Born Robert McMahon in New York, Carrier was dispatched to England by the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. After the war he moved to Paris, changed his last name to Carrier (his grandmother’s name; she had taught him to cook).
There he served as a cryptographer for General Charles de Gaulle — and learned French cooking from a friend. He then moved to Rome — and learned Italian cooking. In 1953 he moved back to England. He liked it so much he stayed, except one thing bothered him: Britain’s bland food. At the time, for instance, fresh garlic was almost unheard of in England. A background in magazine writing and public relations helped him become the nation’s first “celebrity” chef with magazine columns, cookbooks (his Great Dishes of the World was popular for more than 30 years, and is now available in both Classic * and New versions) and a show on TV, Carrier’s Kitchen, which ran for 20 years.
The Brits loved it — and his celebrity (and successful restaurants) transformed the way England eats. In the 1980s Carrier returned to France, and died there on June 27 at 82.