Frost Editor Catherine Balavage Interviewed By Writing Magazine

If you have ever been curious about Frost Magazine editor Catherine Balavage’s writing day then grab a copy of the April 2015 edition of Writing Magazine. Catherine is interviewed by Lynne Hackles. She talks about Frost, writing books and her acting career.

Catherine Balavage, my writing day, writer, writing, magazine, interview, acting,

Catherine is not the first Frost team member to be interviewed by Writing Magazine, contributing editor Margaret Graham was also interviewed about her writing day in a prior issue.

Head down to a newsagents and get your copy now. Available at WHsmith.co.uk, Waterstones.com, all good newsagents or the Writing Magazine website.

 

 

Mother’s Day Poem | Close Encounter by Angela Taplin

angela taplinAngela Taplin, scribbler of fiction, poetry and (sometime) Deep Meaningful Reflections on Life. She’s a member of Chesham Writers and Scribblers and prefers lad docle vita to Ryvita any day.  She is a mother and a new, doting, grandmother.

 

Close Encounter by Angela Taplin

stork

‘Hi,’ she whispers soft

Her face alight with smile.

‘How are you doing?’

‘Look at you – aren’t you just perfect?’

Her eyes drink in every detail of him

From top to toe.

She leans in for a kiss,

Just brushing her lips across his skin.

He lets her,

His eyes fixed on her.

Accepting.

Calm.

footprints

Greedy, she gathers him to herself,

Breathing in the heady scent of him.

She’s waited so long for this moment.

The anticipation has been – almost –

Overwhelming.

‘I can’t believe you’re here.’

Kiss

‘I can’t believe you’re mine.’

Kiss

‘I’ll never let you go.’

Kiss

‘I love you.’

Kiss. Kiss.

‘Welcome to the world, my precious one.’

Angela Taplin March 2015

 

 

Why Did I Take Up The Ukulele? By Sylvia Chadwick

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Life is like a road with many turnings and my musical interests have been many and varied.

It started way back as a child when I loved the weekly “Singing Together” programme broadcast on the radio for schools. At secondary school, our music teacher was inspirational, and talented enough to play every instrument in the school orchestra. I longed to emulate him. I began as hundreds of others have done by playing the recorder and moved on to the violin. My parents? Tolerant or deaf I would think. I eventually became part of the youth orchestra and finally became the leader… more about my age than ability.

accordion

I began to play an accordion because my dear old Dad thought it was a super instrument and you could always earn a bob or two in a dance band. At the time I just wanted to make music so I started to learn on a small 48 bass one and soon moved to a much larger one, which was almost as big as me… being rather a small child.

Why did I take up the ukulele?  By Sylvia Chadwickpics2

However this was not ‘cool’ as in the 60s everyone played the guitar and what teenager wants to be different than their peers. If only my dad had known that that it was the best tool I ever had for teaching young children to enjoy singing.

All this led to Chester Teachers’ Training College to study music and drama as part of my teaching course. It was here that I took up the piano. I was catching up with my secondary teacher.

It was in retirement that I joined High Wycombe and district U3A. Somehow my musical skills were discovered. A friend approached me one day saying that she knew that I played the guitar but did I play the ukulele?

Why did I take up the ukulele? pic3

Did I? Well no, but I remembered a ukulele which I had been bought as a kind of joke Christmas present a couple of years earlier. I was in business. We went to listen to an established group in Marlow to see what we thought. First impressions? It was in a pub, so bring it on. In the back room were around 40 players. We sat down to listen when someone put a ukulele in my hand, I managed a few chords and I realised that I was hooked.

Why did I take up ukulele5

So lets start a group up in the U3A we decided. We hoped that we could find a teacher but no one came forward so without more ado I was coerced into leading the group.

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We have been going around 6 months now and the group is growing from an initial start of around 12 to over 20. We have a percussion section too, and that is growing well.

