Recently in Raymond Blanc Category

Gordon Ramsay's latest restaurant, Bread Street Kitchen, is the kind of place only its mother could really love, according to Jay Rayner.

The Observer's food critic says that while the restaurant at the One New Change development in the City of London may be big, brash and bold, the penthouse pricing, dysfunctional service and pedestrian cooking are a letdown.

Meanwhile Giles Coren, writing in the Times, says Lussmann's Fish & Grill in St Alban is everything a modern restaurant should be, serving great food and having a serious commitment to sustainability.

The interior but definitely not the food at Busaba Eathai in Bicester Village, Oxfordshire, dazzles Zoe Williams of the Sunday Telegraph, who says the Thai menu simply isn't good enough. 

The Sunday Times' AA Gill leaves Hedone in Chiswick with a rounded sense of satisfaction and replete wellbeing, scoring Mikael Jonsson's cooking a perfect five, while the Independent's John Walsh utterly, utterly, utterly, utterly loves the old-fashioned virtue of Rules in London.

Fay Maschler of the London Evening Standard doesn't enjoy her lunch at Assemblage in Shoreditch but applauds James Knight-Pacheco, a former TV star from the Restaurant with Raymond Blanc, for opening up on his own.

Finally, Time Out's Guy Dimond enjoys the tapas at Copita in Soho, the second outlet from the team behind Barrica, so much, he eats his way through the entire menu.

Brett Graham's two-Michelin-starred restaurant the Ledbury in London has won yet another award after being named the top restaurant in the UK in the Sunday Times Food List.

The award comes after the Ledbury recently topped both the Zagat and Harden's surveys for best food in London and after Graham earlier this year won the prestigious Chef of the Year Catey.

The Sunday Times Food List is based on food quality alone, chosen by 8,000 restaurant goers from across the UK and compiled by Harden's Restaurant Guide in conjunction with Rémy Martin.

Graham commented: "It's a huge honour to top the list, especially as it comes from such a broad base of customers. This is a testament to everyone in the extremely talented and energetic young team here at the Ledbury."

Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, came second in the Food List while last year's winner, Gidleigh Park, placed third. 

Gidleigh Park also won the Rémy Martin X.O. Excellence Award for Best All Round Restaurant, while Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley picked up the Coeur de Cognac Award for Best Dessert, and Heston Blumenthal's Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental received the Rémy Martin V.S.O.P Best Newcomer Award.

Other findings from the Sunday Times Food List, which will publish the top 100 restaurants in Britain in full on Sunday (30 October), include that half of the top 100 restaurants are outside London (up from 40% last year); while Asian restaurants have fallen by half; and there are 31 new entries.

The 20 countries competing in next year's World Pastry Cup have been revealed, with a team representing the UK taking part for the first time in eight years.

The prestigious biennial competition, which is known as La Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, will take place in Lyon on 23 and 24 January. It will see 20 countries from around the world compete for the title, each comprising a pastry chef, a chocolate specialist and an ice cream maker.

Each team will have 10 hours to prepare and present a buffet which must include three chocolate desserts; three frozen fruit desserts; an ice sculpture; a chocolate sculpture; a sculpture made from drawn sugar and a dessert on a plate.

Benoit Blin, executive pastry chef at Raymond Blanc's two-Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Oxfordshire, has been selected as the president of the British team. He will be joined by Javier Mercado and Chris Loder, pastry lecturers at Westminster Kingsway College, and Johannes Bonin, pastry chef at the Connaught Hotel.

It is the first time that a UK team is taking part in the World Pastry Cup since 2003 and only the third time the country is represented since its inception in 1989.

"The 2011 Pastry World Cup in Lyon is an exciting and huge opportunity for the UK hospitality industry to demonstrate that the UK pastry and dessert skill is a force to be reckoned with," said Blin.

"The UK pastry team must and will inspire a new generation of young chefs in the country, so let's give them all our support during their preparations."

The 20 competing countries are:

Belgium
South Korea
United States
Italy
Japan
Netherlands 
Spain 
Russia
United Kingdom
Tunisia
Morocco
Singapore
Taiwan
Malaysia
China 
Mexico
Brazil
Argentine
Colombia
Uruguay

Celebrity chefs continue to dominate the UK's dining scene, according to the latest edition of The Good Food Guide, which lists Heston Blumenthal, Gordon Ramsay and Raymond Blanc's restaurants as the top three in the country.

The Good Food Guide, which this year celebrates its 60th anniversary, has named Blumenthal's three-Michelin-starred Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, the top UK restaurant for the third year running awarding it the top score of 10/10.

Ramsay's three-Michelin-starred flagship restaurant in London came in second place scoring 9/10, with Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Oxfordshire in third place with a score of 8/10.

The remainder of the Top 10 UK restaurants is dominated by establishments outside of the capital including Simon Rogan's L'Enclume in Cartmel, Cumbria; Restaurant Nathan Outlaw in Rock, Cornwall; and Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham.

"Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay continue to delight us with their stuff of genius, world class style and truly memorable dining experiences," comments Elizabeth Carter, consultant editor at The Good Food Guide.

"But we've seen significant changes in the UK restaurant scene over the last year.  A crop of talent has sprung up all over the country, pushing London restaurants out of the top spots with their culinary delights."

The Good Food Guide 2011 will be published on 8 September priced £16.99.

UPDATE: The Good Food Guide today released its Top 10 restaurants but industry blogger Chef Hermes got his hands on the list of all 60 restaurants. See list below.

The Good Food Guide 2011 Top 60 restaurants (thanks to Chef Hermes):
1. The Fat Duck, Bray, Berkshire (10)
2. Gordon Ramsay, Royal Hospital Road, London (9)
3. Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons,Great Milton, Oxfordshire (8)
4. L'Enclume, Cartmel, Cumbria (8)
5. Restaurant Nathan Outlaw,Rock, Cornwall (8)
6. Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (8)
7. Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley, London (8)
8. Le Champignon Sauvage, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (8)
9. Pied-à-Terre, London (8)
10. The Square, London (8)
11. Hibiscus, London (8)
12. Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, London (8)
13. Adam Simmonds at Danesfield House, Marlow, Buckinghamshire (8)
14. Whatley Manor, Easton Grey, Wiltshire (8)
15. Le Gavroche, London (8)
16. Tom Aikens, London (8)
17. Restaurant Martin Wishart, Edinburgh, Scotland (8)
18. The Waterside Inn, Bray,Berkshire (7)
19. Bohemia, St Helier, Jersey (7)
20. Fraiche, Oxton, Merseyside (7)
21. L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, London (7)
22. Murano, London (7)
23. Anthony's Restaurant, Leeds, Yorkshire (7)
24. Fischer's Baslow Hall, Baslow, Derbyshire (7)
25. Gidleigh Park, Chagford, Devon (7)
26. Robert Thompson at the Hambrough, Ventnor, Isle of Wight (7)
27. Midsummer House, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire (7)
28. Tyddyn Llan, Llandrillo, Wales (7)
29. The Ledbury, London (7)
30. The Crown at Whitebrook, Whitebrook, Wales (7)
31. The Pass, Lower Beeding, West Sussex (7)
32. Mr Underhill's, Ludlow, Shropshire (7)
33. Michael Wignall at the Latymer, Bagshot, Surrey (7)
34. Hambleton Hall, Hambleton, Leicestershire & Rutland (7)
35. Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Scotland (7)
36. Simon Radley at the Chester Grosvenor, Chester, Cheshire (7)
37. The Creel, St Margaret's Hope, Scotland (7)
38. Harry's Place, Great Gonerby, Lincolnshire (7)
39. The Old Vicarage, Ridgeway, Derbyshire (7)
40. The Greenhouse, London (6)
41. The Kitchin, Edinburgh, Scotland (6)
42. Purnell's, Birmingham, West Midlands (6)
43. Artichoke, Amersham, Buckinghamshire (6)
44. The Sportsman, Whitstable, Kent (6)
45. Club Gascon, London (6)
46. Ramsons, Ramsbottom, Greater Manchester (6)
47. The Yorke Arms, Ramsgill, Yorkshire (6)
48. La Bécasse, Ludlow, Shropshire (6)
49. The Hand & Flowers, Marlow, Buckinghamshire (6)
50. Galvin at Windows, London (6)
51. Chez Bruce, London (6)
52. Northcote, Langho, Lancashire (6)
53. Read's, Faversham, Kent (6)
54. The Cellar, Anstruther, Scotland (6)
55. Arbutus, London (6)
56. Zafferano, London (6)
57. The Peat Inn, Peat Inn, Scotland (6)
58. The Capital, London (6)
59. Seven Park Place, London (6)
60. Alimentum, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire (6)

St Patrick's Day clearly doesn't just signify the luck of the Irish and it's been a blessed day for one of our favourite French friends too - Raymond Blanc.

After breaking his leg and ankle in six places following a fall down the stairs at his Oxfordshire home earlier this month, Blanc was forced to have two operations to set the broken bones.

But after more than two weeks, he is finally leaving the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford today.

The chef patron of the two-Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons said while he had been looked after exceptionally well at the hospital, he was thrilled to see the back of it.

 "I'm thrilled to announce that I will be leaving the John Radcliffe today which coincides with the 26th Anniversary of Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons," he said.

"I shall recuperate at Le Manoir as I have to stay off my feet for another 12 weeks. However, this means that I can work with my team - lead by Philip Newman-Hall director general manager and my two brilliant generals - executive chef Gary Jones and chef pattisier Benoit Blin."

Everybody loves Raymond Blanc but his latest tirade has left even one of his biggest fans (moi) slightly bewildered.

