Rachel returned to Ballymaloe to teach at the Ballymaloe Cookery School where she runs her cookery courses today.
Rachel is currently presenting her fourth television series, Rachel’s Food for Living on RTE television, it is also being screened on BBC1 on Saturday mornings after Saturday Kitchen. She has had three previous successful television series, Rachel’s Favourite Food, Rachel’s Favourite Food for Friends and Rachel’s Favourite Food at Home. She has published a book for each of her TV series, each carrying the same name. Rachel’s series have been screened on BBC and in Australia, Italy, Africa and elsewhere.
Rachel’s philosophy on food is that good ingredients simply prepared will give great results. Her food reflects the demands of her own lifestyle – a busy working mother, entertaining at home, using good ingredients simply prepared but with her own individual spin.
Rachel writes a weekly article for The Sunday Tribune newspaper. She contributes articles on an ongoing basis to Magazines such as, Delicious, BBC Good Food Magazine and AWT at Home among others. Rachel is currently writing her next book, which will also be accompanied by a television series.
Books :
Rachel’s Favourite Food, Gill & Macmillan, 2004
Rachel’s Food for Friends, Gill & Macmillan, 2005
Rachel’s Favourite Food at Home, Collins, 2006
Rachel’s Food for Living, Collins, 2007