Why did I take up the ukulele?  Sylvia Chadwick

We meet once a month to play and we had our first ‘gig’ at our Christmas U3A coffee morning. It was great fun and seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces was fantastic. Its not a difficult instrument to get the basics going but it is really good fun to play together. I am still learning and keeping enough steps ahead of the group to be able to pass on the skills. My philosophy is that you cannot be sad when you are singing a cheery song and playing a ukulele. I love it. So we just keep strumming.

 

 

 

Interview With Dan Schreiber About The Great UFO Conspiracy

An interview with Dan Schreiber about The Great UFO ConspiracyThis Saturday night (14 March) sees More4 dedicate its schedule to some out-of-this-world programming for Aliens Night. In an all new one-off documentary airing first on More4’s Alien Night, comedian and presenter Dan Schreiber has gone in search of some of the Britons who believe in a huge government cover-up of extra-terrestrial life.

The Great UFO Conspiracy will air Saturday 14 March at 9:05pm on More4.

You’ve made a film, The Great UFO Conspiracy – what’s it all about?

It’s looking at the phenomena of conspiracy theories to do with aliens UFOS. Most of the time, when you think about that stuff, you think of the USA, of Area 51 and Roswell and so on. It all seems to be America-based. But actually, Britain has a huge role in the constant stream of theories of what’s going on. And this country has some of the largest ever encounters that are acknowledged worldwide by the community. So I wanted to find out more about the people who are leading the front, who think there’s something more going on.

Is this an area you’ve been interested in in the past?

Yeah, I’m interested in it in a slightly lateral, leftfield kind of way. I love the storytelling. I love the way the theories are put together. I see it as a type of storytelling that nobody really acknowledges. It’s a group of people looking at a thing and coming up with an alternative story and timeline for. And they all contribute to it, worldwide. And it adds to this bigger story, this growing, creative idea. The difference between them and me is that they believe it to be true, whereas I don’t. But I don’t think that should step in the way of admiring what’s a great story.

How much of this did you know before you embarked on your journey? Did what you encountered surprise you?

Oh, I was totally surprised. My background is in making sure that I know virtually everything about a subject before I get involved with it. That’s from a background of working on shows like QI. But on this show, the production team didn’t want me to find out anything beforehand. They wanted me to be put into the situation and learn on the spot. So I did go in thinking I’d know the majority of the theories, but there are so many of them, you just can’t get a handle on them. And also, all the theories that I thought were dead, like crop circles, are now alive again, and being reinterpreted. For example, we know they were created as a prank, but now the theory is that the pranksters were actually having their actions controlled by aliens. I love it that you can’t seem to kill a conspiracy theory – it will find a new way to live.

Almost by definition, these are people who are very suspicious of the motives of others, especially establishment organisations like broadcasters. Was it difficult to get them to trust you?

It’s a really odd one. They all seem to hate the BBC with a total passion, They think everyone’s involved. But this thing has grown so big, as an industry, that people are making their living off the back of talking about these theories or writing books about them. There’s so much money now being made that you can live your life by these theories. So they have to co-operate with the devil, because they know they can get more exposure for a talk that they’re going to do, or a book that they’re going to do.

What did you think if the people you spoke to?

I really liked them all, and found them really interesting. And one thing that struck me was that when we weren’t talking about UFO stuff, they’re all really chatty, nice, friendly, likeable people, who liked a laugh and liked to talk about football. One of them, a guy called Tony, very openly says that the last few years of his life have been absolute hell, he’s gone through various things. We didn’t go into what that was – I imagine depression was involved – so they’re not all completely rounded, happy, optimistic people. But if you’re sitting in a pub and start talking about acting or movies, they’re all interested in talking about that stuff.

Some of these guys seemed a convinced the authorities were after them. Do you think any of them were genuinely scared for their safety?

