Chef
Gastronomic partnership
When a rail company takes on the likes of Michelin-starred Raymond Blanc, OBE, as its culinary director, you know it means business. Jo Austin catches up with The Very Hungry Frenchman
OBH: The design of Eurostar’s Business Premier menus is a step away from your usual ‘role’. Do you have a personal interest in trains or rail travel? RB: Whenever I can, I travel by rail. I find it an extraordinary luxury and completely stress-free.
So why Eurostar? I have a personal love affair with Eurostar. The fact is, we share the same values. The Channel Tunnel is the best thing that could have happened to England and France. Just look how many French people live in the UK now!
Your BBC television series The Very Hungry Frenchman portrayed your passion for locally-sourced food. Your new menu includes British ham hock terrine. How did you make that particular choice? Our menus have been designed to feature locally-sourced ingredients wherever possible. We have three production kitchens at Eurostar and this classic English terrine uses pork reared and produced
in Sussex, just 10 miles from the kitchen where we created the dish. I am working closely with suppliers in Belgium, France and the UK who are close to our kitchens.
And how about sustainability, seasonality and organic sourcing? I strongly believe that food is more than a commodity. It’s the key to our culture, our landscapes, our wellbeing and l’art de vivre. As a chef I am always searching for the purest ingredients, striving to ensure that everything I use is traceable and responsibly sourced. Through my work with Eurostar’s suppliers we are hoping to transform travellers’
Raymond Blanc OBE Born in France in 1949, Raymond is acknowledged as one of the finest chefs in the world. His cooking has received tributes from every national and international guide to culinary excellence. He owns Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons which is the only country house hotel in the UK to achieve two Michelin Stars consecutively for 28 years. He has written several best sellers and appeared on television series including, The Restaurant, Kitchen Secrets and The Very Hungry Frenchman. He is President of the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
www.raymondblanc.com
Raymond Blanc takes on the culinary director role at Eurostar
perceptions of rail catering and Eurostar is the first transport provider to join the Sustainable Restaurant Association. Our new menus focus on sustainable ingredients of a local provenance combining rustic, traditional dishes with a fresh, modern element of surprise.
Have you been able to introduce any of your particular family favourites on the menu? Yes, we do feature mackerel salad and chocolate delice with praline custard.
Eurostar
Eurostar is the high-speed train service linking St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet International, Ashford International, Paris, Brussels, Lille, Calais, Disneyland Resort Paris, Avignon and the French Alps. In 2012, Eurostar became the first transport provider to be awarded a Sustainable Restaurant Association rating.
Eurostar’s Tread Lightly programme was introduced in 2007 to reduce the impact on the environment while trying to encourage people to think differently about travel.
www.eurostar.com
www.onboardhospitality.com 51
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