Reflecting on A Lifetime of Masterpieces, MichelAngelo supposedly remarked,
“I’m still learning”.
Raymond Blanc sits at the helm of a restaurant that has consistently held 2 Michelin stars for over 37 years. Ask any chef, and they’ll tell you that what Raymond has built within the manor house and walled gardens of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons is a timeless masterpiece. A vision of a truly beautiful and sustainable restaurant brought to life in the rolling hills of Oxfordshire, serving as a living, breathing testament to all of Raymond’s beliefs. A respect for the nobility and purity of ingredients, a painstaking attention to detail, and a heartfelt dedication to creating those surprise and delight moments that guests remember for a lifetime. In his own words, “the good doesn’t excite me, the sublime does”.
As a feat unto its own right, the kind of continual betterment required to maintain 2 Michelin stars for 37 years is astoundingly difficult. Gastronomy is a physically and mentally taxing endeavour. But for us that’s not even the most impressive achievement. Passing through Le Manoir’s kitchens have been 38 chefs who have gone on to attain Michelin stars for themselves. 38.
That’s a breeding ground of world-class talent comparable in the sporting world to that of La Masia, Eden Park, or the NCC of late. An academy for success. Great leaders create more leaders. It’s a simple fact. But how?
"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." John Quincy Adams.
Enter the gates at Le Manoir and you’ll still find a chef who is just as generous with his time, hospitality, and infectious enthusiasm for gastronomy as the day he opened its doors. A certain joie de vivre that translates into genuine human leadership, where time and respect is given to every single individual who puts effort into making Le Manoir a truly memorable experience. But where does that come from? Maybe it’s because Raymond has himself held almost every role in a restaurant at one point. From cleaner, to pot-wash, to waiter, to head chef. He believes that even the seemingly unimportant jobs at a restaurant combine to create the many layers of beauty and theatre that is a complete dining experience. Or maybe it’s just him as a person. Probably both.
So how did the man for all seasons find himself at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons?
The unconventional way. It actually follows the classic greek “Hero’s Journey” arc quite well when we think about it. Hero finds his calling, meets adversity, overcomes challenges, and changes British gastronomy forever. Remember that one?
He tried his hand as a draughtsman first, and then a nurse, before the entrancing ballet of waiters flambéeing Crêpes Suzette at the Michelin starred Le Palais de la Bière finally lured him into the world of restaurants. But alas, the hero found himself exiled across the channel, after his curious nature earned him an acrimonious dismissal and a broken jaw from the head chef at his first job. Arriving in the culinary winter of discontent that was the beige British food scene of the late 70’s, this French waiter - with a bruised ego and no formal culinary training - finally took up his mantle at the stove only after the chef at the pub he was waiting at called in sick. The stars had aligned and the rest, as they say, is history.
And history is what Raymond made.
From his tiny first restaurant in Summertown - Les Quat’Saisons - which earned him his first Michelin stars, to what we now know as Le Manoir Quat’Saisons. A culinary haven of flavour and tranquility, with 11 stunning gardens. A modern classic. Such was his impact on both his native and adopted lands, that he is the only chef to have been honoured with both an honorary OBE and the equivalent of a knighthood from France. And in that fated summer of 2012, when the King of London was bringing home the yellow jersey in Paris, the Lord of Le Manoir was proudly carrying the Olympic torch through Oxfordshire, passed down the line back to our Brad for the opening ceremony. Ah, the beautiful symmetry of it all.
There’s something about taking the unconventional route to the top that we love here at LeBlanq. Sometimes the incline’s a little steeper, and it winds a little longer from home, but in the end, those extra miles are what you remember. There’s no such thing as going the “wrong” way in our mind, as long as you keep moving. Because the journey is the thing we love the most. Like Raymond, sometimes taking a different route takes you exactly where you wanted to go. You just didn’t know it yet.
by Jack Cliffe