Interview with Herbert Berger

08-Jan-09 - 1, Lombard Street is not actually on Lombard street at all but on King William Street, which rather confused the taxi driver, who dropped me at the Gracechurch Street end. I finally had to ask the way and found the place - a former bank (what else?) with a huge vaulted ceiling, large informal brasserie and a more formal restaurant behind. The interview with Herbert Berger was really about his 40 years in the business (as of summer, 2008), his lifelong encouragement of young chefs, and his comments, at the time of his 40th anniversary, on TV 'celebrity' chefs. He didn't mince words. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph he's quoted as saying: "A number of high profile chefs are behaving like spoilt divas who have lost sight of why they began to cook in the first place. Their behaviour detracts terribly from what they should be doing: concentrating on giving value for money to their customers, preparing the best food and training and looking after the young chefs. Petulant children do not ordinarily make the best chefs." He is not alone in those sentiments.

We did have a long and civilised conversation about his life's work, the restaurant, how things are in the City given the current financial crisis, and what impact that is likely to have on the business. He was upbeat about the situation, and you can read the full story in the April 2009, issue of YES CHEF! Magazine, including a follow-up question about the loss of the restaurant's star in the 2009 Michelin guide. But a very nice man and an excellent lunch.