Table Talk: Raymond Blanc

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The Spectator

News Commentary, News, Daily News, Society & Culture

4.4 • 785 Ratings

🗓️ 16 September 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In a bumper episode, the legend that is Raymond Blanc joins Olivia Potts and Lara Prendergast. The self-taught chef heads up the double Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, has trained chefs from Heston Blumenthal to Marco Pierre White, and received an honorary OBE in 2008. His new book Simply Raymond Kitchen Garden is out now.

The chef tells Liv and Lara about his earliest memories of food – from eating worms to easter eggs, how his love of food is connected to the garden and why he owes his existence to General de Gaulle. He explains how he ended up becoming ‘exiled’ to Great Britain, how he fell in love with Le Manoir and why he would have to choose an English chef to cook his dream meal. Plus: Lara’s daughter makes a guest appearance.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Amazon brings the UEFA Champions League.
0:03.0	Unbelievable.
0:05.0	With Tuesday's unmissable match.
0:08.0	Enchantingly wonderful.
0:10.0	World-class players.
0:14.0	Zeller!
0:16.0	What a strike!
0:18.0	Incredible drama.
0:19.0	And Harlan!
0:23.1	History in the making.
0:24.6	Rice would take two!
0:27.2	The UEFA Champions League.
0:29.7	It's on Prime.
0:39.4	Hello and welcome to Table Talk, the Spectators' Food and Drink Podcast.
0:41.2	I'm Olivia Potts.
0:42.8	And I'm Laura Pendergast.
0:46.0	And today we are delighted to be joined by Raymond Blanc.
0:49.2	Raymond Blanc OBE needs no introduction.
0:53.2	Chef Patron of the two Michelin-starred Le Cates-Azon in Oxfordshire and the author of a clutch of cookery books, his influence on British cookery and restaurants is profound.
0:59.9	His latest book, Simply Raymond Kitchen Garden, is out now.
1:04.7	Raymond, welcome to Table Talk.
1:07.1	Thank you very much, Olivia, for the lovely welcome.
	...

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