The Editor's Hospitality Blog

Multi Michelin-starred chef-legend, Alain Ducasse is set to open his first British restaurant at London's Dorchester Hotel later this month.

This interview, recorded for an American TV show as Ducasse prepared to open in New York a few years ago, gives you a glimpse of the man behind the legend (go to -20min 50sec for Ducasse's segment).

Last night, superchef Alain Ducasse, the man with the most Michelin stars in the world, hosted a star-studded dinner at his new restaurant at London's Dorchester Hotel before it opens to the public tonight.

Welcoming us, Monsieur Ducasse promised not to serve frogs' legs, if guests promised not to mention the rugby world cup.

The table plan read like a who's-who of the UK dining scene: Mark Hix, Tom Aikens, Marcus Wareing, Raymond Blanc, Philip Howard, Michel Roux jnr, Gary Rhodes, Giorgio Locatelli, Henri Brosi, John Campbell, Theo Randall, Sir Terence Conran and many others came to meet the great man and sample his food. At the end of the meal, all of them lined up like kids outside a sweetshop, to view the magnificent kitchen Monsieur Ducasse has had put in at the restaurant.

The sight of so many top-drawer chefs in one room prompted the Vineyard's John Campbell to tell me: "if a bomb drops on the Dorchester now, you'll have nothing to write about anymore in the Caterer!" I replied that it would leave UK foodies dining on beans on toast from then on.

Christopher Cowdray wouldn't have been at all pleased to see a bomb land on us. Christopher is the CEO of the Dorchester Collection. As our seared scallops course arrived, Christopher pointed out to me the amoeba-thin shaving of dried tuna that topped the dish, and which moved like a flickering flame in the heat rising off the scallop below. Stunning.

While Michelin has delivered a record number of stars to its British and Irish constituency - a total of 137 starred restaurants - the mood across the country is that the Michelin Guide to Great Britain and Ireland 2009 results give credence to the view that Michelin is biased towards French chefs and French cuisine.

Of the four new two-Michelin-starred restaurants in Britain , only one, Martin Burge at Whatley Manor in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, is British, while the other three restaurants, Claude Bosi's Hibiscus, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester and L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, all in London, are all run by French chefs.

Parlez-vous Francais? Non? Never mind, Caterersearch thinks of everything. We have an exclusive interview with legendary French, multi-Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse and although it's conducted in his mother tongue with our star reporter Gemma Sharkey, we have delivered, for the first time in Caterersearch history, subtitles! 

Discover his thoughts on winning two Michelin stars at London's Dorchester last month, along with his views on the British culinary scene, Bocuse d'Or and our man in Lyon, Simon Hulstone.

And while you're in the Michelin mood, why not check out Kerstin Kühn's interview with guide editor Derek Bulmer in addition to British-based award winners Martin Burge (speaking to Emily Manson), Claude, Bosi, Angela Hartnett and Marcus Eaves.