Tony says that he is, or certainly that he was. I spoke to a guy called Timothy Good, he struck me as someone who was just reporting facts, very much in control. He didn’t seem scared at all. Some of them I found it hard to tell. I didn’t know where the jokes stopped and the beliefs began. So this guy Miles was an example. If we were meant to be meeting someone, and they’d be running late, and you’d receive two of the same text, he’d say “When you get two, it means the government are watching you, and that’s why she had to disappear.” And then you’d wonder if he actually believed that, or was just winding me up.

Where do these ideas germinate from? 

That’s a good question. I went to a conference, and everyone was doing these talks, and I had a weird feeling. I do stand up comedy, and half the time you’re trying out new material to see how it’s received, and at this conference, it felt the same. People were standing up and offering new theories and new connections they’d made, and sussing it out with the crowd. It felt like a new material night for theories. But I think that these theories just seem to pop up out of nowhere.

You don’t try to debunk these theories. Why did you adopt that approach?

That wasn’t the focus of the show for me. None of us wanted to make something that was laughing at these people. It was more a matter of going “Look, this is an actual thing that’s happening, and millions of people around the world believe in it,” and if you’re at a dinner party and you’re sitting next to one of these people, you can either say that they’re mad, or dangerous, or idiots, or you could have a good conversation with them. I’m more interested in just hearing from them what they think is going on and why. If you see a documentary with Richard Dawkins, you don’t have time to understand what the religious person thinks, because Dawkins is shouting them down. That’s in no way productive for a conversation.

What are your own theories about extra-terrestrials?

I think that there’s alien life out there. I almost think it would be weird to think that there wasn’t, the Universe being what it is. I just don’t think that we’ve necessarily been visited yet. All they’ve done is gone one step further, and then added a whole conspiracy side to it, with the government being involved.

Lastly, I can’t let you go without asking you, after all those years of working on QI, what’s your favourite fact?

Let’s see. Oh, there’s a great one which always makes me laugh. You know the DVDs you get with the anti-piracy bit with the dramatic music at the beginning? It turns out they didn’t have the permission to use that song. The guy sued them and got money. That’s so wonderful. The other one I really like, which is from one of the QI books, is that in 1895, the only two cars in Ohio crashed into each other.

 

 

Are You Brave Enough To Try The Hottest Pizza At Mayfair Pizza Co?

pizza, mayfair, hot, spicy, spicy pizza First came Sweet Dessert Pizzas. Then came Bloody Mary Pizzas. And now posh parlour Mayfair Pizza Co. is once again lighting a fire under London with its latest slice: the Hottest Pizza. 

Spiked with spice for Scoville-shattering levels of searing heat, the Hottest Pizza is made using hot sauces from cult street food favourite The Rib Man and comes adorned with an arsenal of fiery toppings sure to burn down the house.

The Hottest Pizza, priced at £14 and available from now until the end of April, is made with fresh tomato and ‘Christ On A Bike’ sauce spread on a homemade base and topped with ’Nduja Italian sausage and spicy pork rib. A generous sprinkle of dried chilli flakes and smoked jalapeño powder are added alongside mozzarella and fresh scotch bonnets before being blasted at 500°C. Finally, the punchy pizza is finished with creamy burrata, peppery rocket and a drizzle of ‘For The Love Of God’ hot sauce, sure to make your eyes water and your cheeks flush.

Executive Chef Michael Lecouter’s latest creation is must-try for any discerning pizza connoisseur.

The only question is: are you brave enough? 

Mayfair Pizza Co.

4 Lancashire Court, New Bond Street,

London W1S 1EY

www.mayfairpizzaco.com

@mayfairpizzaco

Ode To Azerbaijan by Jenny Falcon

Firstly ‘Where? followed swiftly by ‘Why?’
Was how conversations began
When we told our family and friends
We were off to Azerbaijan.

‘Why not?’ we said, ‘it’s different
A World Heritage site indeed
So off we went, an intrepid four
To see what we could see.

