“This is very surreal” Selma who is sitting next to me says “I mean Marco Pierre White is making us pumpkin soup” she whispers.
We’re in a house in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs and the sparkling waterfront is the backdrop. I walk in and Marco Pierre White is chatting to the others on the couch and is sporting a tea towel wrapped around his head hiding his trademark dark curls. Marco Pierre White really needs no introduction to the foodstruck fooderati among us. He is of course the man that trained Gordon Ramsay (and reportedly made him cry), Heston Blumenthal and Mario Batali in his kitchen. He was the first, youngest chef to have been awarded three Michelin stars at age 33. Now 49 years old, he grew up with an Italian mother and English father in the town of Leeds.
Photo from marcopierrewhite.org
Cooking during the Golden Age of Cooking he was devilishly handsome, smoked like a chimney and has been married three times, once to a model who he separated within weeks or the marriage. He has also been called tyrannical, brilliant and egotistical and famously stopped an interview with journalist Jenny Eden from the Radio Times taking offence at her question “Do you have high standards” saying “You’re the worst journalist I’ve ever met. Go. The interview is over. You are insulting me. I wish you luck with your career with the Radio Times but sometimes northerners should stay in the north.”
So you can see why I was very nervous when the car was running late and I was going to interview him after a cooking demonstration. Would he object to any of my questions? Would he object to me taking photos (I didn’t dare bring a flash just in case). I’ve only interviewed someone once that I thought was so awful to interview that I never published a word that they said. I didn’t want another to add to my list.
We move into the kitchen where there are seats set up for the five of us and we settle in. “How are you?” he says to me as we are sitting down and we quickly chat about when he arrived in Sydney and how he only just got his first night of sleep the other night. He speaks softly and looks us all in the eye and holds our gaze as he speaks. I sneak out my camera and take a cautious shot ready for something to happen. Nothing…he carries on. Relief!
Photo from marcopierrewhite.org
He is the most famous and a long time proponent of Knorr stock powder (Continental here in Australia, NZ and the US)and he is in Sydney for the launch of Continental’s Stock Pot product which is a jellied concentrated stock. Marco explains that he will be demonstrating two recipes for us. He starts to make the first dish, a pumpkin soup, a recipe that he only became familiar with 2 days ago. In England pumpkin is “cattle food” and certainly nothing that you would aspire to have at your table. And in the process of formulating this recipe he discovered that the Japanese pumpkin gives off a lovely amount of pumpkin water which actually tastes like melon water which he will use instead of water in the soup.
The soup is simple and with three ingredients: pumpkin, carrot juice (which he uses to top up the pumpkin water) and the Continental stock pot pod. He proceeds to cook down the pumpkin with a little oil and then add the vivid orange pumpkin and carrot juice. During the demonstration he tells us that the best corn soup is made with tinned corn. Are there many similar short cuts in a commercial kitchen? The answer is an emphatic yes from him. He tells us of how he makes a ketchup vinaigrette at home and how he used to serve diners a kidney dish cooked in a sauce made predominantly from HP sauce yet it didn’t taste like HP sauce.
Within twenty minutes (and he knows everything down to the minute) the soup is done and he asks us if we would like some cream or parmesan cheese with it. “Both!” everyone answers and before long he is ladling us up some soup with some parmesan and freshly ground black pepper. The soup is creamy and rich but not too thick and quite remarkably he tells us that he doesn’t need to season it. His reasoning for preferring to use Knorr and Continental seasonings is that they are more forgiving when it comes to overseasoning.
“Would you like another cup?” he asks and I can’t help it and have a second and a third. I mean really, how often is it that Marco Pierre White makes soup for you?
In a Le Creuset he has had a pot simmering away with some of vegetable stock pot pods as well as some of the asparagus peelings and woody parts. He takes the sieve and then sieves out the moisture by pressing…and pressing and pressing for a good few minutes. We remark at the amount of liquid that seems to be coming out and how we would have given up by then. He tells us that he was trained to use everything and that Albert Roux used to check the bins to see whether they had wasted scraps such as this and if they did, they were in trouble.
“What is carb loading?”
He asks us how much risotto we want to eat and Xanthie mentions that she is carb loading. He puts down the rice and gives her a quizzical look and asks “What is carb loading?” before adding more rice. He points out that the stock pot is also good as the onion has already been added which can help out those who have trouble cutting onions (me!). It’s a straightforward risotto and he adds the stock a ladle at a time which he incorporates slowly into the mix. He asks us how wet we want the risotto and a comparison of “porridge” is offered.
