Raymond Blanc is known as one of the finest chefs in the world. Born in Besancon, France, Raymond’s passion for cooking was inspired by the local terroir and the formidable Maman Blanc who created seasonal and wholesome family meals made with love.
In 1984, Raymond fulfilled a personal vision when he opened Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Great Milton, Oxfordshire. Today, Belmond Le Manoir is the only UK country house hotel to have retained two Michelin stars for the past 33 years. It is also home to the acclaimed Raymond Blanc Cookery School.
Although entirely self-taught himself, Raymond has championed and nurtured some of the country’s most respected chefs in his kitchens. Thirty-three of these chefs have gone on to win Michelin Stars for themselves, including Marco Pierre White, Michael Caines MBE, Ollie Dabbous and Eric Chavot to name a few.
Raymond is a best-selling author and his BBC television series have included such titles as Kew on a Plate, The Very Hungry Frenchman, Kitchen Secrets and the Restaurant. His latest book ‘Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons: The Story of a Modern Classic’ offers a truly personal tour of the legendary hotel and restaurant through the four seasons.
Raymond was also the founder of Brasserie Blanc, a group of 20 brasseries across England, serving great-quality French cuisine at affordable prices.
An acknowledged champion of sustainability, Raymond is the President of the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA), a not-for-profit organisation leading the industry in becoming more sustainable.
In 2007, Raymond was appointed an OBE by Her Majesty The Queen. In 2013, he was awarded the National Order of the Legion of Honour, the highest French order of merit.
My connection with seafood
Throughout my career I have been on a self-set mission to encourage others to reconnect with their wonderful gastronomic heritage. A very early memory of mine is of catching fish for dinner, in the stream near my childhood home, perhaps this was the start of my devotion to fish. In contrast to that idyllic experience, on arriving in Britain I wanted to taste first hand some British gastronomy and so I ordered fish fingers which arrived in about 40 seconds and was one of the worst things I have ever eaten!
Seafood is wonderfully varied and so important to me as a chef but over-exploitation and wasteful practices make me angry and I have been campaigning against overfishing for years. My mission is to fight against intensive harvesting of the seas, the damage, the extraordinary mindless voracious appetite of fishing everything, so you have nets dragging, killing every single life from the sea floor.
I strongly believe that the restaurant industry must be at the forefront of change to ensure that what we buy comes from sustainable sources. Our industry is the largest consumer of fish in this country. 50% of the fish eaten in the UK is eaten in our restaurants. That, if nothing else, should remind us of our responsibility.
Why sustainability is important to me
Each aspect of Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons is driven by ethical, environmental, seasonal and regional values, whenever possible. I believe good nutrition and good food can only start from wholesome ingredients. What may not have been achievable yesterday is often achievable today. We work in partnership with farmers, fishmongers and food producers exchanging knowledge. The possibilities are enormous; at last we can find some good-quality produce on our doorstep. All the produce that we use at Belmond Le Manoir is either organic, free-range or ‘artisanally’ produced.
Belmond Le Manoir was among the first restaurants to insist on sustainably sourced fish. We aim for all our suppliers to be accountable and responsible. We do not utilise fish during their spawning season, we ensure we know the minimum size for all species we use and use fish caught by sustainable, ethical methods for each species (i.e. line caught, hand dived, etc). When sustainable fisheries are unavailable, we will use fish from the best quality, organically farmed fisheries.
I know our hospitality industry can make a difference, contribute to the sustainability debate, and influence both the consumers and the government: I am an Ambassador for Sustainable Fish Cities which persuaded the organisers of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to serve only sustainable fish. They honoured their promise. Every piece of wild caught fish served at the glorious event was either Marine Conservation Society (MCS) green rated or certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). This was the largest peace-time catering operation in the world. This was also the first games ever to display eco-labels, with Fairtrade and MSC logos, to over 5 million competitors and visitors who enjoyed the food.
For more recipes by Raymond Blanc please visit his website.
http://www.raymondblanc.com
