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Marco Pierre White has five Michelin stars three for the Oak Room, one for Cafe Royal, one for Quo Vadis - and is something of a star himself in London. Most people have heard of him whether they have been to one of his restaurants or not. He's the wild-child prodigy chef who tossed the clients who displeased him out the door. He was a boy from the "back streets," who defied the system. Today, at 37 years of age, he is a man whose thoughts are as defined in style and in flavor as his cooking.
Title: chef-owner, Cafe Royal; Criterion Brasserie; Mirabelle; MPW's; the Oak Room at the Meridian Hotel; Titanic; and Quo Vadis in London
Birth date: December 11,1961
Hometown: Leeds, England
Career Highlights: "I don't think I've achieved them yet."
Having one successful restaurant is an accomplishment. Seven that run concurrently under one chefowner is almost unheard of. What's your secret?
I don't know if it is a secret. It's not difficult to be clever. The difference between exclusive and fashionable is price. When you're small, project yourself so you're big. When you're big, step back. I always believe that strategy will compensate for talent, but talent will never compensate for strategy.
How do you divide your time?
I don't regard myself as going to work any more. My life is just a way of life now. I'm a restaurateur and a chef When I wake up in the morning is when I get up. I don't have an alarm clock, I don't carry a diary, I don't have a watch, I don't have a credit card. What's the point?
How do you train and motivate your staff?
Well, I think, to be honest with you, one of the things I've studied in my life is certain individuals, whether it be Machiavelli, Wellington...