Luke Selby’s deep friendship with Raymond Blanc is a wonderful example of how classical, traditional food can work beautifully alongside that of a new generation, looking not to radicalise but to contemporise. Selby, aged 33, was born in Saudi Arabia to a Filipino mother and grew up in London with his two brothers, who share successful careers in food, too. Blanc, aged 74, is an early pioneer of garden-to-table food and has served from the helm of Oxford’s iconic Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, A Belmond Hotel, for 40 years.
And yet, despite their different backgrounds and a significant age gap, the two men are firm friends. Selby worked for Raymond in his early 20s before going it alone to helm Evelyn’s Table, a small 12-counter cover restaurant in Chinatown , with his brothers. Blanc then tempted him back to Le Manoir for a second time.
He now serves as executive head chef alongside Blanc, the founder, creator and chef patron. Their relationship clearly goes beyond those four kitchen walls, and Selby describes Blanc as his “mentor. We are very close, and when I was doing Evelyn’s Table in London, I had fantastic business partners with my brothers; we created a really special restaurant.
But then, one day, Raymond came in to eat and asked me if I would be interested in returning to Le Manoir. It wasn’t something I’d ever really considered, but the opportunity presented was amazing.” And, given Selby's accolades, Blanc could clearly see a star in his midst.
Selb.