As for the types of restaurants that he himself likes to visit, it’s not the high end fine dining experiences that he is after and he makes particular mention of his dislike of food being served cold. He prefers family run places. He tells us during this that the thing that in common with the best, longest standing restaurants is romance and that restaurants seem to have lose their romance. Now restaurants are about the celebrity chefs rather than the atmosphere and he tells us that the atmosphere is the most important thing.
He quickly cooks the asparagus tips and a short time later the risotto is ready and he scatters the tips over the top and decorates it with the aniseedy herb chervil which he chose because it goes well with asparagus. It’s creamy with perfectly cooked rice and perfectly cooked asparagus. “Most importantly, does it taste like it was made from a bought stock?” and we have to admit that it doesn’t at all.
Before everyone leaves he asks “Does anyone support any children’s charities?” and offers to sign the apron that he used today to auction off for charity and even rubs it against his face upon request. The apple of his eye is his 9 year old daughter Mirabelle who loves to cook with him. He marvels at the fact that she can eat anywhere and yet she chooses to cook with her dad. He talks about his 21 year old daughter Letty who is currently staying in Sydney. In between the class and my interview with him he asks if I mind if he calls Mirabelle with a smitten look on his face as she is just about to go to school.
Marco Pierre White Interview
I hear a tap at the window and Marco beckons me to come outside where he is having a cigarette. He offers me one but I decline. “I’m a former smoker” I explain and he gives me a look. He has taken the tea towel out of his hair and shaken the dark curls out.
Marco Pierre White: Well you’ve got to ask yourself where has that obsession moved to?
NQN: It goes to eating of course.
Marco Pierre White: It’s extraordinary these obsessions. You conquer one but then you move onto another.
NQN: Do you have any obsessions?
Marco Pierre White: I was speaking to my best friend in the world last night. I’ve known him since he was four years old and by pure coincidence he happens to be editing Masterchef in Australia (the television show). And it’s not about what you achieve, it’s actually what you do for your industry and that’s what I think is important. And when people look at me and they see my achievements with the restaurants do you know what I think? I think I did more than that. What I achieved was teaching young men and young women when they were young and inspiring them. The three Michelin stars, that’s irrelevant. And the people that gave me three stars had less knowledge than me.
NQN: Is that part of the reason why you gave back your Michelin stars?
Marco Pierre White: Yes once you grow up and discover yourself as a human being you look at things for what they are. It’s like today what I did to show you so that you can write it in your magazines and it will enrich the lives of families. Two ingredients and some stock pot and look how delicious it was.
NQN: Recently you travelled to Afgahnistan to cook for the soldiers there. Tell me about that.
Marco Pierre White: Yes I went to Afghanistan, Bazrah, Iraq. I’m not pro the war, this is me personally to support the troops. I tend to go every year around Christmas depending on the situation. The last time I went to Kabul and Kabul has got to be the scariest place on earth. A bomb went off 300 metres down the road and we were shot at at Swimming Pool Hill.
NQN: Swimming Pool Hill?
Marco Pierre White: It’s a Russian swimming pool on top of the hill and they never filled it with water because they couldn’t get water up there so they built the pool but they didn’t have any water. The Taliban used to march their prisoners up there and make them jump off the top and if they didn’t jump they shot them. When you experience places like that and you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change. People assumed that because of Michelin I had a passion for food. It wasn’t a passion, it was an obsession, which was unhealthy. Today what I do is a passion.
NQN: So where do you channel your obsession?
Marco Pierre White: Ah my children.
NQN: You’ve got both sons and daughters?
Marco Pierre White: Yes two boys and two girls.
NQN: What do you want them to be like?
Marco Pierre White: I just want them to be happy. And to be good people. Proper people. That’s all.
NQN: You were six when your mum died. That must have been devastating.
Marco Pierre White: She’s my guiding force It took me a long time to understand and overcome the pain as a young man. All of the knowledge from her made me what I am as a man…
His phone rings and it is food critic A.A. Gill who is also in Sydney along with Anthony Bourdain with whom Marco is having dinner tonight.
Photo from marcopierrewhite.org
NQN: What do you think of food critics?
Marco Pierre White: I’ve known Adrian (A.A. Gill) for 20 – 25 years…I don’t really have an opinion of them to be quite honest. I think you’ve got to… it’s all a contribution to what the world has become. There’s a lot of chefs out there who would have never had the recognition or the opportunity if it had not been for the media. So you can’t criticise them, you can’t. And let’s be honest, I’m going to be really honest, it’s one person’s opinion.
NQN: So what do you think of food bloggers?
Marco Pierre White: Again I think they spread the word. They share their knowledge, they share their experiences, they inspire people.
NQN: So you’re not anti food blogger?
Marco Pierre White: No, no why would I be? How can you criticise somebody who wishes to share their passion with the world?
