You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
GREAT<br />
Taste<br />
Working in Michelin Star establishments<br />
around the world from the highly<br />
acclaimed Le Gavroche under the tutelage<br />
of Michel Roux, to restaurant Schillinger<br />
in Colmar, and a spell in three star Marc<br />
Meneau in Veselay, Daniel Galmiche’s<br />
culinary journey has been extraordinary.<br />
Sally Thomson caught up with him<br />
to discuss his career, his love of the<br />
Highlands and his new direction<br />
Thank you for taking the time<br />
to talk to me. You have moved<br />
recently - where are you based<br />
now, please?<br />
I am on the top of the Chiltern Hills,<br />
which means I’m about 35 minutes<br />
on the top of the hill behind Bicester.<br />
I’ve met you before when you<br />
were in the Vineyard. Am I right in<br />
thinking that your grandparents<br />
were organic farmers?<br />
That’s right. They had a small<br />
holding, mainly for friends and<br />
family. And it was all hand-fed, all<br />
organic, it was fantastic. So that<br />
must be about 60 years ago, that<br />
was pre-dating what goes on now.<br />
And my great aunt was a really<br />
fantastic cook.<br />
You were also in at one time in<br />
Scotland, for about seven years?<br />
“I’m fan of the Scots for<br />
a lot of things. I love the<br />
tradition, I love the kilt,<br />
the tartan, the mystery,<br />
the magic, the produce, the<br />
people. There’s something<br />
quite exquisite about<br />
Scotland, isn’t there?”<br />
Yes, I wanted to stay there, because<br />
I love Scotland, it’s my second<br />
country really.<br />
That’s another question I had<br />
for you, because my husband’s<br />
a Scot, and he absolutely loves<br />
Scotland too.<br />
Of course, it is a beautiful country. I<br />
just love Scotland and the produce<br />
they have is amazing. For me, the<br />
best produce in the UK comes from<br />
Scotland.<br />
Raspberries in particular, it was<br />
raspberries that my husband<br />
remembers growing in his garden<br />
when he was a little boy. They<br />
had buckets and buckets of<br />
raspberries.<br />
Best in Europe. Yes, they are. It’s<br />
just the season itself, so sometimes<br />
it can last for two weeks, three<br />
weeks, and sometimes for six<br />
weeks, because of the weather. I’m<br />
fan of the Scots for a lot of things.<br />
I love the tradition, I love the kilt,<br />
the tartan, the mystery, the magic,<br />
the produce, the people. There’s<br />
something quite exquisite about<br />
Scotland, isn’t there?<br />
What made you decide to leave<br />
Scotland at that stage then?<br />
I had a chance to go to live in<br />
Singapore for nearly four years.<br />
When I came back, I was in Portugal<br />
for one year, running the Penina,<br />
which is in the Algarve, where they<br />
have the famous Henry Cotton golf<br />
course, which is world renowned.<br />
And after that, I went to Harvey’s in<br />
<strong>Bristol</strong> for nearly seven years as well.<br />
You’re naturally a French chef and<br />
you’ve been all over the world<br />
however is there another cuisine<br />
that you like?<br />
I love Japanese food as well. I<br />
mean, it’s fantastic. There’s a<br />
symbiotic relationship between<br />
French and Japanese cooking - we<br />
have the same discipline and way<br />
of thinking about food and produce<br />
and where to get it.<br />
What direction is your career<br />
taking now?<br />
I don’t want to go back to 100<br />
covers and working all hours. I<br />
want something more intimate -<br />
everybody to come together, sit<br />
down together and go together and<br />
do that Thursday, Friday, Saturday,<br />
that’s it. <strong>May</strong>be 12 to 18, maybe<br />
12, 10 and 12 covers, that’s all I<br />
want to do. But proper, really nicely<br />
done. And I don’t want a 30-course<br />
menu. I want a seven-course menu.<br />
Simplified, focusing on connection -<br />
that’s what good food is about!<br />
danielgalmiche.co.uk<br />
14 | www.minervamagazines.co.uk