A Maidstone Grammar School pupil decided to use lockdown to combine his passion for cooking with helping charity by serving up a book of interviews with some of the best chefs in the world.

Alfred Moisan, who is just 12, contacted 70 chefs, winemakers and hospitality masters from around the world to produce his book, which is called “In Conversation With Alfred.”

And he has included his own winning recipe for duck breast seasoned with home-made sea salt, pea purée and caramelised carrots after taking part in the Kent Young Cooks competition.

His mother Laura Moisan said: "As you can imagine, we are extremely proud of him."

The book, published this month, features behind the scenes stories from top Michelin chefs and star sommeliers, including Spaniard Ferran Adria from the El Bulli restaurant in Catalonia, Roxanne Lange from the Clos Maggiore restaurant in Covent Garden and French wine-maker Sandrine Garbay of Chateau d’Yquem.

His father Jerome Moisan explained: "He was able to find his own list of chefs to contact from online lists of the best restaurants in the world. Obviously he knows nothing about wine or drinking, so I helped with some suggestions of who he should contact there.

"In all he wrote to around 300 people and 70 agreed to take part."

Alfred's mother is English and comes from Maidstone, his father is French and Alfred was born in Paris and spent the first six months of his life there.

Asked whether his interest in cooking was part of of his French heritage, Mr Moisan laughed: "I don't think so. His grandparents were teachers and I'm a software technician.

"No, this is an interest he has developed all by himself."

Alfred also likes football. The whole project arose during lockdown: when his parents told him off for spending too much time playing on his X-Box, he declared: "Alright, I'll write a cookery book."

He had the tremendous satisfaction of seeing in the first week of publication his book at various times outsell books by Gordon Ramsay, Mary Berry and Jamie Oliver in Amazon's list for 50 best-selling cookery books.

Alfred is donating any profits from his book to FareShare, a charity fighting hunger and food waste.

The charity's chief executive Lindsay Boswell said: "It is our strong belief that everyone should have access to a good meal and the chance to enjoy a healthy nutritious diet.

"Thanks to Alfred and his wonderful book more people with be able to do just that."

The book is available from Amazon priced £9.99.

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