As I hope this issue once again shows, we are spoiled for choice living in the British Isles. There are so many wonderful destinations to visit, whether on a staycation or visiting from overseas, and I hope our magazine will inspire you to extend your holiday - or book another! Highlights this issue include a wonderful 48 hours in Alderney, an epic journey through the heart of Scotland, from Edinburgh to the Caledonian Forest, and finding utter bliss at the new idyllic riverside luxury estate, Monkey Island, near Bray.
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“The chef at the restaurant I was working at in France did not like it when I criticised his sauce. He first broke my jaw with a copper saucepan, and I was then sacked by the boss!” Blanc says how his gastronomic career in the UK started almost by chance when he arrived from the Jura mountains in the summer of 1972. “In a way, looking back, I guess I was exiled to England,” he recalls with a grin. “The chef at the restaurant I was working at in France did not like it when I criticised his sauce. He first broke my jaw with a copper saucepan, and I was then sacked by the boss! “But unlike Napoleon,” Blanc jokes, “who had the idea of conquering, I arrived in England with a lot more humility. I was full of lots of ideas and aspiration.” Nowadays Blanc feels at home in the UK, and he certainly seems to like Britain, and the British people. “I am very happy in Britain, and on a daily basis it feels like home for me. And you British have taught me a lot about life!” Blanc says the British pragmatic approach to life has served him well. It has opened his eyes and improved him greatly as a person as well as broadening his mind. “Perhaps the best thing I've learned from the British is a sense of fairness. And I’ve learned the ability to laugh at myself. This is often the greatest hurdle for any Frenchman! “Oh yes, and I've also learned to queue, too. In fact, I get really upset now when I see people jumping the queue!” Then he reveals the person who has inspired him the most in his life. “At the risk of sounding like a Mummy's Boy, my mother is unquestionably still my greatest inspiration. She gave me such a fundamental grounding and taught me that food is an act of love. You bring your family together, and you create a feast or banquet. “She showed me that the dining table is the centre of the house, not the living room. It's where you share things, where you joke, you argue, you get to know each other, and the dinner table is the most natural place to do so. “But sadly, I really feel we are losing this ability to engage with each other these days. I'm lucky that I have the same energy as my mother, and I always try to pass on her wisdom to others.” Once again, before I can ask him, he tells me how a top chef keeps in shape. “Let's just say I have a good metabolism!” he says, laughing. “No, actually, if you work in a hot kitchen for half the day or more, believe me, the heat means you're going to burn off a lot of calories, maybe as many as 3,000 calories, more even. It's not quite like riding a stage of the Tour de France but not far off.” Despite being an honorary Brit, Blanc returns to his native France regularly, especially Paris. He reconnects with friends and meets with his culinary contemporaries he greatly admires, like the renowned chef Pierre Gagnaire. “Pierre is one of the best chefs in Europe. His Paris restaurant has three Michelin stars. à BritishTravelJournal.com 39
