Blanc, chef patron of Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, was previously awarded an honorary OBE in 2008 and will become only the second recipient of the Hotelympia award when he receives the accolade.
Albert and Michel Roux were the inaugural recipients of the Hotelympia Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 and Toby Wand, group exhibition director at Fresh Montgomery, who organise the biennial event, said there was no discussion as to who should collect the prize this time around.
“This year’s decision was unanimous given Raymond’s enormous presence within and outside the industry and the impact he has made on the culinary world over many years of business success. His achievements at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons are legendary,” he said.
Raymond Blanc
Blanc started his career as a waiter in England before moving into the kitchen. He opened Les Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire aged just 28 and the bakery and patisserie business he launched with his wife, Maison Blanc, soon followed.
Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons has held two Michelin stars for 28 years and now contains a cookery school within the country house hotel. In 1996, Blanc opened the Le Petit Blanc brasserie in Oxford, several other branches followed and the award-winning brand has been known as Brasserie Blanc since 2006.
Blanc said he was very pleased to receive the accolade: “I am delighted to be receiving this great honour and look forward to joining the industry’s ‘Hall of Fame’. It’s fantastic to be rewarded in this way for what I have achieved to date.”
Blanc will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award before being inducted into the Hotelympia hall of fame on Monday 27 February.
BigHospitality will be reporting direct from the ExCel centre for the whole of Hotelympia 2012. You can read our lowdown of the must-see parts of the event here and you will be able to receive exclusive photos and videos from our coverage through our page on Facebook .
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