“Cooking is all about people. Food is maybe the only universal thing that really has the power to bring everyone together.”
It began at thirteen a pilot pre-apprenticeship that placed a young boy in the kitchen of Paul Bocuse at Collonges au Mont d'Or.
There, I learned the lesson that has guided every dish since: great cooking starts long before the stove, with quality ingredients chosen by hand at the farmers' market. I completed a two-year apprenticeship at La Ferme under Jean-Pierre Driss, then graduated from the François Rabelais culinary school in Lyon-Dardilly.
Across more than forty years I have worked the great kitchens as Sous Chef, Second Chef, and twice as Head Chef,seventeen and a half years leading the pass. Some of the students I trained have since earned Michelin stars. That, more than any title, is the measure I'm proudest of.
From a teenage apprentice in France to leading brigades across England's most respected institutions.
A pilot pre-apprenticeship scheme placed me in one of the world's legendary kitchens, where I learned that quality begins at the market.
A two-year apprenticeship building the foundations of classical French technique and discipline.
Certificat d'Aptitude Professionnelle in Traditional Cuisine equivalent to British NVQ Level 3.
Seventeen and a half years leading the pass including two tenures as Head Chef while mentoring a generation of cooks, some of whom went on to earn Michelin stars.
Bringing the full weight of a lifetime's craft to private homes, celebrations and intimate cooking courses.
Calm, decisive leadership of brigades of ten or more,every station moving as one.
A passion-driven approach with a record of award-winning student outcomes.
Creative, considered dishes nothing bland ever leaves my pass.
Honed in big kitchens through meticulous planning and organisation.
Detail-oriented, with a palate built on decades of varied taste experience.
An enthusiastic, wholehearted commitment to the craft felt in every plate.
From menu compilation and market shopping to serving the final course,every detail handled.
Bespoke menus prepared and served in the comfort of your London home.
Weddings, birthdays and corporate events, banquets prepared to order.
Your dedicated private chef for the duration of a London holiday or stay.
Tailor-made private lessons in your own kitchen, at your own pace.
A small gallery,seasonal produce, classical technique, and the occasional Spanish paella.
A master class, filmed by Bernard himself, how to cook an authentic Spanish paella from scratch.
Trinity College, Oxford
Tell me about your occasion an intimate dinner, a wedding banquet, or a cooking course at home and I'll craft a menu around it.