Top chef praises entrepreneurial opportunities in UK
French cooking legend Raymond Blanc launches film for GREAT campaign.
Raymond Blanc has appeared in a short film praising the opportunities for entrepreneurship in Britain.
The famous foodie, who first came to Britain in the 1970s as a waiter, said he could not have become a chef if he had stayed in France.
“[In the UK] there were far more possibilities, a blank page, on which I could write my vision, and equally I could see there were opportunities for the one who wanted to,” Mr Blanc says in the film, which was launched in Paris on Wednesday evening.
He goes on to describe how living in Britain influenced the way he works and made him a better listener, as well as highlighting the importance of the UK’s multiculturalism.
“What was a true discovery for me was the fact that Great Britain lived in a very integrated, multicultural society,” Mr Blanc says. “That had huge consequences, huge impact on the way I cook, the way I deal with people, and that has enriched me enormously - as a person, as an hotelier and, indeed, as a chef.”
He added: “I think I’m a far better Frenchman for having lived in Great Britain.”
The film is part of the GREAT campaign to maximise the tourism and business opportunities presented by the UK hosting the London 2012 Games.
Further information
- Visit the GREAT Facebook pages
- See the Food is GREAT video
- What we do: GREAT campaign