Celebrated chef Raymond Blanc is rolling up his sleeves to showcase what he does best at this year's RHS Malvern Spring Festival.
Ahead of his appearance at the popular horticultural show in May 2025, SoGlos sits down for a chat to discover his favourite Gloucestershire produce and hopes for the year ahead, as well as his reflections on his proudest achievements.
What are you most looking forward to in 2025?
The release of my new book in September, titled Raymond Blanc Kitchen Gardens.
It’s a beautiful celebration of seasonal ingredients, grown and cooked by myself and the team at Le Manoir.
What do you love about RHS Malvern Spring Festival?
It truly marks the beginning of spring. One of my most favourite seasons, where the first shoots are poking their little heads through the soil.
Malvern is only just down the road from Le Manoir. I love the vibrant atmosphere and the beautiful garden displays at the festival.
I am most looking forward to exploring the latest horticultural trends and meeting with some fellow gardening enthusiasts, as well as the visitors.
It will by my fifth guest appearance, and I hope it will not be my last!
Will you be popping into Brasserie Blanc in Cheltenham and The King’s Arms in Prestbury to say hello to your teams while you’re in the area?
Probably not this time, but I will do my best as I’m in the neighbourhood.
However, the teams at Cheltenham and Prestbury continue to be busy welcoming guests whether from the local area or from further afield (particularly around race days!) and are busy preparing for the spring menu which launches at the end of March 2025.
As always, their menus will champion the very best of the season's produce. I work closely throughout the year on the seasonal menus with the chefs.
As usual they are busy with charity events, hosting book launches, live music, quizzes and more.
The team in Cheltenham and Prestbury, really are at the heart of their community with something for everyone.
There’s been a lot in the press about the challenges the hospitality industry is facing – what is your experience of the effects of the economy on people eating out and hospitality?
The hospitality industry has been facing difficulties since the run-up to Brexit. And then with the Covid pandemic and the financial crisis, so many restaurants have struggled or indeed had to close their doors.
I am not sure if I have a solution to the economic crisis, but I have been in hospitality for many years and had to overcome many obstacles, and in tough times I believe it's important to keep doing what we do best, and to maintain the highest standards.
It's an approach that has seen us through, but I accept that for many accomplished restaurateurs the realities have been too harsh to overcome.
Is there any particular Gloucestershire produce that you are a big fan of?
Salted Netherend Farm butter on our menu comes from Netherend Farm in Lydney.
We use Severn & Wye Smokery in Westbury-on-Severn for our sliced smoked salmon, smoked trout and hot smoked trout flakes.
And Shipton Mill flour is perfect to prepare our rum baba for brasseries and they are based in Tetbury.
Le Manoir, just over the border in Oxfordshire, is one of your most famous legacies – is it one of your proudest accomplishments?
As soon as I saw the house, I fell in love with it. That was over 40 years ago, and we have created the most wonderful restaurant and hotel for guests during that time.
We have created somewhere special for people to come and celebrate special occasions with their loved ones.
I am surrounded by an incredible team, many of them have been with me here for over 30 years, so have been instrumental in the success of Le Manoir.
This year, we have celebrated our 2 Michelin stars for 41 years, I am so proud of what we have achieved.
I wanted to be able to offer guests more than just a restaurant and hotel here.
I was self-taught, learning so much from my parents; we spent days working in the garden with my father, learning to plant and grow fruit and vegetables, then taking them to my maman who would work her magic in the kitchen for us all.
I wanted to share my own tips and secrets to others, so we started The Raymond Blanc Cookery School at Le Manoir over 30 years ago and we have courses most days for those who are complete novices or enthusiastic cooks.
We have also created the most beautiful gardens and guests love spending time as they wander talking to the garden team.
Within our vegetable garden, we now have The Raymond Blanc Gardening School so guests can come and learn how to plant, grow and nurture. It offers a wonderful experience.
There is something here for so many — be that a half day in the cookery school or dinner and an overnight stay — we never take anything for granted and always want to exceed guests expectations from the moment they arrive and hope they will want to return for the next celebration.
