He’s been called everything from L’ Enfant Terrible to the Godfather of Modern Cuisine. Mark Spence sat down with the gastronomical genius on his first trip to his restaurant in Abu Dhabi since 2009.
Marco Pierre White is still something of an enigma. The trademark mop of curly hair (its deep, dark Mediterranean hue now slowly being overtaken by flecks of grey) perched atop those rugged, kitchen-worn, chiselled features is still there, as is the bear-grip handshake and the ability to stare through whoever he’s addressing. But there’s something else lurking beneath those oft-described steely, bulging eyes. There’s charm and a brutal honesty that belies the frequently regenerated public perception of the man. As he cradles a mug of fresh coffee on his first visit to Abu Dhabi for four years, we sit down to talk at his Steakhouse & Grill in the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr. And here’s the thing, Marco really likes to talk – not for the sake of it, and trying to interrupt him is practically impossible anyway, but because he’s a man with something to say.
The culinary scene in the UAE
‘What’s interesting about the restaurant scene here is that it’s seven days a week. Whereas anywhere else it’s not – of course they’re open seven days a week but in England for example, where people are more reserved, they like to stay home and cook supper. The scene out here reminds me of New York in the sense that there’s life on a Monday or a Tuesday or a Wednesday night in the restaurants but if you look at somewhere like London, Monday is quiet, Sunday is very quiet as is Wednesday night. It’s all building towards the weekend. In New York people tend to eat out rather than cook at home and I think that’s a little bit the same over here – younger people, especially. These people are maybe working hard and haven’t had children yet or got married.’
Abu Dhabi
‘It’s nice to be here and I’ll tell you what’s interesting – it’s a lot greener than the last time I was here. They’ve done a tremendous amount of work on that and it’s the first thing I noticed. When I first came here [the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr] had just opened and it was a very different hotel. But when you walk in today it feels like home. It has a nice feel when you walk in whereas it all felt a little bit ‘new’ before and it’s greener and there’s lots of trees. And the mosque still looks as beautiful as ever.’
Seizing opportunity
‘Abu Dhabi and Dubai are places that offer such great opportunities for young people. I think for young talented individuals with a dream and seeking opportunities and a stage to show themselves on I think Abu Dhabi and Dubai have to be some of the greatest places in the world. I’m in my fifties now and my career is over really in the sense that I’m not that hungry young man trying to make my way and forge my reputation. I like making restaurants now, it’s in my blood, I’ve been in this for 35 years. I’m from the old world of gastronomy and for me if I was that young boy or 20 years old again trying to make my way in life I think I would have considered coming out here to either Abu Dhabi or Dubai.’
The UAE
‘I think it’s the eighth wonder of the world really. Think about it: there’s little crime here, everyone is happy, people are making their lives here and bringing up their families and the quality of life is extraordinary and it gives you opportunities which you might not get the chance to experience elsewhere. Every time I come here I see more and more young people coming here and you know something? I’m not shocked by that. I’m more shocked when somebody doesn’t want to come out here and give it a go. It doesn’t feel like one of those aggressive, powerhouse cities like New York or Chicago. They’re tough cities in the same way Paris is a tough city – you know the success rate is quite slim but out here everyone is a winner. The United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Dubai – these places create dreams.’
Young chefs
‘When I was a head chef in the old days with my Michelin stars and so on and young men and women came to be interviewed they’d hand me their CV. I’d take it off them, wouldn’t look at it and would set it to one side – I wouldn’t let their CV cloud my judgement of who they were. I’d have a conversation with them about their childhood, the world they were born into, the relationship they had with their mother and father, the relationship they had with their siblings because I was of the belief that you can teach someone to cook, you can teach someone to make pastries but you can’t teach someone to be a good person.’
Doing well in the kitchen
‘On their first day of employment I’d always take the new person into my office, sit down, we’d have a coffee and I’d say, “A few little tips for you: one, don’t try to impress us and two, make friends with the team. Do this and your chances of survival are far greater because when you have a three star Michelin kitchen they’re usually full of ruthless, ambitious young men and women. If you go in there and try to impress them, like a splinter they’ll push you out. But if you go in and work hard, respect them and be kind they’ll accept you.’
Misconceptions
‘When I was young I was often condemned as being controversial. Firstly I’d say I was never controversial, I always put foundation behind my statements. I never did things for effect and if you looked at the Michelin guide that confirmed everything we put on the plate was right. It wasn’t done for effect. I would never say that my methods were conventional but they worked and those who went through my kitchen went on to do well in life.’
His public persona
‘That’s down to your own personal sensitivity. It’s like when I went out to feed the troops in Afghanistan. I didn’t go there and hide somewhere safe for a couple of hours. I insisted on going to the frontline because I wanted to give something. When I was in Iraq I sat with those young men and ladies for six hours and they give you an insight into their life. Now I think, whether it’s a plate of food or reading a magazine or a newspaper, it’s all about emotional impact. Einstein once said “There’s no such thing as coincidence, everything happens for a reason” and that’s what he wrote on his bed sheets as he was dying and I believe that everything happens for a reason.’
The obvious
‘I used to hold my hand up to my young chefs and say, “What do you see?” and they’d say “I see your hand Marco” and I’d say “No, you see my palm and I see four knuckles. We’re looking at the same thing but seeing something different.” Don’t allow the obvious to blind you.’
Courage
‘You have to be brave in this world. I’ve never hidden who I am, I have always shared the world that I came from with the world. I’ve been described as controversial but perhaps I lacked experience with the press and certain journalists took advantage of me and took things out of context. I’ve survived in the public eye for 25 years and that’s a long time for people to still be interested in you.’
New ventures
‘I do a lot of pubs now which I turn into restaurants. You go into a pub and you’ve got the local landowner, the local aristocrat, you’ve got the farm labourer, the working man, the plumber and I like that. Restaurants are tribal in the sense that it’s only a certain demographic that will walk into a certain restaurant and if you’re not part of that set you won’t feel like you belong – as far as I’m concerned we all spend the same money. With a pub when someone walks in if they get a better table than somebody else then it’s just the luck of the draw as simple as that. In a restaurant you always give the best tables away first, if you’re the last one in unfortunately you’re going to be stuck by the kitchen door. Always book early or late, never in the middle.’
The role of restaurants
‘For me restaurants are there to help people create moments. Think about why people go out – it’s to be with their friends and loved ones. Food is way down the line – I shouldn’t really say that as a chef, should I? The most important aspect of any restaurant is the environment that you step into – you have to feel comfortable. Whether you like whatever painting is hanging on the wall or not is an irrelevance – it’s all about the feel. The feel is the most important aspect of any restaurant. Now, you bring in service. It must be friendly, charming and efficient and then you bring in good quality food. You want people to come back, but they must feel comfortable. If we don’t feel comfortable then we can’t be ourselves.’
Building success
‘One of the things that I do when I build a restaurant is I sit in every single chair so that I can see what every customer sees. It’s all about detail and tailoring everything to your demographic – if you do all of this: the service, making people feel comfortable, good quality food at a fair price point then you deserve to do well. There’s no guarantee you’ll do well of course but give yourself a chance and you should be proud of what you do.’
Time Out
‘Time Out is a genius concept because it delivers to everybody and everybody reads it. It delivers consistently globally. If I pick up Time Out Abu Dhabi, even though the content is different, I know it will have the
same philosophy as Time Out London.’
Marco was in the UAE to announce a new partnership with RMAL Hospitality who have purchased the entire portfolio of his brands, outside the UK and Ireland.
