You’ve been tracing Tour de France’s 21 stages for more than a decade, sharing France’s cuisine and culture with Aussie viewers along the way. With all these years of travelling, what's left for you to discover? There’s such a richness of seafood, restaurants, pastry chefs, charcutiers, fromagers... It would take a lifetime to cover everything! And by the time you’ve finished, you would have to start again, because there would be a new generation of artisans.
You seemed to meet some fascinating characters on this year's trip. In the Pyrénées, we went to film a cheesemonger who is Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman of France). He’s got a great personality. He took us to film someone who makes cheese for him in a small village in the Pyrénées, using ewe’s milk. It was so good. It was almost like in France 50 years ago. And that passion for tradition wasn't limited to the Pyrénées? Yes, it’s like that in every region. People are really proud of their local products, of their “terroir”.
What were this year’s highlights? Amazing cheeses! I really liked a family in the north of Provence who makes a little cheese called Banon, a goat’s cheese wrapped in chestnut leaves.
The wines of Savoie (Alps) were really, really good. And then we went to the region of Roquefort, and Ardèche, where they make marrons glacés (candied chestnuts).
For cycling enthusiasts in Australia, Tour de France means 21 days of sleep deprivation. Why do you think we’re so eager to follow those crisscrossing jerseys? First, it makes people dream. At the same time, we have some really interesting Australian riders, Australian champions, and cycling has become a really big hobby here. And Australians love going to France!
Well, the scenery’s pretty spectacular... Absolutely! I’m always surprised by the beauty of the landscapes, of the countryside. Even when we visit the same regions again, like the Pyrénées and the Alps, we discover new places.
Do you cycle yourself? I used to cycle a lot when I was young, because my family didn’t have a car and we used to go everywhere on our bicycles. Today, I have got a bicycle, but I just use it for leisure.
Speaking of leisure, eating your way around France sounds like a pretty sweet gig. It’s a very special job; a dream job that combines all the things I like to do: sharing what I know about cooking, travelling to France, discovering the amazing richness of the gastronomy of the regions crossed by Le Tour.
starts Saturday 2 July 2016 on SBS and finishes 24 July 2016. Visit the website to catch-up on episodes online, scroll through recipes or find out more about the show.