NQN: You’ve had a lot of famous chefs work under you like Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay. When you first saw them did you think that they had potential or something different?
Marco Pierre White: They all had something different and they’ve all gone on to do great things. And Gordon and Heston they became a member of that very elite club. The 3 star club. It’s a very elite group and there are people like Mario Batali who I took out of a bar and put in the kitchen. He was a barman when I met him and I said to Mario ‘Someone who loves food as much as you do should not be behind the bar.’ Out of all the chefs in the world he is my favourite. He cooks the food that I like to eat. He’s a great cook and he knows how to feed people. That’s special.
NQN: And so what would your last meal be? One cooked by him?
Marco Pierre White: It’s not about the food really, it’s about the people that you’re with, the atmosphere. I like hot food. Some of these restaurants are like going to a very posh canape party.
NQN: Do you eat out very often?
Marco Pierre White: In London I’m not seen in public. I don’t go to award ceremonies or gatherings. I just don’t go because I like my privacy. I like being with my family and I like being in their company. I work very hard and I don’t have much time so I just want to be with my family or in the English countryside. I don’t take holidays.
NQN: You have quite a reputation before one meets you. Before I met you I would have thought you’d be quite terrifying but you seem perfectly nice.
Marco Pierre White: A lot of my reputation is a product of exaggeration and ignorance. I came from the old world of gastronomy. Many years ago I walked into the kitchens of the Hotel St George and I feel very fortunate that I worked for chefs that were behind their stoves. I saw that world of gastronomy. I can sit here today and say that I saw the golden age of gastronomy. It’s gone, it’s gone. It’s never going to have that anymore, once the accountants get involved the romance fades. That’s the reality. Look at the city skyline (points at Sydney skyline) …created by accountants. We’re in a world that is run by accountants and I think that it’s sad in many ways.
NQN: Is that why you stopped cooking in the kitchen? (In 1999 he cooked his last meal for a paying customer and became a restaurateur)
Marco Pierre White: The chefs were changing. Chefs were coming into the trade with different ambitions. They wanted to be stars. I’ve never tried to be a celebrity chef, people call me that but I was that young boy that the media chose.
NQN: How did you cope with the attention if you didn’t choose it?
Marco Pierre White: Well… I wasn’t manufactured. I was cut from the cloth of the very old world of gastronomy. There was no such thing as celebrity chefs, chefs were trained and I like to think that I still represent those old values from that world and the opportunities that I am offered I often say no to. I’m not really that interested.
NQN: What offers would interest you?
Marco Pierre White: I like things that are educational and educational. I like things that are inspirational. I think if you’ve been given something in life you have a moral duty to give things back. If you’ve been given opportunities then you have to create opportunities. If you’re given knowledge by people, share your knowledge. If you were born with talent, show your talent off. I like to make a difference. I came from very humble beginnings. Chefs today choose to step onto that treadmill where they have to be seen. Every day they have to go to this party, they have to go to that party. But then you think “Who is doing the cooking?”.
(Paul) Bocuse came up with a line when asked ‘What’s the food like when you’re not in the kitchen?’ and he said ‘The same as when I’m in it.’ The reality is you know when the boss is in there. It is different. You walk into a restaurant when they’re not there and it’s different. The magic isn’t there. Why pay top pounds when the chef is not in the house? I feel cheated. I don’t mind paying big money for food but if I go to Paul Bocuse’s restaurant I want Paul in the house.
NQN: Is that true that Gordon Ramsay stole a reservations book from a restaurant and blamed you for it?
Marco Pierre White: Yeah but that’s Gordon isn’t it. People do peculiar things in life and they do for whatever reason but I think one of the greatest crimes in life is when you lie. And that came out in Gordon’s biography and he also said he played for the Glasgow Rangers but he never did. The reason why I stopped dealing with Gordon is because he brought a camera crew to my wedding. They hid in the bushes…I’ve never argued with him.
NQN: Who do you admire?
Marco Pierre White: I admire lots of people but they aren’t famous but they’re good people. It’s not what you achieve. People who can give themselves every day. They’re the people that I admire, they’re real people. The answer to your question is that I admire the real people. I like restaurants that are run by couples. I do. There’s a restaurant I go to in London run by a woman called Nancy Lam; she’s been my friend for many years. When I go there her three daughters are working there and she is upstairs or downstairs and they work very really hard, they work really hard.
I have no regrets in my life. If not for the mistakes that I made I would not be the man I am today.
NQN: Thankyou for your time tonight Marco
Marco Pierre White: Thank you, you are very charming.
And yes Dear Readers, I can say with certainty that Marco Pierre White is very charming too.
So tell me Dear Reader, are you ever nervous about meeting people? And who would you be the most nervous to meet? And do you agree with him about restaurants today and celebrity chefs?
