Christelle was born in St Nazaire, France, in 1975. She later moved to Rennes in Brittany to study electrical and software engineering, and graduated in 1997. After five years of working in France and the UK, Christelle and her husband made up their minds to explore other parts of the world. One look at an atlas was enough for them to decide that New Zealand was everything they were looking for. They settled in Christchurch in November 2002 and became New Zealand citizens in 2006. Mid-2008 Christelle gave up her day job as a software engineer to fully focus on her small children, Noemie, Eloise and Yohann, and food-writing. She writes regular food columns for various newspapers and magazines and now produces her own food photography in addition to publishing award-winning cookbooks. Ever since she was young, Christelle has taken great pleasure in cooking and baking for her family and friends. She puts her passion for good food down to her mum, who she thinks is the best cook ever. Christelle loves experimenting in the kitchen, and delights in the art of creating new dishes. Yet her approach to cooking is down-to-earth, and her recipes are easily accessible by the home cook. Fresh Start is Christelle's fourth cookbook and reflects her focus as a mum to give her children a taste for a healthy lifestyle and nutritious foods from an early age.