bonhomie – noun

bŏn″ə-mē′

Bonhomie is happy, good-natured friendliness.

About Us

Welcome to Maison Bonhomie!
We’re Dawn and Allan—founders, food lovers, cocktail shakers, wine enthusiasts, and lifelong travellers. Maison Bonhomie was born from a deep desire to share our passion for authentic food, honest wine, and soulful travel with a community of like-minded people.

In a digital world full of influencer gloss and mass-produced content, we aim to create something real. Our vision is simple: to offer an honest space where stories are personal, recipes are tested (and tasted!), and experiences are genuinely ours. If you love cooking from scratch, discovering new cultures, or enjoying a glass of something special while watching the sun go down, then you’re in the right place.

We currently live in the heart of wine country—Languedoc, in the southwest of France—surrounded by ancient vines and the hum of village life. It’s a landscape where time moves slowly and the seasons dictate what we eat, drink, and do. Here, wine is more than a beverage—it’s a way of life. Entire communities have thrived for centuries on the rhythm of the vine, from pruning in winter to celebrating the harvest with joyous, noisy festivals in the autumn.

This simple, grounded lifestyle has inspired us to rethink how we live, cook, and travel. We’re sharing that inspiration through Maison Bonhomie—both online and in person at our guesthouse.

Our Background

Before launching Maison Bonhomie, we spent 12 years running a contract catering company, working with clients who appreciated quality, consistency, and creativity. Even before that, the seeds of Maison Bonhomie had already been planted through our separate—but complementary—careers in the food and drink industries.

Dawn trained at Le Cordon Bleu and went on to head large catering operations and help launch new restaurants in London. Her love for precise technique and timeless flavours shines in everything she creates.

Allan, initially trained as a chef, later found his calling in wine. After completing three diplomas from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) in London, he managed a respected French wine shop in Central London. His knowledge and passion for wine are infused into our blog posts, recipes, and cocktail guides.

Together, we combine culinary expertise with a deep appreciation for natural food, traditional techniques, and cultural exploration.

Living in France

When we moved to France, we wanted to fully embrace a lifestyle that reflected our values. We’re learning the language, renovating our home, and immersing ourselves in a new culture—all while building a welcoming place for guests both physical and virtual.

The name Maison Bonhomie reflects our ethos: a house of good spirits and kindness, where joy is found in the small things—like a perfectly poached egg, a chilled glass of rosé, or a conversation around the dinner table with friends.

Our Philosophy

At Maison Bonhomie, we believe in keeping things honest and natural. That means respecting the seasons, using real ingredients, and making as much as we can from scratch.

We aren’t here to offer diets, fads, or nutrition “advice”.  We don’t count calories or preach perfection, and we don’t use air fryers, deep fryers, slow cookers or Insta- Pots, but that doesn’t mean we won’t explore the world of air fryers at some point. We cook what we love to eat: balanced, flavorful, nutritious meals made from whole foods and local produce. We make our own sauces, dressings, and pastry, and we don’t use a microwave or eat ready meals. There’s no Deliveroo out here—and we like it that way.  However, at this time, we are taking years of recipes and ideas out of our heads and in scribbled notebooks, to share the simplicity and personal satisfaction of cooking from scratch- the only things required are a genuine desire, a bit of planning and a good set of Electronic Digital Scales.

Each week, we plan our menus and shop accordingly, often at the local market where everything is seasonal and fresh. When asparagus is in season, we eat asparagus. When tomatoes are ripe and bursting with flavour, we build dishes around them. It’s not a trend for us—it’s just life in rural France.

Travel, Stories, and Connection

For us, travel is more than a hobby—it’s a source of inspiration, creativity, and lifelong learning. We’ve been lucky enough to visit incredible places and meet people who’ve left lasting impressions. We want to bring those stories to life for you: the sites of London, the souks in Tunisia, the beaches of Sicily, the coastline of Corsica and of course, our corner of southwest France, Cathar Country.

We believe that everyone should have the chance to travel—not someday, but now. You don’t have to wait until retirement, or until the kids move out, or until life “slows down.” Travel can be big or small, near or far. What matters is stepping into the unknown and letting it shape you.

What Can We Do For You?

What we can do for you is share our recipes and techniques so you can cook from scratch, utilising ‘Superfoods’ such as grains, beans, berries, legumes and local meat and fish to make fabulous food using natural, fresh ingredients. We hope to show you that eating and drinking natural foods and beverages is so easy, and yet can change your life. We want to share with you a simple maxim: If you can’t pronounce an ingredient on a packet, then chances are it is man made, and we like to refrain from artificial ingredients and ‘processed’ foods. We enjoy a tipple and so we eat a balanced diet and we exercise to ensure that our lifestyle choices are fully supported and balanced.

What You’ll Find at Maison Bonhomie

Whether you’re staying at our guesthouse or visiting us online, we hope you’ll find something valuable here.

We offer:

• Tested recipes for real people using real ingredients.

• Cocktail recipes and all things wine and spirits, rooted in knowledge, not hype.

• Travel stories that celebrate cultural richness.

• The benefits of using Superfoods in your diet and natural living.

• A Holiday experience, staying in our Guesthouse, sharing food, drink and enjoying your adventure in Cathar Country

• A warm, welcoming space where curiosity and connection are always on the menu.

Every recipe and article on our site is written and tested by us—no copy-paste content here. If we recommend something, it’s because we’ve used it, loved it, and believe it’s worth sharing.

Lastly, all of the recipes you will find on our site have actually been tested and perfected by us, we don’t just copy & paste other people’s recipes.  Here at Maison Bonhomie all our content is genuinely ours, unless noted.