A Taste of My Life

Born in Besançon, France, Raymond Blanc is acknowledged as one of the finest chefs in the world. He arrived in England in 1972, and in 1984 opened the hotel and restaurant, Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons near Oxford. In 1991 he established the Raymond Blanc Cookery School, welcoming both enthusiastic amateurs and professional cooks.

The culinary autobiography of Britain’s best-loved chef.

Raymond Blanc knows more about food and cooking than pretty much anyone else. His cooking has been described as an extraordinary process of creativity, subtlety, indeed genius. His life and career to date have been utterly dedicated to the search for culinary perfection. Such is his reputation that his restaurant near Oxford, Le Manoir, was awarded two Michelin stars even before it opened in 1984. Le Manoir has maintained extraordinary levels of excellence for over two decades and remains a premier restaurant destination. He has taught many of Britain’s most successful chefs, including Marco Pierre White and Heston Blumenthal.

Now, for the first time, Raymond is going to share the fruits of all that hard work and experimentation, and reveal the secrets of his gastronomy. Woven around stories from his years at the sharp end of the food business are his thoughts about where food is going and a passionate appeal for sustainable cuisine. Essential reading for anyone with an interest in food and cooking, this is the definitive book on the cooking arts by a culinary genius.