Derek Brown
Sue Lawley's castaway is director of the Michelin Red Guides Derek Brown.
Sue Lawley's castaway this week is Derek Brown the Director of the Michelin Red Guides which are the French bible for restaurants. The original Guide was invented in 1900 to help travellers in France find good food at reasonable prices. These days the annual publication always creates a stir with restaurateurs and gourmands alike, all waiting on tenterhooks to see who has been awarded the prestigious Michelin stars - or who has had them taken away. In recent years some high profile chefs have created controversy by sending back their stars, although Brown says the stars don't belong to the chefs but are awarded to the restaurant itself and judged purely on the experience of the meal on the day.
Derek Brown himself comes from a middle-class Portsmouth family and his first ambition was to be a history teacher. After spending a summer earning pocket money as a waiter he realised that hotel management was his path in life and cherished a dream of owning his own hotel. At twenty-seven he saw an advert for Michelin inspectors and gradually worked his way up to the top job.
[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]
Favourite track: 2nd Movement of Symphony No.7 in A Major by Ludwig van Beethoven
Book: The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
Luxury: A steamer chair
Last on
Music Played
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Castaway's Favourite
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Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 7 in A major - 2nd movement
Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic Conductor: Carlos Kleiber
- Beethoven: Symphony No.7.
- Deutsche Grammophon.
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George Frideric Handel
Zadok the Priest
Choir: The Choir of New College, Oxford with The King’s Consort
- Coronation Anthems.
- Hyperion.
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The Beatles
Love Me Do
- Past Masters Vol 1.
- Parlophone.
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Max Bruch
Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor - 3rd movement
Soloist: Igo Oistrakh Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Conductor: D Oistrakh
- Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 / Bach.
- Deutsche Grammophon.
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Bing Crosby with Tommy Dorsey Band
I've Got The World On A String
- Bing Crosby: the Crooner.
- CBS.
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Frank Sinatra
Blue Moon
- Sinatra's Swing Session.
- Capitol.
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Andrea Bocelli
Canto della Terra
- Canto Della Terra.
- Polydor.
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Percy Grainger
Shallow Brown
Artist: Joyful Company of Singers
- The Grainger Edition: Vol 3 Works for Chorus and Orchestra.
- Chandos.
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Book Choice
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The Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens
Luxury Choice
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A steamer chair
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Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Sue Lawley |
| Interviewed Guest | Derek Brown |
Broadcasts
- Sun 25 May 2003 11:15±«Óãtv Radio 4
- Fri 30 May 2003 09:00±«Óãtv Radio 4
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