The London Olympics is literally just around the corner, and the Olympic Flame is still burning strong.
On the 10th July at 10:30 am, Raymond Blanc, OBE carried the Olympic Flame through Wallingford, Oxford.
Monsieur Blanc is one of the country's most respected chef's. He is entirely self-taught and took inspiration from his mothers cooking. He started out as a waiter and came to Britain with virtually nothing.
In 1977 he and his wife put together their meagre savings and mortgaged their house to buy their first restaurant in Oxford, which won the Egon Ronay Restaurant of the Year award and Michelin stars.
His hotel and restaurant in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, is the only country house in the UK to have achieved two Michelin stars for a total of 28 years. Raymond has championed and nurtured some of our most famous chefs personally in his kitchens and was voted the AA's Chefs Chef of the year by his peers in 2005.
In 2007 he was awared the OBE for services in promoting culinary excellence and for raising awareness of the importance of healthy food as a central element of family life.
Raymond Blanc commented: "This is a huge honour for me and I'm thrilled to be part of this historic time - which shows Great Britain at its very best."
For further information about Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, please visit http://www.manoir.com/
