Gastronomic French Trip

Darren and Rachel, our 2023 Andrew Fairlie Scholarship winners, enjoyed a fantastic 2 day gastronomic trip to France thanks to cooking equipment supplier Grande Cuisine, and were joined by Restaurant Andrew Fairlie Head Chef Stephen McLaughlin.

Steve Hobbs, Managing Director of Grande Cuisine said:  “It’s great being involved with the Andrew Fairlie Scholarship – Andrew was a great supporter of ours in the early days and it’s wonderful to be able to give something back to the next generation.  There is some incredible talent out there, which is reflected in the achievement of both Rachel and Darren.  

“We started the Grande Cuisine Academy to give back to the hospitality industry by supporting lecturers, chefs and students with free online resources that they could access whether they were at college, at home or even in the kitchen.  We want to motivate young chefs to be the best they can be, encourage them to keep learning and enjoy working in this great industry.  This educational trip to France is an inspirational opportunity for chefs to experience some of the best food and learn from some top class suppliers.”

The group was a mix of established and also young chefs who had won various different Scholarships or competitions.  Rachel said:  “The group were inspiring!  So much talent and knowledge, and everyone was happy to share their experiences.”  Darren added:  “They were such a passionate, professional and enthusiastic group. It was filled with people who will be the future of the restaurant business and people to keep an eye on as I feel they will go on to do very special things and have great careers.”

We asked Rachel and Darren all about their trip.

How was the experience? 

Rachel:  My experience was inspiring, and delicious! It was so good getting to meet people at all different stages in their careers and to talk to them about their experience in the industry and how they had got to where they were. I got home hungry for more - from my career not for food!

Darren:  The experience was a really special one, we got to do and see things that very few get to and also to be involved with such a talented, passionate group of chefs was unique.  We had a packed couple of days in both Lyon and Grenoble where we really got to learn about the core of French cuisine, not just in the traditional way most chefs expect or think they understand it, but really the heartbeat and birth place of ingredient focused gastronomy. 

What did you get to do? 

Darren:  There were tours and private dining in Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse where we saw and sampled artisan products made in traditional style, cable car trips up the Chartreuse Mountain range to a restaurant with the most stunning views of Grenoble and the Alps, and an in depth look and factory tour at Athanor who make the best bespoke ranges available!

Rachel:  Visiting Les Halle was amazing, getting to see all the produce, followed by the tasting. Getting the opportunity to try things I maybe hadn't before. For example I had never had oysters that fresh before. And quite possibly some of the best cheese I have ever tasted. I always do research before I go anywhere and I had an idea of dishes I wanted to try, I knew Lyon was well known for their pink pralines, and a dish called quenelle - both of which I managed to try at the market.

Darren:   We also had a visit to Brasserie Georges, one the best traditional Brasseries in the region. We were fed a lot of amazing food and wine and the hospitality shown by Grande Cuisine and Athanor was second to none, I think I came home with 50% of my body weight made up by Foie Gras!

Rachel:  Seeing Sandrine's Chocolatier set up was so good - and smelt amazing. We all brought home so many goodies from there. And I will be forever jealous of her set up.  The tour of the Athanor factory was really interesting. We got tours of the kitchens in both restaurants we ate at. Both of which had an Athanor stove in it. It was really good getting to see the product from start to finish so to speak. From just a load of parts to if fully functioning and in use.

What was the highlight? 

Rachel:  All the food! All the food chat, how passionate everyone is about good food. We got to try so much different food, and everyone shared. If there was someone with something different the opportunity was there to do a little trade.

Darren:  For me the highlight was eating at Chez le Per Gras in the Chartreuse mountain range. The views from the restaurant looked over Grenoble and to the Alps which was stunning and the food was equally good!  We got a cable car up in the evening but I loved it so much that the next morning at 5.30am I got up and hiked back up the mountain to take it in again. A very special moment. 

What was the most interesting thing for you?

Rachel:  The whole thing was interesting. But the market was really fascinating. So much fresh, high quality food under one roof. It was like a chef’s candy shop. I could spend days in there walking around trying everything from fresh fish to pate en croute and all the pastries. 

Darren:  I found the tour of the Athanor factory the most interesting.  Before I decided to become a chef I studied architecture so I have a keen interest in design and obviously kitchen design. The level of detail they go to not only in their stove making but also in the way they look at kitchen design was unreal!  To have the opportunity to look inside the design process of a world class company like that taught me so much.

What was the most useful thing?

Rachel:  The relationships built in those few days I think are going to be the most useful thing.  From Steve at Grande Cuisine to the grad award winners that were on the trip too. 

I have learned so much about the industry from just getting to know them all. It has given me a sense of clarity as to what I want from my career. 

Darren:  As I said earlier the kitchen design aspect from Athanor was tangibly incredibly useful for me. There are practical elements I will be able to take from that and directly use in my teaching or in the kitchen, but something less obvious and harder to summarise in words was the chance to be fully immersed in French Gastronomy.  Everyone knows how much France means to the culinary world and how important it is to everyday cooking, so to have an opportunity to spend time there, see inside the kitchens, taste the food and talk to chefs has levelled up my understanding of cookery in so many ways.

Anything unexpected?

Rachel:  Honestly how kind everyone was. I was really nervous before going. But once I met up with everyone at the airport I knew it was going to be the best few days!

Darren:  To be served Scottish Oysters in Lyon! Well, technically…. The oysters we were given in Les Halles de Lyon started their life off in Scotland and over time migrated their way down to the coastlines of France. Honestly the best oysters I have ever eaten. 

Huge thanks to Grande Cuisine for taking both our Andrew Fairlie Scholarship winners on this trip, sounds like it was tres bien!