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85 Comments | Add your own
I love how he includes everyone and legitimizes everyone who loves food…
I have never been very nervous around celebs, maybe because I get used to seeing them walking around during Sundance…
Great interview!
wow what a neat experience and great write up
What a great interview! Thankyou for sharing it with us
OMG! You met Marco! and interviewed him! You did a great job too. Sounded like it flowed very well. Congratulations! I think I would have been a mumbling mess.
I enjoyed this interview very much. I am always nervous around meeting my idols – about 9 years ago, I met an IP academic whose writing I admired in Bournemouth in the UK at a conference, and he came and spoke to me because I worked with someone he knew, and I could barely say a word – I was so starstruck!
Great article Lorraine! Your interview asks some very interesting questions and he sounds so nice! Lovely photo of you too
Fascinating! Thank you so much for sharing all this with us all.
Kisses my dear!
I must admit, I can take your photos of him far more seriously than those “model” shots from his website! It’s hard to believe that man lying on a bench could make magical pumpkin melon water.
Gosh, I think I’ll be a little nervous to meet you, when it happens!
I think I have a massive crush! And not just on you anymore Lorraine
Hi Lorraine … great post … i think he came across as quite charming … have always thought he was a bit of a nutter between you and me
…hahahahaha…. love the photo of you both
Wow what a great interview. He seems very down to earth which is great. I think I would have been quite aprehensive at first too!
Great interview Lorraine – what an amazing man ! Nice to see someone as infamous as himself, so grounded !:)
Wow great interview Lorraine! I have to say I felt kinda ripped off when hubby and I paid to go to a certain restaurant, and the ‘celebrity’ chef wasn’t there! We were told he rarely turns up. I wanted to eat his food, and both hubby and I were dreadfully disappointed with everything that we ordered….We will never go back there, not cause the chef wasn’t there, but the food was not up to his standard.
That is a great photo with you and Marco-Pierre-White Lorraine. You must have been terrified just before the interview and when I read his name I thought you were going to be ‘fed to the lions’!How very wrong and he certainly turned out to be quite the charmer. Just goes to show, how the media can impress certain ideas on the public about a celebrity, when not all of it is true.
Great interview, another feather in your cap, Go Girl !!
Brilliant, fabulous, fabulous, fabulous interview Lorraine, you absolutely asked all the questions I’ve always wanted to know about Marco. And yes, absolutely agree on his sentiments on celebrity chefs & the best restaurants. I’d always choose a restaurant owned & ran by passionate people who lve their restaurant & dishes than a name chef who rarely graces the door! Thanks for this one lovely
Great interview Lorraine! I would definitely have been nervous, but he sounds utterly charming, and “real”. I often feel guilty if I use a bought stock instead of making my own, but hey, now I can say I’m just doing it Marco Pierre White’s way
(I love HP sauce too).
thank you NQN, i love Marco Pierre White, he is proper old school and that was a great interview.
Excellent interview, Lorraine, and what an opportunity.
Such a great read Lorraine, I really enjoyed it. I like his line “How can you criticise somebody who wishes to share their passion with the world?”
And serving pumpkin soup out of a pumpkin is brilliant! Looks so delicious.
How exciting! Great interview.
Fantastic interview, Lorraine. I suppose with MPW, his reputation precedes him although your interview showed us another, more mature side. It looks like he loves his food, too
great photo lorraine do you find him attractive ??
I would love to meet A. A. Gill one day. I love his work and the way he writes. He has such a sharp tongue that I think I would find it intimidating speaking to him but I am sure that he is probably a really nice person. It appears that people from the old school of cooking always have these opinions om the whole celebrity chef thing. Times are changing and I think there is a good side and bad side to everything. On the one hand I think that it’s good when chefs are exposing the public to more food and encouraging people to cook but on the other hand it can produce unrealistic expectations for people who enter the industry because it’s tough work.
I agree with Marco that family run places are the best, some of the most tasty foods in the world is street food and they are generally family run eateries.
I love this interview. The whole celebrity chef thing and the manufactured chef is a lot to think about. All the cooking shows with the perky cooks using statements like “it’s a party in your mouth” make me yearn for Julia Child and a bit of earthiness.
What an amazing interview, you did an incredible job. It was so nice to read about such a real person, about the heart of food, and not the drama. thanks.
I was reading this and scrolling and not wanting it to end – what a great interview.
He seems so genuine, no nonesense but also very nice.
Risotto looks divine too! Yum!
Thoroughly enjoyed the article. Keep them coming.
Lorraine, fantastic interview – your questions were relevant and he responded honestly. Well done – great pic by the way!! xo Lookign forward to trying the stock.
