The Michelin star-winning chef, 43, lifts the lid on his holiday adventures and reveals his bucket-list destinations. Unsurpisingly, he’s always on the hunt for culinary inspiration.
BEACH V CITY
I love to travel to all kinds of destinations but I can’t just lie on a beach for two weeks – I like to have lots of activities available to keep me busy. I love Ibiza because there is so much to do there. I do a lot of running and the terrain around Es Cubells is perfect for that.
One of my favourite cities is Paris. I moved there is 1993 to cook with Jöel Robuchon and Gerard Boyer at Reims. I love visiting all the museums and exploring the markets such as the Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen, and the flea and antique market near Clignancourt.
UNPLUGGED V HOOKED-UP
I always travel with my laptop so I can get some work done on the road and write down any inspiration I find for new recipes.
RAVE V RELAXATION
I’m a very active person and I like to explore the destinations I visit to get the most out of my travels. I definitely wouldn’t characterise my vacations as ‘party’ holidays, apart from Ibiza, but I definitely prefer something active.
RESORT V ROUGHING IT
It’s nice to be able to experience both. I’d like to visit Argentina one day, as it is a great destination for horseback trekking. I think that moving from camp to camp is a great way of seeing the South American country and experiencing it for myself.
Contrastingly, I recently returned from Mauritius where we stayed at the five-star Troux Aux Biches which has recently undergone a refurbishment. It was fantastic and there was everything you can think of on offer.
SUN V SNOW
If I’m going on holiday I tend to look for some long-haul with winter sun around Christmas and Easter. Summer holidays are usually spent in France, Spain or Italy.
FAMILY V FRIENDS
My daughter Violette plays a very large role in my life so I can confidently say that my ideal break would be with the family. A recent memorable holiday was when we went to the Maldives – my daughter was just three months old but an absolute dream to travel with.
NEAR V FAR
I always try to visit new places so I guess it would depend where I visited last. Right now I’m planning a trip to Lamu Island which is off the coast of Kenya – I went quite some time ago and it is a destination I have always wanted to revisit.
PLANE V TRAIN
Qatar Airways comes to mind – the brand is well known for its service and setting new standards. I recently worked on an in-flight menu for them which I hope will give guests a five-star dining experience they remember. I think for most people the holiday really begins when you step on the plane so why not have a truly memorable experience en-route to your destination?