Our destination was Baku
A five and a half hour flight
Our boutique hotel in the Old Town
Near all the notable sights.

Azerbaijan-Baku-steps-leading-away-from-Fou ... Square-to-statue-of-Nizami-tweaked-2-BG

The first day, locally we explored
Cobbled streets, lots of steps, lovely sun
A wide promenade by the Caspian Sea
Very old; stunning new; oh what fun.

Second day, off with our guide Yassim
Gloopy mud volcanoes to see
Followed by ancient petroglyphs
From many years B.C.

 

A different guide for our next trip
Fire Mountain and Fire Temple, too
Where flames have burned non-stop
Over 2,000 years, yes it’s true.

Another day walking round Baku
Up close to the Flame Towers so tall
Martyrs Alley, with graves of Azeris
Who when fighting the Russians did fall.

Baku’s a very clean city
Much money is there being spent
Smart shops, parks, hotels and museums
To attract tourists is their intent.

We always enjoy an adventure
New sights, sounds and culture to learn
And this trip was no exception
If asked, we would surely return.

Frost would love to receive more poetry. Contact Margaret: frost@margaret-graham.com

 

 

 

Breaking The Bank & Busting a Myth

casino-de-monte-carlo-gambling(Image: http://www.vixendivorcee.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/casino-de-monte-carlo-gambling.jpg )

Breaking the bank at Monte Carlo is something we all dream of at least once in a while. It represents a wonderfully luxuriant fantasy that draws on the unmistakable glamour of the Principality along with the fairytale simplicity of a life transformed by nothing more than the turn of a card. The Azure allure of the Mediterranean, sweeping palm-lined boulevards, yachts and limousines, movies stars and beauty queens…. no wonder it is such a Hollywood staple; who would not want a champagne lifestyle like that?

Life can be every bit as remarkable as fairytales sometimes, and every once in a while someone does disappear into the night with a fortune. A massive casino win is one of those dreams that occasionally really does come true. The glitz and the romance of Monte Carlo itself may not always be part of the story but, for those who win big, such a picturesque destination quickly becomes a realistic option.
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The Man who broke the bank…

The idea of actually breaking the bank at Monte Carlo all started in 1891 when English entrepreneur Charles Wells scooped an enormous roulette win in Monte Carlo’s Grand Casino to the tune of a million francs. Those were the days when a million francs represented a king’s ransom. His win became so renowned that a popular song was written in his honour. Whether it was the song itself or the dream it described, “The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo” remained a music hall favourite from the 1890s well into the 1940s. Hollywood got in on the act as well in the form of a 1935 romantic comedy made to recreate Wells’ phenomenal win. That one in a million opportunity is one of those ideas that, it seems, no one can resist.

Wells is, indirectly at least, the most famous casino big winner, but he is not the only one. In 2000, humble cocktail waitress Cynthia Jay-Brennan enjoyed a return that was every bit as extraordinary. On a night out to celebrate her mother-in-law’s birthday, Jay-Brennan took a turn at the Megabucks slot machine, a state-wide lottery jackpot that had been rolling over for several weeks. On her ninth pull, she dropped the small matter of $34,959,458.56. At that point she was able to give up her waitressing job at – believe it or not – the Monte Carlo Casino in Las Vegas.

21st Century winners

Phil_Ivey_(WSOP_2009,_Event_25) (Image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Phil_Ivey_%28WSOP_2009%2C_Event_25%29.jpg )

More recently, the online world has started producing a steady stream of gaming millionaires. In 2009, Finland’s Patrik Antonius won the (then) biggest ever online poker pot, pocketing a massive $1,356,947 in a single hand. And the world-renowned poker star Phil Ivey – ‘The Tiger Woods of Poker’ – was believed to have won close to $2million playing online – and that is in addition to the many millions the has picked up in person at some of the world’s most exclusive gaming rooms. And the roster of online winners keeps growing with popular weekly tournaments such as the PokerStars Sunday Millions

