This month’s Featured Chef…
Benoit Blin
Executive Pastry Chef, Le Manoir Aux Quat Saisons
The Staff Canteen Chefs Web site is delighted to feature one of Europe’s leading Pastry Chefs, Benoit Blin. Benoit, Executive Pastry Chef at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons in Oxfordshire. Now in his fourteenth year at the iconic 2-Michelin star, 5-AA rosette luxury Oxfordshire hotel, he heads a team of 13-chefs and bakers across this busy and diverse section.
Awarded the MOGB in 2005 and having worked in Frances leading operations including the Ritz Paris with a host of MOF recognised Chefs. Benoit kindly shares his career tips experience and guidance with us in the Staff Canteen
Benoit, first of all, thank you very, very much for agreeing to do this interview today, it’s a privilege to come here to Le Manoir. It’s always a fantastic place to come. One of the things we want to look at today is to give young chefs, who are maybe embarking on this career, some inspiration and ideas behind making it to a level that you’re at today; one of the most recognised pastry chefs in the world. So tell us a bit about your beginning Benoit. Where did it all start for you? Did you always want to be a chef? Did you always want to be a pastry chef? Was it something you stumbled upon? How did your career begin?
It started very young – very early age. To be honest, it started when I was at school – I must have been 8 or 9 years old – and I had to write an essay about a profession of some kind, and I kind of set my eyes on being a chef. Not a pastry chef, but a chef, I wrote my essay, and that must have been my best ever scoring note for that year and it kind of motivated me. Then the next important stage for me, was when I decided to become a pastry chef, there were two events. I think I must have been about 10 or 11 years old, I knew I wanted to be a chef…