I love hot food too. Hot food represent food prepared with love (in my opinion), the only exception of this is for dessert
The interview was great. Congrats, Lorraine! It seem that Marco is softened by his own children especially the small Mirabelle? Or maybe he is actually is not like what the media potrayed like whathe said in interview.
Hi there.
Found out about your site through your feature on brands4tomorrow: http://www.brands4tomorrow.com.au/interview-feature-not-quite-nigella/
Have had a quick look and so far I’m loving your blog!
To start with I had never heard of Marco Pierre White before today. A lesson in one scroll!
An interview brilliant on both sides – and a brilliant interview, for which I can but say ‘thank you for the privilege’! I believe the blogs so far truly reflect that. Everyone seems to have understood and appreciated.
Every word the gentleman uttered rang true with me – and I agree with just about everything he had to say. No, age has its benefits – I cannot think myself as ‘nervous’ meeting anyone, tho’, of course, one hopes to make a reasonable and interesting impression.
Methinks this one even surpasses your ‘Bourdain’ interview. Salute!
Bravo Lorraine! Bravo!!
Wonderful interview, NQN! And what a perfectly wonderful opinion he has of the much maligned food blogger;
“How can you criticise somebody who wishes to share their passion with the world”
Bravo you formerly devastatingly sexy chef (those pictures!) of whom I have never heard of before this post but who I will now endeavor to research!
~~lorraine, this has been my all time favorite blog of yours: The interview with Marco Pierre White (whom I thought was Baryishnikov at first) was so damn inpiring & profoundly beautiful.
I fell in love with his thoughts about life & giving back to society and others.
I mean, this is the reason we are all here–aren’t we?
Bravo! Brava! I loved this!
What a fantastic interview. Lorraine you have shared so much in this one post. I saw MPW interviewed on Sunrise and they were embarrassing in their lack of knowledge of the right questions to ask. You have brought him out of his shell here, like any good interviewer should. Well done. And you look beautiful in the photo! xo
A standing ovation, Lorraine! We’ll not spoil you with foot clapping awhile! Even if you deserve it now!
You look fantastic in that picture, Lorraine!
I am a real stickler for hot food myself.
Love this interview and his old world chef reality. He hit the nail in the head with chefs not being in their restaurants. When I pay money to eat some place known for the chef, I’d expect him to be there.
I don’t care if he’s running the pass or yelling at his sous chefs, but if he’s not there (at least some nights if he has more than one restaurant), I wouldn’t be able to appreciate the food as much.
He’s so inspirational and down to earth!
btw you look very pretty in the last pic
Wonderful job on the interview Lorraine! You asked great questions and it helped me see him in a not so scary light. He seemed quite nice and real, not like some of these other celebrity chefs out there. Once again wonderful job!
pumpkin is “cattle food”! Brilliant Lorriane, excellent work here
I love this interview – perfectly normal and talented person – not up himself at all. Hoorah!
Great interview Lorraine. The questions you asked were perfect. Do you figure them out beforehand, or make them up as you go? I always though MPW was a bit manic and scary, it seems you charmed the savage beast!
I agree that there is too much emphasis on fame and not enough on food at some of these celebrity restaurants. And in the section of the industry that I am part of, so much of the food is ‘out sourced’ to save a few cents at the expense of common sense, that it is really a shame. I agree with Marco, Real Food from Real People.
What a heart-warming interview. He sounds like such a lovely, grounded and wise man.
I’m with him on the celebrity chef restaurants – I don’t want to pay big money just for the ‘name’ if they aren’t even cooking!
Such a great chef and what a great experience!
p.s. you look fab!
Great interview! My daughter, her boyfriend and a couple of other family members ate in his restaurant last year and he came out to their table and introduced himself to them. They were beyond ecstatic, he was very welcoming and friendly and seemed to genuinely care that they were enjoying their evening, not just the meal, in his restaurant. It really made their night. Cheers Robyn
I have a copy of his autobiography, The Devil in the Kitchen, and having read it, I think I would have been a little nervous meeting the man. He definitely seems to now be a fully formed individual and have good honest down to earth values. Good for him. Great interview, awesome photos, and what a life you lead, Ms NQN! I am always a little bit envious, but I don’t have your talent – you deserve your success and interesting opportunities. I’m glad he had nothing against food bloggers too – that could be awkward!
Great interview! Pumpkin soup and butternut squash soup are actually getting really popular here in the UK – not sure what he’s talking about!
What a fabulous interview! I’d go a bit gooey meeting Heston or Jamie Oliver. Had a quick conversation with Rene Redzepi when he brought a dish to our table at Noma. Got pretty giggly about that too.
Lovely interview!
