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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

Available now

45 minutes

Last on

Fri 30 May 2003 09:00
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

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Meera Syal

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Music Played

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Ludwig van Beethoven

      Symphony No. 7 in A major - 2nd movement

      Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic Conductor: Carlos Kleiber

      • Beethoven: Symphony No.7.
      • Deutsche Grammophon.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Zadok the Priest

    Choir: The Choir of New College, Oxford with The King’s Consort

    • Coronation Anthems.
    • Hyperion.

  • The Beatles

    Love Me Do

    • Past Masters Vol 1.
    • Parlophone.

  • 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.

  • Bing Crosby with Tommy Dorsey Band

    I've Got The World On A String

    • Bing Crosby: the Crooner.
    • CBS.

  • Frank Sinatra

    Blue Moon

    • Sinatra's Swing Session.
    • Capitol.

  • Andrea Bocelli

    Canto della Terra

    • Canto Della Terra.
    • Polydor.

  • Percy Grainger

    Shallow Brown

    Artist: Joyful Company of Singers

    • The Grainger Edition: Vol 3 Works for Chorus and Orchestra.
    • Chandos.

  • Book Choice

    • The Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens

  • Luxury Choice

    • A steamer chair

Credits

Presenter Sue Lawley
Interviewed Guest Derek Brown

Broadcasts

  • Sun 25 May 2003 11:15
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
  • Fri 30 May 2003 09:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

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