Indomitable French chef Raymond Blanc is firmly fixed in the British culinary landscape. Now, the self taught chef is bringing British horticultural institution Kew Gardens to the greater public. Together with Kate Humble, he’s behind the BBC’s _Kew on a Plate_, transforming what was once Queen Victoria’s royal kitchen garden into a sumptuous fruit and vegetable garden. MAIN TEXT: A young Raymond Blanc was famously fired as a waiter at Michelin-starred restaurant _Le Palais de la Bi?re _in his local city of Besan?on for offering the head chef advice on how to improve his dishes. Unperturbed, ambitious Blanc relocated to Oxfordshire, going on to create a culinary monopoly with his prestigious hotel-restaurant Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Manoir_aux_Quat%27_Saisons] in Oxfordshire, his Maison Blanc branches, and his biting celebrity chef status.
Today, after nearly 40 years on the British foodie scene, Blanc sees his approach to vegetable cultivation as distantly un-English. After all, his flagship restaurant, Le Manoir, boasts some 11 gardens. “It’s a bit different in France,” he explains. “In France you have a big [vegetable] garden and a tiny little lawn, but in England it’s exactly the contrary. In England you have a big lawn and a horrible little [vegetable] patch.” “Before we grow any vegetables at Le Manoir we will try maybe six or seven tries at 10 vegetables over several years. Maybe 10 garlics for example. One early, one late. And then we look at flavour.” Blanc’s French father famously gave him a colander and a foraging map for his tenth birthday, and today he insists on buying as locally as possible. “If I was in France I would grow French food, and in Italy I would grow Italian food,” he insists. Now, he’s using his personal experiences to rejuvenate a patch of regal Kew. “Gastronomy is exactly about that, exactly what we’ve done at Kew – creating a garden with as many varieties as possible so we could expand the season, and to also create new tastes and different varieties.” Part of the lure of _Kew on a Plate_ was that, “it fitted so much in with what I’ve done throughout my whole life. I was able to pass on knowledge to young people about provenance, about the quality and freshness of the food, the nutrients, and to connect food with everything. With love. Yes! You understand your soul, the heritage and of your history. And this programme is definitely is in the middle of that. It celebrates seasonality, which has always been my mantra.”
In typical Raymond Blanc fashion, the chef takes joy in his foodie finds. “…Take a potato, the Royal Jersey. What a joy to take it and dig it out in March. What a joy to grow the Duke Of York potato. I discovered a new variety there, which I had no clue. Until I tasted it. And my God! It’s a multi-purpose potato that can do everything. It does the best puree, the best French fries, the best saut?, the best roasting. I couldn’t believe it. So I still discover new things, and that’s an English variety. Very old. Heritage as well…” Blown away by natural produce, Blanc is on a mission to keep our fruit and vegetables as natural as possible. “Give me some local, regional produce,” he sighs. “When I go to a supermarket, I can see Pink Lady and other varieties of apples. Those apples have been designed to fit your taste. You want sugar, they give you sugar. Each apple has been designed to be the perfect shape and form. Perfectly red, not a single blemish. It’s resistant to any known disease. And it’s packed, completely packed, with sugar. I would like to see more British grown vegetables. Especially the apple. I’m at a loss for words…” For Blanc, it all comes down to eating with the seasons. “…Seasonality is all about food that comes close to home. If it’s close to home it has a better texture, better flavour, better nutrients. There are no deficiencies of vitamins. And when you produce a lot of something on your doorstep it halves the price. For God’s sake! It’s a no brainer!”
Kew on a Plate will air on the 16th March on BBC Two
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