Getting back to France
Catching up after a busy time + Budget travel tips + Book news + When Chef Keller came to town + A jaunt around Finistère.
Life has been a bit of whirl lately, as my other job on The Roux Scholarship has taken every minute of my time. This year is the 40th anniversary of the competition and we were joined by one of the world’s most respected chefs Thomas Keller as Honorary President of Judges (more news below). At the same time, I have been desperately missing France though, as I haven’t yet had a chance to visit this year, which - after the last two years of frantic book research - feels very strange.
Anyway, before things got really busy, I was delighted to write some articles for The Guardian’s France special in late March. It was such a joy to be able to write about both my favourite food-related moments, and my favourite discoveries. Though I feel I didn’t manage to squeeze enough Brittany into those articles, so I’ve included a story below. I also enjoyed writing a short piece about Centuri in Corsica. And on the subject of Corsica, I have a piece about its best food discoveries in this month’s Delicious magazine. In The Times, meanwhile, it was fun to write 25 suggestions for mini-breaks for spring.
Thanks for your patience for this long overdue newsletter, I paused paid subscriptions during this time, and hopefully now I can write more often. I’m looking forward to getting to Paris in early May, the Basque Country in late May and the Olympics in August (still need to book our accommodation, nothing like procrastination for an extra adrenalin rush!).
My book is coming very soon!
I had a very exciting delivery this week - finished copies of my book Amuse Bouche: How to Eat Your Way Around France. It is strange to feel the real thing in my hands after so long and it looks beautiful - the team at Profile Books have done such a brilliant job of editing and designing it. I love the illustrations on the cover, end papers and incidental drawings (and maps) from illustrator Lucia Calfapietra and I love the typefaces and fonts. A few of my favourite writers and chefs have generously given their time to read it and have sent some lovely endorsements.
As I may have mentioned, it helps authors enormously to get as many pre-orders before publication because retailers base their subsequent orders on early sales (and it helps you get into the best-seller lists), so if you fancy buying it then please do think about ordering it now and it’ll pop through your door the day it comes out - 6th June!
Budget tips
A couple of people have asked me lately what I would recommend for a budget family trip to France for those coming from the UK. Depending on where you are in the UK, crossing the Channel via Dover to Calais is usually the cheapest way, because you can pick up quite cheap ferry crossings on the new Irish Ferries route, or others via such sites as Discoverferries.com. The off-peak Eurotunnel service can also be quite reasonable if you time it right. On Brittany Ferries, you can get a cheaper deal by booking hotel accommodation at the same time as you book the ferry, and by going during the day to save the need and cost of an overnight cabin.
When it comes to accommodation, camping is cheapest, but it needn’t mean nights under canvas - you can book a mobile home or chalet on most sites. Take a look at
les-castels.com or flowercampings.com, or look at municipal campsites which are even cheaper, though the facilities might not be as varied.
If you fancy a mountain holiday, then the sheer volume of accommodation in the Alps and Pyrenees makes these destinations particularly good value in the summer. Take a look at Pierre & Vacances and Lagrange apartments. You can also get some reasonable self-catering accommodation by booking a gîte direct with owners, or via Gîtes de France which has a network across the country.
This article I wrote for The Guardian is now seven years old, but it still has relevant advice.
The Roux Scholarship 2024
There have been times lately when I have really had to pinch myself to believe what’s happening, and the day of The Roux Scholarship final 2024, I may as well have had bruised arms from all the pinching. The final cook-off of the competition saw the six finalists - some of the most talented young chefs in the UK - take their stations in the brand new Alain Roux Culinary School at The Waterside Inn in Bray. This brand new, amazing culinary centre is set in the former home of Michel Roux OBE; there is also a library dedicated to showcasing all his books in what was his own living room. To start, though, the finalists had breakfast and their first briefing in the dining room of The Waterside Inn, which I think is one of the most enchanting restaurants in the world. The gently flowing River Thames out of the window helped steady their nerves!
Another highlight was to be joined by Chef Thomas Keller, one of the world’s most respected chefs and who holds three Michelin stars at Per Se in New York, and The French Laundry in the Napa Valley in California. The briefing he gave the finalists (before they were asked to write their recipes for poached Rainbow Trout and Carlingford oysters) was so moving and included the encouraging words: “We cook to nurture people, to make people happy. I want you to take that thought into your preparation today. You are cooking to nurture us and to make us happy.”
The award ceremony and dinner at Coworth Park that evening (you can watch the Livestream here, scroll through to 30 minutes in) was extra special as well. Chef Keller opened the gold envelope announced the winner as Karol Ploch, a very talented chef who works at Kerridge’s Bar and Grill in London. He is absolutely ecstatic at having been named the 40th Roux Scholar and it has been a pleasure to get to know him through the competition.
The Executive Chef at Coworth Park is Adam Smith (viewers of the recent series of Great British Menu will know him for his fish course in the final) and he won The Roux Scholarship in 2012. He and two fellow Roux Scholars, Steve Drake and Kenneth Culhane, prepared an incredible meal. All in all, it was an amazing day and I’m so proud to have had a central role in making it all happen.
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