Postcard from Paris

Well I'm one month into my Roux Scholarship stage at Guy Savoy in Paris now, and things seem to be going well - I've settled into a daily routine.

My first couple of days were a bit nervy, but the staff involved me from early on. Most are friendly, and they appear to be interested in what I am doing at Guy Savoy as well as what we do at the Orrery. Meeting M Savoy, one of the grand chefs, for the first time was a great experience, as is working in his kitchen.

There are a lot of staff in the kitchen - 20 in all, with four head chefs - so it is hard being a stagière and getting involved in the service, but I fight for a place and try to get involved. The new autumn menu is about to start, so I hope to see some good ideas and especially some game coming on to the menu.

The mushroom season is in full flow so we have pallets of cèpes and girolles to prepare every week. I am learning an awful lot about the cuisine of Guy Savoy: the perfectly selected produce to start with, the preparation (which is sometimes very simple) and, most importantly, the flavour. Some of the dishes surprise me how simple they are, but when you sit down and taste them and think about the concept, you can see why this restaurant is so wonderful.

Sir Terence Conran came in to lunch two weeks ago, and M Savoy was kind enough to let me go into the restaurant to speak with him. It has been quite hard being away from my new wife, Roisin, of one month, but I have a couple of friends here in Paris to keep me occupied when I'm not working. When Roisin does come over to visit, we know we must make the most of our time - not that hard in Paris, really.

I hope to comment on the food scene in Paris in my next instalment, once I've had a chance to eat out a bit more. I've already read about some exciting restaurants.

André Garrett is head chef of London's Orrery restaurant.