Great interview! You’ve gotta love a down-to-earth ‘celebrity’ chef
What an honourable and charming gent! Not to mention sexy… wow
I’m trying one of Nigella’s recipes tonight!
I absolutely love pumpkin soup and seeing it ladled out of that pumpkin and knowing it is probably better then any I have ever had has my moutwatering!
Wow, impressive! I would have been nervous too after that interview you had heard of.
I guess he’s mellowed. And I love the dishtowel on his head. He’s right about celebrity chefs…it’s certainly a relatively new phenomena but I must say that one of my favorite restaurants has a very simple and plain atmosphere, but the food is divine.
Amazing he still smokes, isn’t it?
Lovely interview, Lorraine!
What a wonderful interview! I’ll always remember his recipe for Tagliatelle of Oysters with Caviar from his book White Heat, I think someone called it sex on a plate!
Ooooooh, I love this post! And I love that you asked Marco if he’s anti-food blogger. You go girl! He sounds really charismatic and grounded. Love what he said about Gordon… very juicy indeed!
Wow, this is fantastic, Lorraine! I would have been nervous indeed…but it looks like everything went so well…he’s sounds like a fabulous guy! I thought it was pretty sweet how he donated his apron for auction to support children’s charities.
What a marvelous experience and what a fantastic pumpkin he served it in. Fun, fun, fun!
Brilliant as always Lorraine. Thank you for a lovely interview. And i agree with Marco. The soul and personality of a restaurant are the people who are living and breathing it every single hour of the day
Nothing quite like old world charm that takes us back to basics and what good food is all about without the fuss.
Gordon Ramsay crying??? I wanna see that!
Marco and Bourdain at the same dinner table? I would melt down under my chair and puddle into my shoes. What a gorgeous man.
I would have been nervous too. His reputation does proceed him. But after reading this I am totally turned around. His willingness to nurture through education, his understanding of passion and his love for his family – I was completely taken in by his charm and might have a little crush now
……..just 3 words
…love, love ,love plus 2 more….the interview!
Susie Q
Wow! What a great interview Lorraine! Bravo! It was only in February that a friend sourced his out-of-print book ‘White Heat’ for my birthday. (The first modren cookbook to focus solely on the chef, and not have a recipe for the first 50+ pages.) Can you imagine being a guest at the table with MPW, Tony Bourdain and A.A. Gill? I am pretty sure that I would give a kidney, possibly two! Thank you for this one!
xo
Lovely interview – and I might even try the stock!
Great job on the interview, he seemed quite talkative.
On a side note, Nancy Lam is my great aunt! When he mentioned her it was like ‘wow! unlikely connection’
Hi Rocky Mountain Woman-I agree, it’s nice to hear that isn’t it. Ahh of course! You’d be very used to it! Thank you
Hi rebecca-Thanks Rebecca!
Hi Lisa -You’re very welcome, he’s a fascinting man.
Hi Vintage Macaroon-Thanks, yes it was really like a conversation. I would have been if he weren’t so nice
Hi Cakelaw-Thanks Cakelaw! I know, it’s really hard to overcome it isn’t it! So hard!
Hi Christie-Thankyou, he was so interesting to talk to! Thanks, I wanted to get one for the wall
Hi Anna-Thanks! YOu’re very welcome! xxx
Hi Hannah-They’re very James Franco aren’t they! Especially the third B&W one! Oh no don’t be silly, we’re going to have fun!
Hi Holly-Haha you’re hilarious!
Hi Monica-Thanks Monica! He was very charming indeed. I think that’s the reputation isn’t it? I was very nervous prior but he’s very respectful and polite. Thankyou!
Hi Susan-Thankyou Susan! Yes he is very thoughtful too about the way he looks at things. Hehe all of us were I think!
Hi linda-Thanks Linda! Yes I thought that was very refreshing too
Hi leah-Thankyou Leah!
I know what you mean, I can see both sides but I do want the chef to be there because it’s not like you pay less when they aren’t there.
Hi Matilda-Thanks!
Hehe well I think that’s what I thought too. Yes I just took him as he was to me that evening which was charming and interesting. Thankyou Matilda! 
Hi Anna-Thankyou Anna, you are too kind! I really loved hearing his ideas on things and it was so lovely to hear how down to earth he was. You’re very welcome and thankyou for your lovely comment!
Hi shaz-Thanks Shaz!
Yes that’s how I found him -genuine and real 
Haha yes exactly! 
Hi tanzles-YOu’re welcome Tanzles! Yes he definitely commands respect among chefs
Thankyou!
Hi Amanda-Thanks Amanda!
Hi Chanel-Thankyou very much! I know, I loved that line and I loved the thought behind it. I know, I’ve never seen a Japanese pumpkin that big in my life!
