The Weekender Interview: Anne-Sophie Pic
What image do you currently have on your phone’s wallpaper?
My son is currently my phone background.
What was your first job?
I worked at Moet Hennessy and discovered the amazing world of Champagne.
Gordon or Marco?
Both!
What was the last film you saw in the cinema?
I haven’t been to the cinema in so long – I think the last film I saw was probably on an airplane.
What is your guiltiest food pleasure?
Chocolate… I particularly love Valrhona.
Where are you going on your next holiday?
Los Angeles.
What industry figure do you most admire (and why)?
Paul Bocuse because he was the first chef to get outside of his kitchen and he was a great inspiration.
If you weren’t in restaurants, what would you do?
I’d like to be involved in fashion.
Biggest regret?
I don’t have any regrets – I always try to follow my heart and my intuition.
Pet hate?
Never being able to find my glasses!
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
Will you marry me?
Marmite: love it or hate it?
Love it. It was something we used to cook with at home all the time.
Describe your cooking style in three words
Powerful, forward-thinking, flavour combinations.
What country do you next want to visit?
I would love to go back to Japan, it was the most amazing place I’ve ever been.
Most overrated food?
I think every food has its place.
Restaurant czar for a day – what would you implement?
A tasting session with all of our favourite suppliers to find new products.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
I can be very critical of myself.
What made you want to become a chef?
I think it was in my DNA, even though it took me more than 20 years to realise.
What do you cook at home on your days off?
Very simple dishes such as omelettes.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
To believe in your dream, to follow your own path and to be curious.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
I couldn’t live without kitchen pincers.
iPhone or Android?
Definitely iPhone.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
‘Experience can’t be taught, you need to live it’– my father used to tell me this.
What’s your earliest memory?
When I was very young I remember overhearing customers in the gardens of the restaurant laughing – I always thought that my parents job made people happy.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
To the countryside and out of the city smoke for a proper relaxation.
Twitter or Instagram?
Instagram
Tipple of choice?
Tea. I particularly love green tea and matcha.
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
I always think the right question should be with whom would I choose to eat my last meal with - as long as I was with my family, I wouldn’t mind.
