Albert Jané is a passionate winemaker who is considered to be one of the pioneers of the D.O. Montsant region, in Spain. Coming from a winemaking family in the heart of Penedes, Albert had full confidence in the Do Montsant regionI had the pleasure of meeting him recently at a wine tasting event organised by La Buena Vida. The name of the winery ‘Acustic’ reflects not only the style of wine but also Albert’s philosophy of winemaking. He told Food and Wine Gazette that he likes to make great wines from exceptional vineyards. “It is the grapes and the weather conditions which express the history and reflection of a region and not the winemaker. I firmly believe that wine is made in the vineyard not by the winemaker,” he tells me. “Wine is pleasure, emotion and passion,” he tells me. “When you take a good bottle of wine and listen to what it tells you, it gives you a similar feeling to music. That is why I have used ‘acustic’ for the winery. “I like to think of my wines as being … [Read more...]
Stéphane Diffels: The hard route to finding one’s passion
It is often, these days, that we hear of people who quit their jobs to follow their passion. Then there are those who are restless because they are not sure what they want to do. They may be sitting in their jobs but they know this is not what they want to do. When they finally find what they really like and what they really want, they beat all the hurdles in their way and race ahead trying to gain lost time. The same can be said for Stéphane Diffels of L’Air de Rien. How do you spot the difference between a chef who has taken a more traditional route and one who has discovered the vocation for cooking at a much later stage? The signs are all in the cooking and in the way the chef speaks about food. Cooking in many ways can be technically flawless, but if there is no passion and if it is treated like any other job, it can be spotted from a mile away. In many ways, the difference between a memorable meal and a great meal could be boiled down to the passion of the chef in … [Read more...]
Rafael Palacios: Making magnificent white wines in Galicia, Spain
Rafael Palacios does not need any introduction among Spanish wine lovers. Considered to be among the best white wine makers in the whole of Spain, if not the best, he began his new wine project in Valdeorras in 2004 using the Godello grape which is an indigenous white grape variety of the Valdeorras region of Galicia. The Godello grape is a stunning variety that has been rescued and is now attracting a lot of attention. Rafael Palacios recognised the grapes' potential has been making wines which are the perfect expression of the quality of this grape variety. I met Rafael last weekend at a wine tasting organised by Belgian importer La Buena Vida and asked him what it means to be the 'best' white winemaker in Spain. "That's a very big statement," he tells me. "I am very happy to work with the Godello grape and I am extremely happy and proud that I have found my passion. That is important and that motivates me to continue to work to make better wines." Rafael is the youngest … [Read more...]
Interview with Gert de Mangeleer (Hertog Jan): Easy looking dishes but it only looks easy
When we visited Hertog Jan in Zedelgem a few weeks ago to interview Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens, we asked the three Michelin star Belgian chef our series of quick questions which we normally ask to get some insights into his mentors, the chefs he admires, food waste and social media among others. Gert de Mangeleer, 37, was the youngest 3 Michelin star chef in Belgium when he received the important accolade three years ago. For a more detailed account of his story you may want to read our interview here. You can also get Joachim Boudens, the co-owner of Hertog Jan story here. We started the questions with his perspective on food waste, particularly given the fact that the restaurant has its own garden which generates 95% of the fruit and vegetables that are used in the restaurant. “I consider food waste as a gain to our business. We try to waste the least possible. In a way, it is also why we created L.E.S.S. When we buy a lamb for Hertog Jan, we can use the best … [Read more...]
Sergio Herman on food waste: Chefs need to lead the way
Sergio Herman is an inspirational figure for chefs and foodies alike. His work ethic and determination led him to the top of the culinary world making him one of the most recognised and talented chefs in the world. For his story, you may want to take a look at our more in-depth interview. When we meet chefs we like to ask a series of similar questions to try and get insight into what they look for when they eat out, what they like to eat, their mentors and their view on an issue on which we like to raise awareness - food waste. So we started this set of questions seeking Sergio's view of food waste. "Here at The Jane, we try to waste as little as possible. Trimmings which we don't use are turned into stews, served in the bar or to staff. We try to work with everything, maybe making chips with the trimmings from vegetables." "Sometimes I look around and see all the fish being used in restaurants around the world, I ask where is this all coming from. I worry because I think … [Read more...]
