“Delia Smith did a similar thing a few years ago, a back to basic style approach, and she was vilified but times have changed. This is just the right book at the right time.
“I wanted to be more inclusive. Lots of people live on a low budget but there is no reason why recipes shouldn’t include tinned or frozen food. The processes are all so much better now. Before it used to murder the food but now we can use these products and get great results. There is much snobbery around food but I wanted to show you can take a simple can of beans for example and make a beautiful ratatouille. It’s so easy.
“I want to show basic techniques – like roasting, slow cooking, pan frying so people realise if you can cook one dish, you can cook a thousand. Cooking can be so simple but effective.”
Whilst Raymond celebrates all things local and seasonal, he also acknowledges that with different ingredients coming in from all over the world there has never been a more exciting to be a chef.
“For chefs with a creative spirit, new flavours and new ingredients all help to make extraordinary dishes.
“Seasonality is the pillar of all foods, and I still really believe in that, but we have had an invasion of new products for many years, it all started with Christopher Columbus and his discovery of the potato,” he laughs.
“I’ve always loved to dip into the foods of other countries and cultures and that’s how you develop. All of my life, from the moment I left France, I have travelled, and love to experience new flavours, colours and cultures. It has enriched me beyond knowledge.
“Finding new ideas and techniques still excites me but equally I still love those old flavours of home, cheese, sausage and crusty bread. It’s a sentimental journey home.”
When it comes to the business at Le Manoir, it seems Raymond isn’t resting on his laurels either. The Raymond Blanc Cookery School offers inspirational tuition on a wide range of cuisines from half day introductions to longer residential courses.
Now the hotel is to offer something similar for those with green fingers. No visitor could fail to be impressed by the stunning gardens. The first thing Raymond did at Le Manoir was create the vegetable garden, which would provide for his kitchen and his guests. Now there are 11 different gardens and a 2500 strong heritage orchard. Each is inspired by Raymond’s travels, childhood, the books he has read and the wonderful people he has met. Together with his garden team, he has researched the best varieties, sowed the seeds and nurtured the crops. The garden remains an essential part of the extraordinary Le Manoir journey. Here, there is a whole world of art and sculpture, all are the making of a perfectly integrated eco-system and the living magic of Le Manoir.
Now at the new gardening school, guests will be able to learn the secrets of garden gastronomy and take home advice, ideas and inspiration for their own gardens or vegetable plot as well as enjoying a delicious working lunch in the Hartley Botanic Glasshouse. Whether you are a novice or an experienced gardener, you can immerse yourself in a day of discovery in the truly enchanted surroundings and learn about the magic of growing.
Visitors to the RHS Malvern Spring Festival can see Raymond Blanc on Thursday May 5. The show runs from May 5 – 8. For tickets visit
www.rhsmalvern.co.uk
For dining, hotel, cookery or gardening school enquiries at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons visit
www.belmond.com
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CE L EBRIT Y INTERVI EW RAYMOND BLANC OBE
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