Mark Peregrine named as head tutor at the Raymond Blanc Cookery School

Mark Peregrine has become head tutor of the Raymond Blanc Cookery School. Peregrine has more than 30 years' experience and began his career working as an apprentice at Blanc's first restaurant, Les Quat'Saisons, where Blanc tutored him for five years between 1979 and 1983 on all aspects of his haute cuisine.

Peregrine then worked as a commis de cuisine in France for two of Blanc's colleagues, Louis Outhier and Mark Meneau, before returning to Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in 1987 to work as sous-chef tournant for two years.

He then moved on to become a chef lecturer at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School for two years. Since then he has been involved in running his own pâtisserie, the Pastry Shop, in London, which supplied to Harvey Nichols, John Lewis and The Wallace Collection, as well as organising a professional pâtisserie course for the culinary arts in Boston, USA.

Commenting on the appointment, Blanc said: "Mark first joined me when he was a young commis and was the most gifted student. It is wonderful to welcome him back to the Raymond Blanc Cookery School as a new leader."