Carême

The First Celebrity Chef

By: Ian Kelly

Narrated by: Ian Kelly

Bloomsbury presents Carême, written and read by Ian Kelly.

NOW A MAJOR APPLE+ TV SERIES

'Magnificent' ANTHONY BOURDAIN
'Irresistible' HUGH FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL
'A classic' DAMIAN BARR

From historian and screenwriter, Ian Kelly, comes the legendary story of Carême, the original celebrity chef.

Recounting the fairy-tale-like rise of Antonin Carême from Parisian orphan to a household name synonymous with culinary luxury, Carême offers a unique conflation of historical biography, social history and cookery guide. Kelly lifts the veil on one of the most momentous and sensuous periods in European history: First Empire Paris, Georgian England and the tsarist Russia of War and Peace, depicting Carême’s entanglements with the social and political elite of his age, from King George IV to Napoleon, the Romanovs to the Rothschilds.

Alongside this story of Carême, the trail-blazing celebrity chef, culinary artist and revolutionary food writer, Ian Kelly brings to life the recipes themselves.

As Carême wrote, ‘You should try this yourself, at home’.

©2025 Ian Kelly (P)2025 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

I was really truly bowled over (Giles Coren)

In this well-researched book, Ian Kelly deftly recounts the exploits of this remarkable man (Jacques Pépin)

Ian Kelly brings Carême's restless spirit back to life along with a tableau of la grande cuisine two hundred years ago (Anne Willan, founder of École de Cuisine La Varenne)

Ian Kelly's valuable and pleasurable addition to the literature of food combines an eye for the richness of historic detail with a solid sense of culinary crafts. While stimulating our palates, it breathes a life into a critical period in the building of modern Europe (Mark Kurlansky, author of Cod, Salt and Milk)

Fascinating!

This biography of one of the most important chefs in history was fascinating! Carefully researched, well written with humor and the right amount of detail, and beautifully narrated by the author. Bravo!