Julie Le Clerc is a passionate cook, author, food stylist and presenter. Her style of food is accessible, ingredient-driven and flavour-focussed. A relaxed and intuitive approach to cooking is part of her philosophy, along with a deep respect for authentic and seasonal produce. Julie’s great love of flavour shines through in all her recipes and cookbooks.

Julie originally trained as a chef but also has a strong leaning towards the craft of patisserie. She comes from a long line of bakers and whisked up her first sponge cake by her mother’s side at the age of five. Her 30+ years industry experience, both in New Zealand and abroad, includes consulting, catering, recipe development, photographic food styling, and presenting cooking demonstrations. She is the former owner/chef of two successful Auckland cafes and a boutique catering company. You may also know her from her Cafe Secrets TV series.

Having cooked and eaten her way around the world many times, Julie has an extensive knowledge of different cuisines, with a particularly heartfelt focus on the Eastern Mediterranean. She continues to travel regularly to near and far locations because she believes that eating food in the country of its origin is one of the most authentic ways to experience a culture.

Julie Le Clerc’s signature, small batch production range of preserves and chutneys is produced in collaboration with and available through Sabato in Mt Eden, Auckland.

Welcome to my kitchen… for as long as I can remember I have been curious about all things culinary. My passion for cooking began when I was very young, sparked by brilliant and intuitive cooks, such as my darling mother, and neighbours from other parts of the world.

With my focus always firmly on flavour, I enjoy creating accessible, straightforward but stylish recipes that encourage home cooks to put together deliciously satisfying dishes from scratch. My food philosophy is uncomplicated: my cooking is partly inspired, partly invented, but essentially based on fresh, natural ingredients cooked well to deliver honest, vibrant tastes that are simply made to be shared.

For me, one of the most exciting things about cooking is that it appeals so completely to all the senses and is therefore very satisfying in many different ways. I feel incredibly fortunate to have cooking as my career and I approach it with a generous spirit, passionate hands and an enquiring mind.

Come along with me, as I’d love to share my culinary journey with you.