Hi Holly-Thanks Holly!
Hi Bel-Thankyou
Yes I found him quite different to what I expected! In a good way 
Hi Betty-Thanks Betty! Yes he definitely has a magnetism about him! Do you?
Hi Apex-Oh did you see him tonight at the Sydney Writer’s Festival talk? Yes it’s an interesting debate and there two forces of business vs heart. Yes that was really lovely to hear from a man who has eaten at probably every high end establishment!
Hi Angela-Thankyou! Yes it’s certainly food for though (no pun intended!). Oh Julia, she really was one in a bazillion wasn’t she?
Hi muppy-Thanks Muppy!
Yes I went away from the interview very inspired!
Hi Emily-Aww shucks thankyou so much! Absolutely you had it there. That was really good!
Hi Barbara-Thanks Barbara!
Hi Stefania-Thankyou Stefania! The photo is going in the pool room
I will have to make some yummy soup with it!
Hi Lilia-Hehe yes you know I never really thought about that but it’s true
Yes he definitely adores his youngest daughter. She is a very lucky girl to have a dad that adores her so much.
Hi Christine-Thanks very much!
Hi EHA-Oh really?! I was sure you would have!
Thankyou Eha, you are always so sweet in your comments. He is a fascinating man isn’t he! Haha thankyou lovely! 
Hi Winnie-Thankyou Winnie!
Hi Katie-Thanks Katie!
Yes that was really nice to hear 
I know, don’t you think he looked very James Franco-ish? He’s actually absolutely fascinating kind of rock star youth and I found it hard to sum him up in just a few paragraphs in the opening description.
Hi kim-Thankyou darling Kim! Yes he does have a very similar look doesn’t he? You are too kind! And yes that would so lovely to hear his thoughts on giving back
Thanks!
Hi Bronnie-Thanks so much!
Yes I’m always a bit baffled by interviewers that don’t read up about the person that they’re interviewing. It seems a bit silly not to mention embarrassing. Thankyou! I’m going to frame that picture! 
xxx
Hi EHA-Thanks Eha!
Hehe I’m blushing! 
Hi Mrs.Lodhz-Thankyou so much!
Hehe yes you know before he said it I never really noticed that but it is quite true!
Hi pickyin-Thanks! Yes it’s lovely when they are there although mostly I’m surprised if they are!
Hi Vivian-Isn’t he just! Aww thankyou!
Hi Melissa-Thanks Melissa!
He was such a refreshing surprise and I loved seeing him beyond what I had read 
Thankyou!
Hi Amy-I know! I had never heard that!
Thankyou!
Hi Liss-Thankyou!
I know, isn’t he inspiring! 
Hi InTolerantChef-Thanks Rebecca!
I figured some out beforehand but it really flowed as a conversation more than an interview. yes I can imagine and he is a real chef’s chef! 
Hi Claire-Thankyou very much! yes I think he has seen so much
I have to admit that I am a bit disappointed when they’re not there!
Hi Nic-Thanks Nic! He was a great person to interview
Hi robyn-Oh how amazing! That’s quite the moment to remember and savour isn’t it! I bet they were thrilled! :O
Hi ck-Hehe yes you know what I mean!
Thankyou very much, you are too kind! 
I know, although i was prepared for him to say anything about food bloggers!
Hi Kerry-Thankyou!
Oh really? Well we seem to love it here so I’m not surprised! But perhaps he meant in his restaurants.
Hi Tori-Thanks Tori! Oh he brings the plates to the table? :O That would be amazing!
Hi Greedy Diva-Thanks!
Hi Phunk-Absolutely, it’s really great when they are!
Hi susan-hehe well he’s in Australia but I’m afraid he is married!
Hi Blond Duck-Oh cool!
Hi Maris-I know, isn’t it an arresting sight like that!
Hi Nuts about food-Thanks! Yes I considered myself warned!
Hi Barbara-Yes I think being out of thekitchen perhaps may have had a mellowing effect, it gets hot in the kitchen! I know, I wasn’t sure if he still smoked but he did
Thankyou!
Hi YaYa-Thankyou!
That sounds incredible and it sounds like it is sex on a plate!
Hi Amy-Thanks!
I had to ask, I seem compelled to ask everyone 
Yes I’m sure there’s a lot of juicy info there!
Hi Faith-Thankyou Faith darling! Yes I was so relieved! Yes that was very thoughtful
Hi Jacqueline-I know, I’ve never seen a pumpkin that size!
Hi Not really blonde-Thankyou Dave! I’m so glad that you liked it
And you would definitely relate to him!
Hi chopinandmysaucepan-Here here!
Yes I know, i can’t imagine it myself!
