He is regarded as the original enfant terrible of the kitchen. Known as the man who once ejected 54 customers from his restaurant, he even made protége Gordon Ramsay, himself known for his fiery temper, cry. Marco Pierre White’s reputation certainly precedes him.
The youngest chef at the time to win three Michelin stars at the age of 33 in 1994, he famously returned them five years later and hung up his chef’s whites to become a restaurateur. (As he has said numerous times, “Winning them was the most exciting journey, retaining them is boring,” adding, “One day, I had the thought that I was being judged by people with less knowledge than me.”)
The 57-year-old legendary chef was in Bengaluru, for the first time, to participate in the second edition of Season 4 of World On A Plate last weekend. As part of the festival held at the Ritz Carlton, Bangalore, Marco took part in a slew of events, including conducting two masterclasses, and curating a fine-dine brunch and dinner.
As we prepare to start the interview at the hotel, Marco is solicitous and apologises for the half-hour delay.
Excerpts from the interview:
What is your reaction to people’s perception that you are intimidating based on what they have seen on MasterChef Australia?
(Fixing me with a piercing look) Well, firstly, people intimidate themselves. I do not intimidate them. Number two, I have to do a job. It is to bring out the best in the contestants and to get them to deliver standards which they may not realise they possess within them.
Does that mean you are intimidating only in the kitchen?
Yes, only in the kitchen. Remember, when people work with me, we are not friends. We are there to do a job and we have a duty and a responsibility to the diner. I can’t turn around and say ‘Brian when you’ve got two minutes, can I have two sea bass? And Jonathan when you’ve got a moment, can I have that steak for table 14?’ You don’t achieve standards by not pushing for standards. Anyone who works for me is not my friend. They become my friend when they leave me.
Is it true that a film based on your life is in the works?
That’s right. Russell Crowe has written the script. I have a meeting next week in Australia. Some people find my life interesting.
What is your opinion of food bloggers and those on YouTube and Instagram, most of whom have no formal training but have become famous just by talking about food?
I'm asked if I think there are too many food bloggers or too many TV shows. Of course, there aren’t. Because if the demand was not there, there would be no food bloggers, there would be no food shows. You have got to look at the positive, not the negative. The positive is that it inspires people to cook, inspires people to eat, and inspires people to buy good produce.
Do you read these blogs or check Instagram?
I don’t. My son takes care of my Instagram account. Look at my phone (it’s an ancient Nokia 3310). It’s dated but the battery lasts two days. I can make a phone call, I can receive a phone call. I can receive a text but I don’t know how to send a text. So, I’m very old-fashioned. Some people say it sounds very narrow-minded. But it doesn’t excite me, it doesn’t interest me. I put energy into things that interest me.
You don’t think of it as expanding your reach?
You learn more about Indian food by sitting with Indian people, working with Indian people and eating with Indian people than you will on the Internet.
What do you think about food trends?
Well, I don’t really look at food trends, I look at food. I want to eat food. The one thing I do think is really important is generosity.
Does that mean big portions then?
I don't like small portions. It doesn’t excite me because I can’t indulge.I don’t like a waiter telling me what I’m eating and telling me how to eat it and then asking me two minutes later if I enjoyed it. It is the customer's evening. It is not the chef's evening. When I started out, the customer was the most important. Today the chef is the most important. That’s how it has changed over 40 years.
You said that when you travel, you want to eat food from that country and that it’s all about the emotional impact. What would you say to people who travel abroad and refuse to try the local food?
I can’t speak for what they want. I’m completely the opposite. For example, when I dine in Singapore, 95% of the people that are in that restaurant are Singaporeans. I want to eat what the people eat. That is all part of the experience of that country. Food tells you a lot about the country.”
So, does that mean eating in small street stalls as well?
I like street food. Like in Singapore, the rice and chicken shop. Delicious! And sit in the most simple of surroundings because to me it’s all about the experience of that culture. It’s like when I’m in Jamaica, I go down the beach and eat with the fishermen.
What have you eaten during your travels to India?
A lot of different curries. The reality is that it’s a tsunami of flavours and dishes. I remember the first time I came to India in January this year. The St. Regis, Mumbai, asked me what I would like for breakfast and I said a traditional Indian breakfast.
Now, traditional Indian breakfast is not one plate of food. It’s a mountain of food (laughs). The next day, I didn’t have a traditional Indian breakfast. It’s so much food! But life is all about indulgence and generosity. For me, it’s all about generosity. And every time I come to India that is what I get… generosity of flavours, of textures, of food.
Do you have any favourite dishes?
It’s all delicious. That is what is amazing, whether I have chicken, fish or other seafood.
You are obviously a very busy man. How do you unwind?
Well, I like cooking as therapy. But I do like fishing as well. I like Nature too.
Do you go out to the theatre or to the cinema?
No, I don’t put myself within public arenas unless I’m working. There’s a very large part of me which is reclusive. That’s why the kitchen is the perfect world for me. I am not great at dealing with the outside world. I get quite nervous and it doesn’t come naturally to me. I'm not a performer. I’m a cook.
Are you happy about the fact that a film will be made on your life?
I sometimes question whether I’ve done the right thing. We have to question everything in life. I think it’s really important to speak from the heart and share your story. I believe that stories are way more important than recipes. Recipes can confuse you. But a story can inspire you. I’m a great believer in struggle. Without struggle, where’s the imagination? The worst thing that can ever happen to any of us — whether we write or cook — is to become complacent, to become comfortable. If you get a bit of success, dissolve it. Put yourself back to where you were and start to struggle again. Life is about struggle. It is not about success.