The Sunday Million has become one of the world’s biggest regular poker events. It is the online equivalent of the Monte Carlo Casino in your own front room. Every week, players from all around the world, including some of the biggest names in the professional game, are able to play together online for a guaranteed million dollar prize pool. It is a forum that allows everyone to turn that dream of a luxury lifestyle into reality. Low stakes qualifying tournaments are run throughout the week in the run up to the big event, with initial stakes as low as just one dollar. There is no bar to anyone with skill, judgement and knowledge of the game going all the way to that first prize. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Sunday Million attracts tens of thousands of players every week. And every week one of those players walks away with a massive first prize.

There are numerous other online tournaments, but none can match the scale of the Sunday Million. And, of course, there are gamblers who prefer alternatives to poker. Ivey is by no means the only high roller out there.

The world’s most famous ‘run’

Between 1992 and 1995, Archie “The Greek” Karas earned celebrity status in the US when he worked a meagre $50 up to a cool $40million. Karas’ feat was not achieved overnight. The one-time ship waiter’s win was the culmination of a series of increasingly extravagant bets that became famous as ‘The Run’. He combined betting on games of pool as well as a variety of more conventional casino games, but over the course of that incredible period he just kept winning bigger and bigger amounts. What was even more remarkable about Karas’ story is that he then went on to lose all of that money. He is, it goes without saying, an intriguing figure.

Karas has some justification when he claims to have played with more money than anyone else alive, but he attributes his success to a paradoxical relationship with his wealth. Famously, he has declared, “Money means nothing to me. I don’t value it… The things I want, money can’t buy: health, freedom, love, happiness. I don’t care about money, so I have no fear.”

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Following in the footsteps of Wells, Karas’ story is set to be given the Hollywood treatment. Hollywood just cannot resist the extravagant allure of someone breaking the bank. But as Karas’ example shows, a big win is not an end in itself; it is merely one part of a wider story. Living happily ever after is all well and good in fairy stories and it makes perfect sense for Hollywood scriptwriters, but real life is invariably a little more complicated. What we say we want and what we really want may not be the same thing.

An unromantic observation

F Scott Fitzgerald, author of the Great Gatsby and Tender is the Night – both books that deal with the romantic allure of the rich – famously took the Hollywood view of wealth. Perhaps not entirely coincidentally, the phenomenal success of Gatsby in the 1920s had turned Fitzgerald into an overnight millionaire. He was the jazz age equivalent of a modern star like Benedict Cumberbatch.
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During a summer sojourn in the South of France, he once shared a famous exchange with his contemporary and friend Ernest Hemingway. It is a conversation that offers a telling backdrop to that fantasy idea of breaking the bank. “The rich are different from the rest of us” Fitzgerald had whimsically suggested. “No,” was Hemingway’s pithy reply, “They just have more money.”

Hemingway’s characteristically sharp put-down casts the whole Monte Carlo fantasy into a very different light. Hemingway, it is fair to say, would have had some time for the unsentimental and objective way that Karas appears to deal with his changing fortunes. Like Karas, Wells’ Monte Carlo millions did not last long. When Wells returned to England the money he had won stayed with the casino. He had played it all away. It is the sort of story Hemingway would have relished.

The poker lesson

As wise – or as cynical – as Hemingway was in his exchange with the starry-eyed Fitzgerald, he was clearly on the same page as the likes of Phil Ivey. Within the cold-eyed world of professional poker, money is divorced from its day-to-day utility. Instead, it becomes merely a part of the game, a means to play for bigger stakes and even greater wins. Building a bankroll is not about living the Monte Carlo lifestyle, it is simply a matter of demonstrating the quality of a person’s skill at the game.

