How much does place influence the way you cook?
I always adapt my cooking to the place and the occasion.For this event, we were in the South of France, where I'm from. It naturally brought me back to my roots.
Thyme, lemon, garlic... a very Mediterranean way of cooking. It was a real pleasure to cook here tonight.
What draws you to cooking beyond the walls of a restaurant?
Sometimes it's good to take a step back.I enjoy events like this, but I also volunteer by teaching cooking workshops to children.
“There are things I created tonight that I would never serve at Baieta.”
They're always moments of sharing and passing something on. Cooking outside the restaurant also breaks the routine.
You meet new people, discover new places and constantly broaden your perspective.
What does a temporary gathering allow you to create that a restaurant doesn't always?
Every event is different, but these occasions often give you the opportunity to create something entirely bespoke for a place, a client and a specific moment. It pushes you outside your comfort zone.
Temporary events disappear, but we always try to leave a lasting impression.
They're also another way of expressing yourself. There are things I created tonight that I would never serve at Baieta. At the same time, some ideas may evolve and eventually find their way back into the restaurant. Cooking is an endless playground.
Have constraints ever led you somewhere unexpected creatively?
I wouldn't necessarily say better, but certainly different.
Luxury events always begin with a clear brief. From there, things evolve.
Visiting the venue, meeting the guests or simply realising an idea needs to change.You have to question yourself constantly, adapt quickly and be willing to rethink your ideas.
When you designed this menu for Cannes Lions, what did you hope guests would experience?
I wanted the menu to feel fresh, easy to enjoy and deeply Mediterranean.Every station carries a little piece of the South of France.
I also wanted everything to be visually beautiful and true to the way I cook.
If you could create a meal anywhere in the world, with no constraints at all, where would it be?
I've already had the opportunity to cook in some extraordinary places.
Today, I'd choose somewhere much closer to nature.
I'd love to create a dinner in the middle of a forest, cooked entirely over a wood fire from beginning to end.
@juliasedefdjian
Andrew Clarke
“You have to surrender to the environment a little”
A conversation with Andrew Clarke following a private gathering created with Westholme
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