Raymond Blanc

Entirely self-taught while growing up in the Franche-Comte region of eastern France, Raymond Blanc has been a restauranteur since 1977, and has nurtured the talents of scores of the world's finest chefs in his kitchens. The face of the BBC's The Restaurant, in which he puts nine couples through their paces for a chance to become his partner in owning a restaurant, Raymond was recently awarded an OBE in recognition of his efforts to promote culinary excellence. Author of the seminal Foolproof French Cookery and owner of a number of Michelin-starred restaurants, he was also recently awarded a Lifetime Acheivement Award at The Catey Awards - the catering industry's 'Oscars'.