And that wholly practical logic is the antidote to the ‘happy ever after’ sentimentality that is the stuff of music hall songs and Hollywood happy endings. We may all fantasise about breaking the bank at Monte Carlo but whilst the tangible reality of a mountain of cash is wholly achievable, realising the glamorous fantasy of a life of ease and enduring good health and happiness is something else altogether. Breaking the bank at Monte Carlo or picking up the Sunday Million will not make any of us a different person. It will just mean we have more money.

 

 

 

Is Your Mother An Art Lover? Gift This!

Kate-Gordon-Founder-of-LAS[1]getasset[1]

 

 

If your mother is a lover of art, a unique and welcome gift she would appreciate 

is a ticket to attend one of London Art Studies’ events.

London Art Studies – a series of exclusive events designed to make learning about art both accessible and entertaining –

unveils an exclusive partnership with the Bulgari Hotel in London’s Knightsbridge.

Expert lecturers on the arts will host a series of classes comprising ‘power hours’ over a cocktail

and morning discussions over coffee in the luxury hotel’s private screening room.

From investigating the works of Warhol, Grayson Perry and Duchamp, to getting the most out of hotly-anticipated exhibitions throughout 2015,

lectures have been carefully curated by London Art Studies to

make each session highly relevant as well as compellingly full of insider knowledge.

Lecturers are selected not only for their expertise but also for their accessible and engaging teaching styles.

The new London Art Studies evening class series (LAS Evenings) and morning lecture series (LAS In Focus)

 at the Bulgari Hotel sit neatly alongside the institution’s established and popular art lectures held

over lunch at Koffmann’s at The Berkeley Hotel.

Pierre-Koffmann-006[1]

Explains London Art Studies Founder Kate Gordon:

“London is the arts capital of the world and I wanted to provide art lectures for people who don’t have

time to sign up for lengthy courses, but who still want access to the very best teaching in a fun and

sociable format. Our courses appeal to both curious beginners and more knowledgeable art-lovers and

collectors. Our aim is to take some of mystery out of the art world and one of the nicest compliments I’ve

received about our classes is from a student who called them a “spa for the mind” – I think she meant that

our classes are inspiring and also an escape from everyday life”.

 

 

As a pre Mother’s Day treat London Art Studies recommends –

LAS Lunch: American Art Since World War II on 12th March 2015.

American[1]London Arts Studies Gift Cards for Mother's Day

A wonderful way to be inspired and escape the ‘daily grind’. London Art Studies founder,

ex Sotheby’s and CNN producer Kate Gordan deems the experiences ‘spas for the mind’

and are also wonderful experiences for mother and daughter (or son) to share.

Lectures include representatives from Christie’s, Sotheby’s, the National Gallery and Tate.

Individual ticket prices range from £50 to £175.

Tickets and gift cards can be purchased from www.londonartstudies.com
 LAS IN Focus on McQueen, Lucas & Sargent

 

March, 2015

3rd LAS EVENINGS The Shock of the Old Ben Street 19.00 – 20.15

5th LAS LUNCH Best of British: From Bloomsbury to Bacon Lizzie Perrotte 10.00 – 14.30

10th LAS IN FOCUS Focus on Impressionism: Degas, Morisot and Pissarro Richard Stemp 10.00 – 12.00

12th LAS LUNCH American Art Since WWII Ben Street 10.00 – 14.30

May, 2015

5th LAS IN FOCUS Sarah Lucas, Sargent and Alexander McQueen Richard Stemp 10.00 – 12.00

