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“Today, talented chefs and remarkable restaurants are everywhere across the globe”
CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT BREAKFAST AT LA BASTIDE DE MOUSTIERS; ALAIN DUCASSE AT LA BASTIDE DE MOUSTIERS; PASTA SERVED AT L'HOSTELLERIE DE L'ABBAYE DE LA CELLE; BAKED APRICOTS SERVED AT LA BASTIDE DE MOUSTIERS, ALL IMAGES ©PIERRE MONETTA
enjoyed the chef’s strive for innovation. The first cook to send food to outer space, Ducasse has crafted a series of Michelin-standard meals for astronauts on the International Space Station. Far from the powdered packets sold at the Science Museum, this new era of space food is delicious: think spiced baby chicken and tuna in lemon sauce. It’s the final food frontier, the last box ticked for a chef whose influence spans the globe. Where could he possibly go next? “I could mention Mars, since this project is seriously developing,” he muses, referencing a career-long goal to open a restaurant on the red planet. He’s getting closer, thanks to an ongoing partnership with the European Space Agency, which is looking for methods to feed astronauts destined for Mars. It’s a project that certainly befits the world’s best chef – he’s already conquered one planet, after all.
An increasingly accessible international audience is one of the many positive changes, the chef says, that he has experienced during his career. “Many things have changed in the industry since I started, from the technical equipment of the kitchen to social media influence, from vocational training to TV programmes devoted to cooking. However, I believe the two key changes are the globalisation of the restaurant scene on the one hand, and environmental awareness on the other. “Today, talented chefs and remarkable restaurants are everywhere across the globe. This makes the competition tougher yet also very stimulating and very beneficial for food lovers. The development of environmental awareness is another crucial change and we, chefs, have to contribute. It’s mandatory for the planet, as well as crucial for people’s health.” It’s comforting to hear a chef of such prominence supporting sustainability – but it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Ducasse has been at the forefront of culinary innovation throughout his career, and ecology is just another challenge for him to tackle. Even those outside of the earth’s stratosphere have
L'Hostellerie de l'Abbaye de la Celle offers superior double rooms from approx £200 per night based on two sharing, abbaye-celle.com; La Bastide de Moustiers offers superior double rooms from approx £230 per night based on two sharing, bastide-moustiers.com
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