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Raymond Blanc is acknowledged as one of the finest chefs in the world. Completely self-taught, his influence on gastronomy has been so great that he is the only chef to have been honoured with both an OBE from Britain and the equivalent of a knighthood from France. His beautiful hotel restaurant, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, has retained two Michelin stars for over 30 years and has been voted the UK's No 1 hotel and Food Hotel of the Year by the Hotelier Awards. Raymond has written more than ten books and presented many television shows. He is also Culinary Director for Eurostar Business Premier, Chef Director of the Arsenal Diamond Club and Brand Ambassador to Kenwood for their kitchen appliances in the UK and Asia. Raymond is renowned for his passion for seasonal, sustainable and organic produce. When sourcing food for Le Manoir, he makes sure to know everything about its provenance. With his gardeners, he has cultivated herb beds, a two-acre vegetable garden, a mushroom valley and heritage orchard. Raymond champions an ethical approach to cooking with sourcing and seasonality at the heart of it. He is involved in many movements and is honorary President of The Sustainable Restaurant Association and Vice President of Garden Organic.
Blanc's enthusiasm fills this story with not only of what we have nearly lost in Britain and France, but what we could regain. * Love England * A true delight * The Caterer * Must read! French chef Raymond Blanc has written a new book dedicated to the impressive orchard he has planted in the grounds of his hotel-restaurant in Oxfordshire, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, which is full of trees producing ancient and forgotten varieties of British and French fruit. * Living France * Raymond Blanc has spent the past seven years creating a 2,500-tree orchard at his Oxfordshire restaurant, Le Manoir. Here, he describes the experience with passion, introducing us to many 'forgotten' varieties, and revealing how best to use them in the kitchen. * The Week - Nine of the best food books from 2019 * The Lost Orchard is a paean to the orchard behind the chef's restaurant in Oxfordshire. Each variety is described in terms of growing and cooking; the very names are evocative. The last chapter provides excellent fruit recipes. * Evening Standard - Best Cookbooks of 2019 * This is a reference book that you can turn to if you want to know anything about apples. It will fly off the shelves for hundreds of years. * Tim Hayward * Raymond celebrates the gentler pleasure of home. He chronicles the 2,500-tree orchard he has planted in the grounds of his Oxfordshire hotel-restaurant, Le Manoir. He salutes the orchard's ancient and forgotten varities . . . along with tempting recipes . . . * Waitrose Weekend * More than a cookbook, this is a love letter to the English orchard, [Raymond Blanc] writes tenderly about the hundreds of varieties he has planted in his orchard at Le Manoir, each as precious to him as a much-loved child. * Sunday Times - Best Food and Drink Books 2019 * A beautifully presented recipe guide that doubles as a nostalgic paean to the heritage and provenance of forgotten varieties of British fruit, Blanc's latest volume is much, much more than just a cookbook. Adorned with evocative black and white drawings and a treasury of anecdote, The Lost Orchard is a sumptuous feast for the senses. * Waterstones * Beautifully written by our favourite French chef, these recipes are inspired by Raymond Blanc's love of the British orchard. It's a love affair with apples and a bit of history, too. * Closer * Blanc set about the most thorough apple-tasting and cooking project I have heard of . . . [The Lost Orchard] condenses the highlights, his love letters to the forgotten apple breeds. * The Times * Blanc says [apples are] . . . the root of everything. A kind of symbol for Britain to move forward by reconnecting with the past. * The Times * The legendary chef opens the door to a living library of lost varieties of heritage English fruit in a treasury of recipe and reflection. * Waterstones Weekly * Raymond Blanc has created a garden haven at his Le Manoir restaurant in Oxfordshire . . . keenly aware of the perilous state of heritage apples, pears, cherries, medlars and quinces, he was determined to add an orchard of forgotten fruits to his ensemble. This magical book describes his quest and the hard work needed. * Simple Things * The recipes are lovely. . . [The Lost Orchard] is about Blanc's love of orchards and how he established one in England . . . It's also a guide to the varieties of apple, pear, fig, quince and stone fruit he has planted . . . offering tasting notes and history for each. As useful for gardeners as for cooks. -- Diana Henry * The Telegraph - One of their Top 20 cookbooks of the year 2019 *
