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| Luciana Byrne |
There was no particular moment when I decided to become a chef. I was fortunate enough to be brought up in a family where good food was just a way of life. My mother produced delicious, healthy food on the most modest of budgets. Father pitched in when we had lots of guests to stay, but the kitchen was mostly my mother’s territory.
It wasn’t until I went away to France study at the Sorbonne that I experienced restaurant food. What was available at home was honest wholesome fare but I was mesmerised by the way that restaurants in Paris presented their food.
That was a really important time in my life. I studied hard, but took a job in a restaurant to pay the bills too. When I came to the end of my course I had to decide what I was going to do with my life. My friends signed up to training courses to become lawyers and accountants, but I just couldn’t face that.
So you had to choose between the kitchen and the office?
Yes, yes that’s right. At first I was earning a pittance. But after years of hard work and saving money, I eventually opened my own restaurant.
Did you consider going back to Italy to open a restaurant?
Briefly, but my husband is French and I’ve always felt at home in France. I have happy childhood memories of Provence so when the farm became available for sale, I just had to snap it up.
How do you plan your menus?
I start with what’s available in the farms surrounding Byrne Chef, my restaurant in Provence. We are fortunate enough to have some of the best food producers in Europe in that region. My family have been holidaying there for decades, so the locals find it hilarious that I have grown up to be a well known chef. They still refer to me as little Luciana!
I have a very talented team of chefs who work with me. Every few months I take on a new apprentice. That’s something I enjoy a lot – bringing on new talent. The thing about cooking is that people can grow stale. I love listening to young people’s ideas about ingredient combinations.
As “Masterchef,” do you get stopped in the street?
No, I don’t have that kind of fame. People are generally very respectful. Occasionally in the market people will walk up to me and ask about a particular recipe. At first I found it rather odd, but you soon get used to it.
What do you have planned for the rest of this year?
Writing and promoting the book has taken up a lot of time, so I really need to re-introduce myself back to my restaurant. My team have done a great job of running it in my absence, but I miss being there.