Sergio Herman: Seeing light at the end of the tunnel
When Sergio Herman stunned the culinary world in 2013 by announcing that he would close his famous restaurant Oud Sluis, few people could understand his decision. But, as he told Food and Wine Gazette, once he had achieved all his objectives he no longer felt motivated. "I could have gone on for another five or 10 more years but would it have been fun? For me the answer was no. I also wanted to find balance in life." He still works extremely hard and opening The Jane, a stunning restaurant in an old church in Antwerp with chef Nick Bril was no walk in the park. "It was very hard to set this up. I was here every day before its opening. But now I can say that after nearly a year open, I have more balance and I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel." Sergio is still present in his two restaurants The Jane and Pure C. "I quit Oud Sluis but I did not stop. It's still a hectic life but its completely different. This week for example, I am at The Jane three days, at Pure C on Friday … [Read more...]
Joachim Boudens (Hertog Jan): Time is one of today’s luxuries
Time is one of today's greatest luxuries, Joachim Boudens, co-owner of Hertog Jan, the three-Michelin stared restaurant in Zedelgem (Bruges) tells me as he gives me a tour of the restaurant. He takes me for a walk in the garden of Hertog Jan and although it is winter and therefore bare, you realise that this is really an integral part, if not essential, to the restaurant. "When people have finished lunch we tell our guests to take a walk in the garden. For dinner, some people come to the restaurant and you can see that they are a bit stressed because they have arrived a bit late or were stuck in traffic. You can feel this as soon as they walk into the restaurant. We normally tell them that it is a good idea to go for a walk in the garden. Sometimes they start to worry because they have arrived 30 minutes late. We tell them its fine, just go for a walk. After 10 minutes, they walk back in and look like completely different people. They are ready to relax and enjoy their dinner. One … [Read more...]
Interview with Jack O’Shea: Chophouse essential for nose to tail cooking
There is no question that Jack O'Shea knows what he wants. And he is determined to get it. With the Brussels Jack O'Shea Chophouse finally open, he is now focusing on growing the business to turn it truly global. A long-time proponent of nose to tail cooking and with the intention of wasting nothing, he is now leading by example having opened his first restaurant. "I have always loved cutting and selling meat. But ultimately you never have control of what happens to the meat when it leaves your butcher shop. The ultimate position would be to have your own restaurant and control how the meat is served, to make sure that it is cooked to perfection or as good as it can be," Jack tells me when I met him at the Chophouse in Brussels recently. But the restaurant has also given him the economies of scale he needs to not only follow his philosophy of wasting nothing from the animals but also to grow the business. "What the Chophouse will do is help me to centralise and stabilise my … [Read more...]
Bo Bech: Easier to remember the truth than the lie
Bo Bech, of restaurant Geist, is a bubbly personality who knows exactly what he wants. Having made his name in Copenhagen at Restaurant Paustian, where he was awarded a Michelin star, he decided to set up Geist in 2011 because he did not like the way food was going. When Sang-Hoon Degeimbre, of two Michelin starred Belgian restaurant L'Air du Temps invited him for a four-hands dinner in Liernu he replied immediately without hesitation. Bech is well-known in Denmark for the Danish answer to Kitchen Nightmares. But he is also a chef who leaves a huge impression. Both Sang-Hoon and Olivier from L'Air du Temps tell us how this restaurant has left a really great impression and they highly recommend that we visit if we are in Copenhagen. You can understand why from the cooking style of Bo Bech, but also from his philosophy. While he is making the sauce, which is about to accompany what seems like a simple dish but has incredibly complex flavours (the cauliflower with truffle and a … [Read more...]
Gert de Mangeleer (Hertog Jan): Simplicity is not simple
In the outskirts of the idyllic Belgian city of Bruges in Zedelgem is a culinary genius who became the youngest ever 3 Michelin star chef in Belgium and one of the youngest in history at 34. What made the journey so incredible, however, was not the age at which he reached the top, but rather the speed with which the team at Hertog Jan turned a brasserie first into a Michelin starred restaurant (2006) and then one of only three, 3 Michelin starred restaurants in Belgium (2011). Gert De Mangeleer is now 37. Last week I visited Hertog Jan to meet Gert, to learn the story behind one of Belgium's most successful chefs and a rising star in the culinary world. Hertog Jan only moved to Zedelgem from its old location in July. It was the next step in their philosophy since the farm has been supplying their own restaurant since they bought it in 2010. The 180 year-old barn has been completely renovated and refurbished, now hosting a stunning kitchen which is the beating heart of the new … [Read more...]