5th LAS EVENINGS 20 Great Paintings of the 20th Century Ben Street 19.00 – 20.15

6th LAS LUNCH Modern Art: From Duchamp to the YBAs Linda Smith 10.00 – 14.30

7th LAS LUNCH The Legacy of Minimalism Ben Street 10.00 – 14.30

19th LAS LUNCH British Art from Freud to Emin Richard Stemp 10.00 – 14.30

June, 2015

2nd LAS IN FOCUS Delaunay, Hepworth and Martin Richard Stemp 10.00 – 12.00

2nd LAS EVENINGS Venice Biennale 2015 Overview Ben Street 19.00 – 20.15

16th LAS TOUR Highlights of the Courtauld Gallery Lizzie Perrotte 10.00 – 11.15

September, 2015

7th LAS TOUR The Saatchi Gallery Lizzie Perrotte 10.00 – 11.15

16th LAS LUNCH The Legacy of Surrealism Ben Street 10.00 – 14.30

24th LAS IN FOCUS Ai Wei Wei, Goya, Pop Art Richard Stemp 10.00 – 12.00

November, 2015

10th LAS IN FOCUS Calder & 20th Century Sculpture Richard Stemp 10.00 – 12.00

17th LAS LUNCH American Art Since World War II Ben Street 10.00 – 14.30

December, 2015

1st LAS LUNCH Great Tarts in Art: High Culture & The World’s Oldest Profession Linda Smith 10.00 – 14.30

LAS In Focus – £75, includes light refreshments

LAS Evenings – £50, includes light refreshments

LAS Lunch – £175, includes two-course lunch at Koffmann’s

LAS Tours – includes ticket entry to the exhibition

 

Tickets can be purchased for individual events and as season tickets by visiting the London Art Studies website www.londonartstudies.com or emailing/calling London Art Studies direct at office@londonartstudies.com

About Bulgari Hotel…

Located in Knightsbridge on the edge of Hyde Park, London’s Bulgari Hotel is both a haven of calm in the centre of the city and yet under a minute’s walk from such landmarks as the famous Harrod’s department store.  Since opening in 2012 the Bulgari has set new standards among the luxury hotels of the British capital. Elegant contemporary architecture and Bulgari’s legendary flair for design are matched by class-leading quality of service.  Design and service along with generously proportioned rooms and suites combine with unrivalled facilities such as a full gymnasium and physical training centre with on-site personal training team, WORKSHOP; 11 single spa treatment rooms and 1 private spa suite; 25 metre, three-lane swimming pool; 47 seat cinema; unique Cigar Shop and sampling lounge, a stunning Ballroom; to deliver a city hotel experience that is unique in the world.

www.bulgarihotels.com

About Koffmann’s at The Berkley Hotel…

It was a love of international rugby rather than good food that brought a 22-year-old Pierre Koffmann to Britain in 1970. As he says: “Food was not at its best and the rugby more interesting.” Pierre expected to stay only six months.  By pure luck Pierre quickly found himself working for Michel and Albert Roux at Le Gavroche in London’s West End. Within another six months he was promoted to Number 2 and after a quick stint at their Brasserie Benoit in the City, Pierre was appointed Head Chef at the Roux Brothers’ new Waterside Inn at Bray. In his five-year tenure he helped them achieve two Michelin stars.  In 1977, Pierre and his first wife Annie opened their first restaurant, La Tante Claire, in Chelsea and achieved three Michelin stars before taking up residency in the Berkeley Hotel in 1998.  After decades of contributing massively to British cuisine and training some of our finest chefs, Pierre folded away his precious knives in 2003 and realised a dream of hanging up a sign saying “Gone Fishing”. Becoming slightly bored a year later he came back to be a consultant to some major food retailers.  The call of the restaurant trade was too loud. In 2009, Pierre agreed to take a ‘pop-up’ La Tante Claire to be the Restaurant on the Roof at Selfridges for one week. Two months and 3,200 servings of his classic Pieds de Cochon aux Morilles later, Pierre once again returned to The Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge and to open Koffmann’s with partner and business partner Claire Harrison.Koffmann’s offers a relaxed, informal style with classic provincial French cuisine. The food of Pierre’s childhood in rural Gascony and the food that first inspired Pierre to follow his love of cooking using fresh, seasonal ingredients to deliver exquisite unspoiled flavours.

www.pierrekoffmann.co.uk/about-pierre

 

www.corinne-modelling.co.uk