Vive La France

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It is perhaps no coincidence that words used to describe a love of food are of French origin: a gourmand enjoys eating, sometimes to excess, while a gourmet is one who appreciates good food.

British-born Lindsay Wotton fell in love with French food at the age of 11. At that time, in the mid-sixties, there was little variety in British food, with French food being the domain of expensive restaurants. Later, in 1988, Lindsay established Chez Lindsay in Richmond, London. She told us why she chose to bring the food of Brittany to England.

As a child, what was your first impression of the foods of 1966 France?

“Wonderful, fresh, tasty food the like of which I had never experienced. In the 1960s, there was very little foreign produce available in shops in England. I remember spaghetti in long blue packets, but that’s about it. I had no knowledge of French food, and as an 11-year-old who had never been abroad, I had no preconceptions of what I would be eating. My taste buds were a totally blank and open page, just waiting to be impressed upon. The family I stayed with (eight children) sat down together every lunch and dinner, and the food they ate was cooked and eaten with love and appreciation.”

What are your most vivid memories of French food?

“A simple ‘rôti de boeuf’ [roast beef] placed in the middle of the table and sliced by Madame. We ate it on its own with a little of its jus, mopped up with bread. Unlike our English meat, three veg and gravy all on the same plate, I savoured every mouthful of this amazing piece of beef. Epinards [spinach] à la crème followed — again, appreciated for what [it was and its] flavour unobscured by other items.