North Hampshire Lifestyle Jul - Aug 2022

aymond blanc
Bon appetit
Editor Katie Thomson caught up with acclaimed
French chef Raymond Blanc following his appearance
at this year’s Blenheim Palace Food Festival – we
talked all things sustainability, the British food scene
and his love of teaching…
Food and produce are at the centre of
your life – you exude such a passion for
it – where did this passion begin?
It began in my childhood, in Franche-
Comté. My mother was the greatest
inspiration of my life. Through her I learnt
about the importance of seasonality and
the purity of ingredients. I was very much
her kitchen helper and it wasn’t until
the age of 14 that I made my first dish –
crêpes Suzette, thin pancakes in a sweet
sauce of caramel and Grand Marnier.
I made about 30 pancakes, as light as
feathers, and I was an extremely proud
teenager. I folded them and arranged them
on a big Pyrex dish. Then I made a light
brown caramel, adding the juice of orange
and lemon, and then the Grand Marnier. I
poured the sauce over the pancakes and
then decided to reheat the whole thing on
a gas ring. Perfect! Or so I thought. At that
moment catastrophe struck. The Pyrex
dish exploded into millions of tiny pieces.
Of course it was a blow to my ego but, as
you know, I am delighted to say it didn’t
put me off cooking.
How important is the garden at Le
Manoir aux Quat’Saisons?
There is not just one garden in the
grounds – there are many, from the
potager to the orchards and herb
gardens, and the valley of mushrooms
and the Japanese garden with its little
tea-house. For me, it is a daily ritual
to wander through these enchanting
gardens with their unusual herbs and
the sweet, exotic scents of near and
faraway places. Every little part of Le
Manoir helps to make it a place with
soul, a big heart and an appetite for
humanity. My childhood in postwar
France might seem ancient and
simplistic, and we may have lacked
today’s science or high-tech values,
but we had one great asset: common
sense. Information was passed on
from one generation to another. We
understood and appreciated that
food connected with everything – the
table, the family, environment, society,
health. We respected what came from
the soil.
You’ve always been passionate about
putting vegetables in the spotlight – do
you think we are reconnecting with
our understanding of produce and
how it links to both our health and the
environment?
It begins with the young. We have to
teach our children about the value of
a meal, and instil in them that sense
of place, of region. We need to show
our children what flourishes near their
homes and how to grow our own
vegetables in the garden. If that’s not
possible we can use window boxes and
teach our children the miracle of the little
seeds that contain the life force. If you
grow and cook your own vegetables,
life will feel better and you and your
family will feel better. You will be part of
gastronomy, too!
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