Hi Linda-I know, imagine eating there1
Hi Theresa-yes me too, I was so relieved and inspired afterwards. Hehe fabulous!
Hi Susie-haha thankyou so much Susie!
you are too sweet!
Hi Jonathon-Thankyou Jonathan!
What an amazing gift! I know, now that would have been interesting indeed! you’re very welcome! 
xxx
Hi Ellen-hehe cool!
Hi Amanda-thankyou, yes he was
No way! How fabulous! 
I adored reading every word of this post! You are very charming
What a man! I would have been so intimidated. You did an amazing job! I would be nervous to meet anyone I respect – nervously excited 
& yes, I totally agree with him & celebrity chefs these days. It creates such a glamorous ideal, but it soooo isn’t a glamorous job!
Heidi xo
What a coup – congratulations Lorraine. White Heat was the bible of the kitchen I worked in. Thanks for a refreshingly real interview.
Impressive interview Lorraine, well done. He’s certainly a fascinating man, just reading his intro in White Heat is enough to intimidate you!
This is a brilliant interview, well done Lorraine. It’s so refreshing to read thoughts from a top chef who is humble. Indeed, if we have been given opportunities then we have a responsibiilty to create opportunities for other people.
Thanks to Marco for supporting our charity cookbook ‘Kids Cook the World’ – much of the work we do was inspired after I read his autobiography ‘The Devil in the Kitchen’
Please join our facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/KidsCooktheWorld
I have always had a huge amount of respect for Marco Pierre White. He is an inspiration and a fantastic Chef. I love your question about whether he likes Food Bloggers. His answer was spot on. He is right, how can you criticise someone who wishes to share their passion.. This was by far one of my most favourite interviews Lorraine. Such a great post.
Interesting and informative interview Lorraine.
I have to tell you though that the pumpkin is actually a variety called Kent (not Japanese) a.k.a. JAP which stands for – wait for it …… Just Another Pumpkin! LOL
I had the same image as you so it is nice to hear another perspective and someone who likes bloggers always seems worth listening to
I completely agree Lorraine, society has become obsessed with fame and money. Just look at the craze that surrounded Big Brother. Great interview by the way.
He comes across as a really honest and sweet guy who just enjoys living! Great interview.
I ate in his London restaurant about 16 yrs ago and I can say without any doubt that it was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had. As a result I reckon that three bowls of soup is quite restrained
.
Hi Heidi-Thankyou so much Heidi and you are too kind!
Yes I can imagine it’s a hard slog being a chef! 
xxx
Hi Di-licicous-Thankyou Di!
I can imagine he is a hero to many chefs. You’re very welcome!
Hi Keely-Thanks Keely!
hehe you’re right! 
Hi Sean-Thankyou Sean, that’s very sweet of you to say!
It’s such a generous way of thinking isn’t it. That’s great!
Hi Katherine-yes I was really afraid to hear his answer to that just because I wasn’t sure what he’d think of us! But it was wonderful to hear that
Thanks!
Hi Kate-Thankyou Kate!
Oh right, I had no idea, thanks for that!
Hi Johanna-Yes I agree on both counts!
Hi Gareth-Oh Big Brother, oh dear what a show! Thankyou
Hi Maria-Yes I’m sure he’s proven himself by far and doesn’t need to do it so that’s great!
Hi Claire-Oh I must go to his restaurant next time I’m in London. I can imagine it would be quite the experience!
Haha I love that, thankyou! 
Lorraine, what an wonderful experience, and fantastic interview
You displayed Marco’s realistic genuine side and his sincere passion about food brilliantly. A wonderfully fresh interview and you are so relaxed with all of the famous chefs you interview. I don’t think we should ever be nervous about meeting someone famous as it really is what’s inside that counts. Family run restaurants = fantastic. There used to be a great French restaurant in Surry Hills called Le Don Bateau where the husband and wife lived in the terrace upstairs and opened their restaurant downstairs every evening. Food took a while to come but it was magnificent (I think they raised snails outside with their herbs) but you never forget the memory of such food authenticity.
Sad to see MPW selling out. Guess it happens to loads of people.
Sad to see him talk of Paul Bocuse & never had his soup:
http://www.bocuse.fr/recettes/ficherecette_us.asp?id=175
He should have followed more closely in the steps of his former business partner, Sir Michael Caine. He has class & respect from his peers.
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[...] soup and risotto time and you know what the base for soup is right? Stock! Now British chef Marco Pierre White has loaned his considerable name tothis product and I was lucky enough to meet him and have him [...]
[...] with free delivery and earn 3 points per dollar spent they also get access to events like this. Marco Pierre White was also rumoured to be coming although we are told that he wasn’t able to come.Neil Perry [...]
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