Pierre Koffmann in Conversation with Richard Vines

I am a typical French chef. I work like any chef; I am hard to work for. I want the task done the way it should be. I am tough in the kitchen. We are there to do a job.

There is no secret. It is all about working hard, using few but the right ingredients and enjoying food.

You have to be in love with cooking. It is not just a job; it is a passion. You must enjoy eating. Oh, and you need a bit of luck!

I was born in Tarbes in south-west France. It was a small town in those days and my father Albert, who was a furrier by trade, worked as a Citroën mechanic. There wasn’t much demand for fur after the war.