To grab a few headlines and promote his latest cookery show, Raymond Blanc's Kitchen Secrets which kicked off on the BBC last night, the French chef has lashed out at the TV industry for sensationalising food.

The two-Michelin-starred chef patron of Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Oxfordshire said he had refused offers to appear on reality TV shows including ITV's Hell's Kitchen and the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing.

"I did a lot of shows in the 1980s, but I chose to stop because TV started sensationalising food," he told the TV Times.

"I don't want to be remembered as a prima ballerina; nor do I want to beat people around the head. That's not cuisine - it's sensationalism!"

Raymond clearly has a point here but has he forgotten his very own TV show The Restaurant which gives people with absolutely no hospitality training or experience the chance to run their own restaurant?

Isn't that just a tiny bit of sensationalism too?

Raymond Blanc's The Restaurant winners JJ and James unpopular choice

Raymond Blanc last night named JJ Goodman and James Hopkins as the winning couple in the third series of The Restaurant.

But while the pair, who ran the Summer House restaurant during the show, were over the moon, the public reaction to their win has been less than kind.

JJ and James, whose restaurant concept is food paired with cocktails, beat Christopher Hackett and Nathan Gooding to the title of The Restaurant. During the series' final both couples were asked to serve a banquet for Lord and Lady Arran and their guests at their stately home in Devonshire.

While Chris's menu went down well with the Arrans' guests, JJ's lack of experience in the kitchen proved a disaster, with his risotto tasting like "wallpaper paste" according to judge Sarah Willingham, and his unset sorbet being turned into a Champagne cocktail.

However, Blanc praised the pair for their consistency. "One of you has got something, something which kept you consistently in the competition," he said announcing they were the winners.

"It is the idea which truly excites you. And even in the final, concept saved you."

The public reaction to JJ and James winning The Restaurant has been anything but supportive, with the Twitter brigade having a real moan about the results.

David Moore, owner of the Michelin-starred Pied à Terre and L'Autre Pied restaurants in London, is looking to expand.

While it's still early days and nothing's been finalised Moore has confirmed he is on the look out for new sites.

"We're looking for opportunities in the current market but it's too early to say more than that," he says.

He has appointed property agents Restaurant Property to assist him in his search.

Earlier this year, Moore backed a new venture in Harrogate, north Yorkshire from Tom van Zeller, a former chef at the two Michelin-starred Pied à Terre.

He has also been the resident front-of-house expert on Raymond Blanc's BBC2 series The Restaurant, which will return to our screens next month.

French chef Eric Chavot is leaving the two-Michelin-starred restaurant at the Capital hotel in London.

The surprise move sees Chavot leave the restaurant in Knightsbridge after more than a decade behind the stove. He will leave on 15 August.

His departure is one of a series of recent staff changes at David Levin's Capital and Levin hotels including general manager Henrik Muehle, who left to join the St James's Hotel and Club in Mayfair last month.
 
The Capital's restaurant manager, Christoph Thuilat, is also leaving to join Muehle and become food and beverage manager at the St James.

Last year, Levin's son Joe left his long-serving role as managing director at the Capital Group.

Chavot said he made the decision to leave the Capital, where he has held two Michelin stars for eight years, to change his life.

"I am leaving after ten years and my departure is amicable," he said.

"I have done everything I can at the Capital and it's been great. But I feel the time has come for me to do something different with my life. I've been doing Michelin cooking for so long and I'm not sure I want to do this anymore.

"I have no idea what I am going to do or where I am going to go. Some people may call me crazy to do this in a recession but you only live once and now is as good a time as any."

Chavot added that after his departure in August he will take time off to go on a culinary tour of England.

"For now I am going to take time off and go see my friends - Sat Bains, Nigel Haworth, Michael Caines, Raymond Blanc and David Everitt-Matthias."

Newspaper reports this week have suggested that the 2009 MasterChef winner, Mat Follas, has been offered a job with Michelin-starred French chef Raymond Blanc. 

However, Follas has now come forward branding the stories as "over-egged".

The 42-year-old from Dorset won the MasterChef title after a gruelling all-male five-day final, which was aired on the BBC last month.

Raymond Blanc, who runs the famous Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Oxfordshire, told the Daily Mail that he followed the show with great interest and was keen to add a chef of "'MasterChef quality" to his brigade.

"Mat is obviously a talented chef who has a flair for preparing good, honest, locally produced food," Blanc said.

"I followed his progress on the show with interest, especially because he has a passion for sourcing and growing his own food wherever possible."

But in an interview with local news website Bridgport News Follas has now said that despite the interest, the reports of a job offer from Blanc had been "over-egged". However, he added that "it would be great to see Raymond and hopefully get a placement".

Follas said his dream is to launch his own restaurant in his hometown of Bridgport and that he is confident that he will be able to raise enough funds to fulfill this dream.